# Once a Thief (1996)

> A reformed thief is drawn into a secret government organization and must use her criminal skills for the agency that holds her future.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/10442

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 23
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, crime, drama
- Created by: John Woo
- Network: CTV
- Cast: Victoria Pratt, Nicholas Lea, Jennifer Dale, Ivan Sergei, Sandrine Holt, Kari Matchett, Darryl Quon, Don McKellar
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118359/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: kinetic, stylized, tense, brisk

## Synopsis

Once a Thief (1996-1998) is a Canadian action crime drama series created by John Woo and broadcast on CTV. Adapted from the 1996 film of the same name, it follows Jackie Janczyk (Victoria Pratt), a former thief whose criminal skills are conscripted by a clandestine government organization. Kari Matchett plays Claire Holland, a principal figure in the agency's orbit, and the ensemble includes Nicholas Lea, Jennifer Dale, Ivan Sergei and Sandrine Holt. The engine of the show is the tension between Jackie's wish to leave her past behind and the agency's demands that she keep stealing, infiltrating and bending the rules for missions that test her loyalty. Each hour generally delivers a self-contained operation with gunplay, chases and sleight-of-hand heists, while larger questions about debt, identity and who controls her future accumulate across its single season of twenty-three episodes. The tone is brisk, stylized and kinetic, with the polished action sensibility associated with its filmmaker. Fans of Alias, Leverage and Hustle will find resonance in its blend of covert intrigue, con artistry and a heroine forced into dangerous work. Shot in Canada for a North American broadcast, it sits within the late nineties network action tradition.

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