One Of The Best Canceled Sci-Fi Shows Of The '90s Was Also Deeply Hilarious

This post contains spoilers for "Now and Again."

"Now and Again" is not a name that usually pops up while discussing great '90s sci-fi shows. This might have to do with the fact that it didn't do too well for CBS (despite averaging at 6.3 million viewers) and was abruptly canceled after only one season. This is yet another example of a show cut down at its prime, which indirectly paved the path for strange, dystopian fictional worlds that we're now used to in shows like "The OA" or "Altered Carbon." "Now and Again" touches upon classic genre themes over the span of 22 episodes, including dubious consciousness-swapping that feels like a distressing chapter of "SOMA" come to life. There's also anxiety surrounding unchecked technological innovation, as it runs the risk of overwriting human emotions to the point of suppressing them.

There's ample reasoning to envision "Now and Again" as a gritty sci-fi drama, but it isn't like that at all. The series revolves around Michael Wiseman (John Goodman), a middle-aged insurance agent who falls to his death on a subway platform in Manhattan. Meanwhile, the US government is looking to engineer the perfect body for espionage purposes, but is unable to factor in the human brain. In a surprising turn of events, they use Michael's brain to power an enhanced artificial body (played by Eric Close of "Suits" fame) as a part of their top-secret experiment.

Soon enough, Michael is sent on dangerous missions against his will while being prohibited from contacting his family ever again. While there's pathos inherent in his predicament, the series takes a humorous, lighthearted approach to this deeply absurd scenario. Does this work in favor of the show? 

CBS had already struck gold with "The Twilight Zone," a genre standout that took the anthology route to tell twisty, layered parables about myriad subjects (including topical societal issues). So, when "Now and Again" premiered in 1999, it wasn't expected to break any genre molds and was solely measured against metrics like viewership numbers and audience ratings. Even so, the per-episode cost ($2.4 million!) was unjustifiable from CBS' standpoint, which is why this promising series wasn't renewed for a second season. While this is lamentable, the first season deserves more recognition than it currently enjoys, especially for its unique genre blend and narrative subversions.

It's one thing to filter a high-concept sci-fi premise through zany humor, and it's another to break conventions by making characters break into song unprompted. Yes, you will see Michael and lead scientist Theodore Morris (Dennis Haysbert) sing their hearts out on occasion, but these moments do not detract from the somber drama or action-thriller elements (the latter being reminiscent of yet another espionage CBS series, "Mission: Impossible"). What's more, the series doesn't rely on the time-tested case-of-the-week formula, but opts for a more expansive form of storytelling that incorporates stakes in an organic way. There's also romance strewn into the mix, as Michael yearns for his wife Lisa (Margaret Colin) even after being given a completely new life, along with a body without limitations.

Things, however, get intensely horrifying when they're supposed to, such as when Michael needs to stop a cult from exploding folks with technology or catch a maniac who injects neurotoxin into eggs. This masterful tonal-hopping grants "Now and Again" its edge, with bizarre humor and thematic sincerity being the icing on the cake.