National Post

Being Erica and the relatability of regret
Every fall brings new TV series with premises that are so contrived as to seem impossible to sustain. A young woman moves to the Hamptons with the intent of killing the rich folk who framed her father (Revenge). A lady arrives in a small town and learns that everyone in it is also a fairy tale character in an alternate world (Once Upon a Time). Eddie Cibrian tries to be Don Draper (The Playboy Club).

I would bet that, four years ago, Being Erica sounded equally implausible: young woman deals with emotional problems by seeing a therapist who can make her travel through time to relive the past. I might have hurt myself rolling my eyes at that one.

And yet, the CBC drama began its fourth season Monday night. It is seen in 160 countries. By any television yardstick, it has been a considerable success. For a Canadian-made drama, it is a smash.

“I’ll be honest, I had my doubts when I first started. What’s the longevity of this? Where can this really go?” says Erin Karpluk, who plays the time-travelling title character. “But [co-star] Michael Riley describes it as lightning in a bottle.”