Once a Thief

1996
Once a Thief

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 Pilot Sep 29, 1996

An underground crime lord known as The Godfather, who resides in Hong Kong has three professional criminals who has raised and trained - his son Michael Tang, his foster daughter Li Ann and the white Mac Ramsey. Mac and Li Ann are lovers, but when Li Ann is promised to Michael and Mac is doomed to a life in a job he hates, they set about in order to escape from Hong Kong. However, the Godfather and Michael find out about his plans and alhthough Li Ann escapes unharmed, the building which both Michael and Mac are in is blown up and they are both presumed dead.

EP2 The Big Bang Theory Sep 15, 1997

It is three months since the event of the pilot episode. Mac, in particular, is not happy. He is still working for the vixen known as the Director and Li Ann is still in love with Victor. The trio are sent to get a computer disk off a criminal. Unfortunately he is killed before they can, and in the heat of the moment - Mac quits. Surprisingly, the Director lets him go. Li Ann goes to find him but he refuses to come back when he realises she still loves Victor. The Director tells the agents remaining, that the disk contains the names of the people who helped get dissidents out of China after the Tienamen Square massacre. If that disk gets to the wrong hands, those people will be killed. The Tang family is on that list. Mac's new flame is working for a crime syndicate against her will and has to steal the disk. She asks Mac to help her and he does. However, after she doublecrosses him, he is soon back with the agents. All three must retrieve the disk which they do after Mac's friend doub

EP3 Rave On Sep 22, 1997

An investigation into the death of several teens uncovers a dangerous youth rave culture.

EP4 Trial Marriage Sep 29, 1997

Mac follows husband and wife terrorists while Li Ann and Vic investigate the death of several scientists who attended the same convention.

EP5 Art of Death Oct 06, 1997

A cop who arrested Mac and Li Ann works with the agency to stop a terrorist cult.

EP6 Mac Daddy Oct 13, 1997

Mac is suspicious when his father shows up; Li Ann disappears while investigating a spa that's linked to an arms dealer

EP7 Wang Dang Doodle Oct 20, 1997

The team are assigned to investigate a group of psychotics who were once normal. It soon becomes a race against time when the agency's ""cleaners"" - Camier & Murphy - are sent to dispose of the people. Dr Bernard Fry, employed by the agency, is using mind-altering drugs to turn people into ""droogs"".

EP8 It Happened One Night Oct 27, 1997

An Arabian prince is kidnapped while under the team's protection.

EP9 Drive, She Said Nov 10, 1997

Victor and Mac are sent to a safe house after several male agents are assassinated.

EP10 Jaded Love Nov 17, 1997

Victor's old flame asks him for help after she's threatened by a client.

EP11 Wedding Bell Blues Jan 17, 1998

Mac investigates, then falls in love with, a woman who's suspected of organizing the sale of a hand-held nuclear grenade.

EP12 That Old Gang of Mine Jan 24, 1998

Mac and Li Ann investigate a teen-age mob boss and encounter their ""Godfather.''

EP13 Last Temptation of Vic Jan 31, 1998

Victor gets mixed up with a gang of wiseguys.

EP14 Mama's Boys Feb 07, 1998

When Mac is sent to investigate a spree of jewel thefts, he doesn't stop the thieves after suppoesdly falling in love with the hostage they take. The Director, annoyed with the teams continual lack of discipline sentences all three to a week of appreciating what goes on inside the agency, beginning with a postmortem with Murphy & Camier. Mac discovers Angie, the supposed hostage, is in on the plan. She lives with her adopted brothers and mother in a ""Brady Bunch"" style family that steals jewels and reports back to a murderous criminal mastermind who is manipulating them. The family soon adopt Mac as one of them and the Director sends Jackie to find out what Mac is up to. Mac confesses to Angie that although her family is odd, he has never had a family. Meanwhile, Vic has to put up with Nathan, who belives LiAnn and everyone else are bug people, Vic is the only one he can allegedly trust. The Rivers family meanwhile have a problem - they need someone else muscular to pull off a diamond

EP15 Li Ann's Choice Feb 14, 1998

Jackie, Mac and Victor set out to shut down a feuding family of weapons dealers

EP16 True Blue Feb 21, 1998

Victor's haunted by criminal ex-cop buddies who think he's ratting them out.

