Season 1
Being Erica is a Canadian comedy-drama television series created by Jana Sinyor and starring Erin Karpluk as Erica Strange, a woman who begins seeing a counsellor to deal with regrets in her life, only to discover the counsellor has the ability to send her back in time to actually change these events.
The series aired in Canada on CBC from 5 January, 2009 to 12 December, 2011. There are 49 hour-long episodes in four seasons.
Being Erica premiered in South Africa on DStv's Hallmark channel (which became Universal Channel in 2010) on Thursday 12 November 2009, at 21h00. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 1 Repeats
(Double episodes)
Saturdays: 19h10
Sundays: 13h30
Synopsis
Being Erica is a one-hour dramedy that explores the life of Erica Strange, a woman who has been given a wonderful gift. Every episode, Erica goes back to relive a regret from her past, in order to come back and make a positive change in her present.
In the pilot episode, we learn that Erica is 32 years old, perpetually single, making barely enough money to get by.
Her friends are busy getting married, buying their first homes and climbing the corporate ladder. They're moving up and on in their lives and leaving Erica in the dust.
Over the course of the first episode, Erica suffers a series of mishaps that ultimately land her in the hospital, where she meets the mysterious Dr. Tom - a therapist who seems to know a lot about her.
He issues a bizarre challenge - if she wants to fix her life, he can help her.
Desperate, Erica accepts his terms and after a brief and bizarre therapy session, during which she provides him with a list of her life's greatest regrets, she finds herself launched back into her own past to make different choices this time around.
Crew
Writers
Aaron Martin, James Hurst, Daegan Fryklind, Michael MacLennan
Directors
Holly Dale, Chris Grismer, Jeff Woolnough, Peter Wellington, Kelly Makin
Executive Producers
David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Jana Sinyor, Aaron Martin
Episodes
Episode 1: Dr Tom
Erica Strange is approached by a mysterious therapist who sends her back in time to relive one of her high school regrets.
Episode 2: What I Am Is What I Am
Erica is torn between following her career dreams to work in a literary field and settling for the secure option at her uncle's bridal factory. Her trip back to University when she was approached by the esteemed secret society Literati teaches her the value of following her heart.
Episode 3: Plenty of Fish
When Erica brings Ethan to her high school reunion to pose as her pretend boyfriend, she must relive her first sexual experience in Muskoka to understand and overcome the source of her relationship troubles.
Episode 4: The Secret of Now
In order to conquer her fear of confrontation, Erica is sent back to her first semester of University to finally stand up for herself against the daunting Professor Lozar.
Episode 5: Adultescence
When she is treated like a child, Erica must confront the source of her reputation by returning to her Bat Mitzvah – only this time she will truly prove herself as a woman.
Episode 6: 'Til Death
Moments before Sam and Josh are set to walk down the aisle together, Erica struggles whether to reveal to her sister her true antagonism toward Josh. If only she hadn't helped them get back together after a near-break-up three years ago...
Episode 7: Such a Perfect Day
With the stress of work and family life weighing heavily on Erica's shoulders, Dr Tom gives her a break, sending her back to a perfect day.
Episode 8: This Be The Verse
With Yom Kippur on the horizon, Erica seeks forgiveness from Samantha. But forgiveness is hard to come by and, before Erica can expect it from her sister, she must learn to forgive her parents when she goes back in time to better understand what tore them apart.
Episode 9: Everything She Wants
Erica cannot understand why she feels unsettled about her relationship with Ryan. When she reexperiences her unusual bond with Cassidy in 1999, she realises that romantic unions can only work when both partners are able to give 100% of themselves to the relationship.
Episode 10: Mi Casa, Su Casa Loma
When Erica's hatred for long-time frennemy, Katie, erupts to the surface, she returns to the source of their long-standing feud to discover what really tore apart these former best friends.
Episode 11: She's Lost Control
Charged with supervising the launch of Katie's new book, Erica turns into a complete control freak. She soon realises that her need to control might be contributing to the downfall of her relationship with Ethan.
Episode 12: Erica The Vampire Slayer
In order to learn how to step outside the box and be something more than the fun-loving girl-next-door, Erica is sent back to a time when her narrow-mindedness and cowardly behaviour hurt somebody near to her.
Episode 13: Leo
Erica returns to her greatest regret, her brother Leo's death, only to discover the hard way that there are consequences to playing God.
Seasons
Note: Hallmark became Universal Channel on Wednesday 24 March, 2010
Season 1 (13 episodes)
Channel: Hallmark | Premiere: 12 Nov 2009 | Finale: 24 Dec 2009 | Thursdays, 21h00
Season 2 (12 episodes)
Channel: Universal | Premiere: 22 Apr 2010 | Finale: 27 May 2010 | Thursdays, 21h00
Season 3 (13 episodes)
Channel: Universal | Premiere: 25 Jan 2011 | Finale: 19 Apr 2011 | Tuesdays, 20h00
Season 4 (11 episodes)
Channel: Universal | Premiere: 31 Jan 2012 | Finale: 6 Mar 2012 | Tuesdays, 16h15
Related Articles
EXCLUSIVE: Being Erica's Erin Karpluk