Wed, Feb 7, 2001
Eighty-seven year old Charley Freeman was a gangster during the Great Depression, running a Harlem located speakeasy in which he dealt in moonshine. But he was also an aspiring jazz trumpeter in the club. His career came to a halt when he was arrested for his illegal activities, spending twenty years in prison. Since his release, he has spent his time primarily educating youth on the perils of the gangster life. Being shot by a street punk, Charley's dying word is "Rose". Not because of his atonement for his past gangster life, but because of Rose that Othniel sends Charley back to regain what was missing in his adult life, namely human love. During his speakeasy years, Charley, a Negro, was in love with Rose Hathaway, a young Caucasian woman, their love forbidden in a time when interracial romances were still taboo. Charley is sent back to his speakeasy days as Jack, a friend of the Freeman family and a moonshine runner. Smith learns that part of the issue about Charley's love for Rose was secrets she had kept from Charley about her family and the role she may or may not have played in his arrest. Charley needs to learn the truth behind Rose's love or lack of for Charley.
Wed, Feb 21, 2001
Grifter card shark Bobby Kremsky decided early on in his life that he was not going to be a family man (that literally killed his father when he was fourteen). However at nineteen, Bobby did father a child, Renetta, who he never saw as he ran out on Renetta's mother, Colleen Moore, when she was pregnant. In order for Bobby to learn the meaning of 'unconditional love' especially for his daughter, Othniel sends Bobby back to the day of Colleen's funeral when Renetta was ten. She was about to be shipped off to Colleen's straight-laced sister and brother-in-law, Jane and Bill, with whom Colleen and Bobby never got along, and with whom Renetta would not be a good fit for their household. In his new role, Bobby impersonates an official from child protection services, a man who he calls Henry Jude. "Henry" is able to get Bobby and Renetta together, but bonding between the two will take longer as each is headstrong and stubborn. For time to bond, Othniel sends them on a road trip, a journey of discovery for both, but one not without obstacles.
Wed, Feb 28, 2001
Caucasian Jimmy O'Connor was abandoned by his parents at an early age and ended up growing up in his neighbor's home, Mabel Jamal, a black woman who eventually adopted Jimmy. Mabel treated Jimmy like a son. Jimmy and Mabel's biological son, Jimmy's "brother" Henry, both grew up as boxers. Henry was a champion, a natural boxer, whereas Jimmy was more of an up and comer - a boxer with less natural skill but with heart. However, in a championship bout between the two, Jimmy deals Henry a fatal blow. Although crowned champion, Jimmy could not handle what he did and descended into a life as a down and out alcoholic. Othniel sends Jimmy back to three days before that bout as Ray Tambor, a trainer. As Ray, Jimmy believes he can still win that bout and yet not deal a fatal blow to Henry. But Jimmy and Smith learn the truth behind the bout - why it happened and the circumstances that led to Henry's death.
Top-rated
Mon, Mar 26, 2001
Roger Hamilton is a wealthy and self-absorbed entrepreneur who grew up in poverty and worked his way through his youth solely to make money. Now, he thinks he can buy his way through life. With a failing kidney, he even attempts illegally to buy a kidney. On Smith's urging, Othniel decides to send Roger back to see if he can regain his humanity and true love for his fellow humans. Othniel sends him back to a time just prior to his kidney failure diagnosis. Roger returns as Dr. Lenny Shalton, a liver transplant surgeon upon whom others rely to survive. Through this new role, Roger learns what can happen when someone like him tries to circumvent the transplant wait list.
Mon, Apr 2, 2001
Camilla Bianco was a good Italian mother to her daughter, Severina. She was a good surrogate mother to her granddaughter, Severina's daughter Lucy. Camilla took on this role while Severina focused on her career (being a single mother). Smith and Othniel believe that Camilla made it easy for Severina to give up on her marriage to Tony, although Camilla saw him as a good man, husband and father. As such, Severina and Lucy don't know how to survive without Camilla. To empower Severina with the skills to be a parent, Camilla is sent back to a time when Lucy was a baby and Severina was just starting her career in hotel management. Camilla is now Anna, a manicurist at her local beauty salon, where she frequented once a week mostly to socialize. As Anna, Camilla has to teach her younger self what it means to to have a well rounded life and that Severina has to make decisions in her life without Camilla's constant support. But Camilla may also have to convince someone else to do their fair share of the household duties.
Mon, Apr 9, 2001
Commercial airline pilot Captain Luke Sellars has a successful career but an unfulfilled personal life. He is on his second marriage to an ex-flight attendant named Connie and does not have the respect of his eighteen year old son, Ricky. Othniel sends him back ten years earlier as Willie, a flight attendant on Luke's first transatlantic flight as a pilot - the flight when he first lost the respect of his son. Largely an absentee father and husband, Luke was escorting his then wife, Phoebe, a French woman with a zest for life, and Ricky to Paris. Luke and Phoebe are soon to be divorced, Paris to be Phoebe and Ricky's new home. Beyond their family problems, Luke lost Ricky's respect because he made the decision, as the pilot of the plane, not to turn around and quickly land when he learned that a dog was mistakenly placed in the unpressurized and unheated cargo hold of the plane - a decision he now regrets. As Willie, he has to convince his younger self to change that decision. As well, he needs to understand what happened to his marriage to Phoebe, a woman he admits he still loves.
Sat, Apr 21, 2001
In many respects, Smith sees the Storeys - parents David and Marcy, and children Ryan and Rachel - as the perfect example of a truly loving family. Ryan had thought about going to seminary school, but decided instead to go to medical school in an effort to save his father, himself a general practitioner. Dr. Storey underwent a simple heart valve replacement surgery, but complications from several surgeries later resulted in him suffering permanent brain damage. Ryan feels responsible as he both convinced his father to have the surgery, and now wishes that his father had died instead. Ryan wishes that he could go back and convince his father not to have the surgery, which would result in what Ryan considers two quality years instead of the eleven years David has lived with the mental faculties of a child. Ryan does get his wish as Othniel sends him back as Dr. Thomas, the heart surgeon on his father's case. Smith makes Ryan realize that it isn't only letting his father make his own decision on his fate, but also for Dr. Thomas, with Ryan's thoughts and feelings, to do what is truly in his heart.