EP17 Kangaroo Court Feb 28, 1998

The gang attempts to save Jackie from an underground justice system.

EP18 Little Sister Mar 07, 1998

Victor is summoned to rescue his little sister from a gang of alt-culture criminals.

EP19 The Director Files Mar 14, 1998

The Director turns against the agency thanks to a close encounter with an unknown force.

EP20 Shaken Not Stirred Mar 21, 1998

When the former member of an Irish terrorist group begins stealing antiques and blowing up antique trucks, the agency's number 1 spy in the British division - Ian Leslie, with a licence to terminate - joins them. He's suave, sophisticated and is spending a lot of time getting to know Li Ann. Mac and Vic, obviously jealous, try to interfere with their relationship. The Director also warns her to stay away from him as he is really there to kill the terrorist. Ian denies it but Li Ann is unsure. As the group come together at the climax of their adventure, Mac comes to realise he still loves Li Ann but he doesn't think she feels the same way; Vic is unsure of what he feels but worries he may lose her to Mac; and Ian has to make a new evaluation of who he can trust. Li Ann, knowing Ian didn't lie to her is sad to see him leave but knows that ""he won't even think about another woman for a long time"". But little does she know he and the Director are already on a plane to Paris... Meanwhile in

EP21 Politics Of Love Mar 28, 1998

Plot of this episode is not specified yet.
Please check back later for more update.

EP22 Family Reunion (1) Apr 25, 1998

Plot of this episode is not specified yet.
Please check back later for more update.

EP23 Endgame (2) May 02, 1998

SPOILER ALERT - FOR THOSE AMERICAN VIEWERS WHO DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ENDING OF THE EPISODE, DO NOT READ THE NOTES BELOW THIS SYNOPSIS In the aftermath of the Godfather's assassination, the team comes close to breaking up, but the arrival of a top-notch assassin who not only is gunning for the Director but used to WORK for the Director (pre-Murphy and Camier) keeps them together. Li Ann is ready to believe in Michael again, who is working with the Director, but Mac is having his reservations. Mac finally does reach out to Michael, only to have it all blow up in his face.
6.9| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 29 September 1996 Ended
Producted By: Fox Broadcasting Company
Country: Canada
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Once a Thief is a 1997 Canadian television show inspired by the 1996 film of the same name.

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Reviews

xanton159 John Woo's Once a Thief is one of the most interesting television which I have the pleasure of watching again and again. With a thick La Femme Nikita-like story-line and John Woo's unparalleled action scenes, Once a Thief is an action-comedy you do not want to miss.
TooCynicalToSpeak On contrary to the previous comment, I think that this series is brilliant. It's fast, interesting and appealing. The writing is funny and cleverly bizarre... it is just simply clever. The action sequences are directed perfectly. But you don't have to be an action lover to be captured by John Woo's "Once A Thief", because it has so many more elements that make this show one of the best in television, and one I definitely recommend to TV lovers out there.
snsh The movie is slow, and the writing, acting, and even directing are lame. I fast-forwarded through most of the DVD. The only cool part is the "twisted leather freak." She's a babe!!
D'Amico This series didn't have even three original episodes. Everything was taken from something else, which explains in part why it failed so badly. Putting John Woo's name on the show didn't help -- especially when anyone who knew his style could tell he had nothing to do with it.Canadian series' are typically low-budget, low-viewership dives, but "John Woo's Once a Thief" had potential. The two starring cast members, Ivan Sergei and Sandrine Holt, are both semi-talented individuals with a history of stealing the screen. Unfortunately, the non-existent plots and ridiculous story lines and dialogue helped kill this series pretty early. Supporting actors Nicholas Lea and Jennifer Dale both deserved better than filler time, and supporting cast member Vicky Pratt certainly deserved a spot in the opening credits, since her character was not only more interesting than BOTH the stars, she, unlike Lea and Dale, was given a storyline.Anyone thinking of starting a series in Canada should take note of OAT's ending. This show was so low-rated, it barely finished the year intact. Only a few fervent Nicholas Lea fans (which is precisely why they hired him for the show), who followed him from FOX's soap "The X Files", managed to keep this show on the air long enough to finish the season.