History Series / BeingErica

* PlayingGertrude: Jenny and Katie are supposed to be around Erica's age, but both of their actresses are around ten years younger than Erin Karpluk.

* {{Nerd}}: If, a weird LARP-loving tech geek who Erica dated for 10 days.

* TimeyWimeyBall: Tends to happen and actually taken UpToEleven since you have multiple people doing MentalTimeTravel all at the same point in time but from different starting points but also engaging in situations where they physically end up somewhere else all together such as when visiting therapists. Just explaining what goes on is almost as confusing as trying to figure it all out. For instance, in "Physician Heal Thyself", Kai and Erica are talking and he notes that in his original timeline, he did one thing, but in this timeline, he did something else. Meaning that for him, Erica's timeline is an alternate universe to him even though it's the 'right' universe for her.

* HollywoodNerd: If, a weird LARP-loving tech geek who Erica dated for 10 days.

* MulticoloredHair: Erica's standard college-age hairstyle features stripes of various colors.

-->'''Dr. Tom:''' I asked you a simple question. Do you want to fix your problems or not? Yes or no.\\

%%* {{Adorkable}}: Erica.

* FanService: Erica manages to spend a lot of time in various states of undress throughout the series.

FanService: Erica manages to spend a lot of time in various states of undress throughout the series.

* BiTheWay: in an inversion of how this trope is usually evoked (with an otherwise straight-appearing character revealing same sex attraction), previously-established as gay [[spoiler: Ivan]] reveals that he is "10% straight" when it comes to slender blonde women (like Julianne).

A Canadian comedy-drama series about a 30-something woman named Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk), who believes her life has been full of regrets. After a particularly bad day, she is approached by a therapist called Dr. Tom (Michael Riley). He offers assistance, which turns out to be in the form of sending her back in time to [[PeggySue relive portions of her life]]. While this is supposedly to allow her to make changes, often the result is that key events happen anyway, but they give Erica a fresh perspective which can then be applied to present day situations.

* CanadaEh: Averted. The show portrays a fairly realistic (at least, as realistic as you get on a T.V. show) and non-stereotypical version of urban Canadian life. Which isn't surprising, since it's a [[CanadianSeries Canadian show]].

The show premiered in Canada in January of 2009. It was picked up for a twelve episode second season that started September 2009, and a thirteen episode third season that began in September 2010. Later seasons introduce more therapists and more patients to the cast. The series takes place in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, where it is also filmed. The last episode aired in December 2011.

** The very next episode, "Erica's Adventures in Wonderland" has this trope being name-checked by Doctor Tom when he sends her to an alternate universe where she's dating her perfect man (an educated, self-confident, handsome, muscled, educated, and successful photographer named Milo), she's still friends with Jenny, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and Doctor Tom is a huge Star Trek fan]]

* BlatantLies: To get out of an expensive bar tab in Taipei, Erica claims to be CelineDion, having been told earlier in the day she looks like her somewhat. The bar owner tells her to prove it by singing. [[HollywoodToneDeaf Given that she's a terrible singer...]]

* [[DeadLittleSister Dead Big Brother]]: Leo. His death traumatized the entire Strange family for years, and Erica is always overjoyed to see him when she goes back to before he died.

* DawsonCasting: Zigzagged. While Erin Karpluk is about Erica's age in the present, she also portrays her teenaged and 20-something self in rewinds. Similarly with her friends, even though Paula Brancati is actually 20-something in reality, but plays a 30-something next to Erica in the present. When using the same actor is unrealistic, though, such as when Erica relives her Bat Mitvah, an age-appropriate actor fills the role.

* ShoutOut: Episode titles have included [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Erica the Vampire Slayer"]], [[Theatre/TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest "The Importance of Being Erica"]], [[TheAddamsFamily "Adam's Family"]],[[Film/GirlInterrupted "Erica, Interrupted"]], [[Series/DoctorWho "Doctor Who?"]], and [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland "Erica's Adventures In Wonderland"]].

%%* ButtMonkey: Erica at first.

%%* PosthumousCharacter: Erica's older brother, Leo.

%%* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: Premise of the show.

* ValuesDissonance: One episode features a friend of Erica's [[spoiler: coming out as gay to her]]. While she (having the mindset of someone from the mid-2000s [[spoiler: not to mention someone who had her own flirtation with same-sex attraction in her future/past]]) doesn't think it's a big deal, he, having the mindset of a teenager from the late Eighties, thinks it's the worst thing ever.

* {{Adorkable}}: Erica.

* AlternateUniverse: The episode "What Goes Up Must Come Down", 2x11, features Dr. Tom showing Erica a revised present where she had won the lottery.

* BigBrotherWorship: Due to him having died several years previously, Erica's memories of Leo are extremely rosy. The point of several of her trips is to demonstrate to her that Leo was a flawed, temperamental, and irresponsible teenager/twenty something, not the perfect big brother she remembered.
** This is twisted in an interesting way in "Two Wrongs" as Erica initially denies that Leo's fraternity brothers are bullying him, because he was "the coolest guy I knew." However, she changes her mind pretty quickly.

* ButtMonkey: Erica at first.
* TheCameo: Jay Manuel; George Stroumboulopoulos.

* CampGay: Uncle Ruby
* CampStraight: Brent.

* DeadpanSnarker: Dr Tom.

* MrFanservice: Both Ethan and Kai, along with some other characters.

** In an inversion, in "Bear Breasts" Julianne discovers that she finds Boy on Boy to be hot.

* {{Guyliner}}: used to a point with Future!Kai

* JerkAss: Antigone, Josh, Thomas Friedkin

* PosthumousCharacter: Erica's older brother, Leo.
* ProductPlacement: Very blatant at times, unfortunately. In one episode, we see Judith's boyfriend finish a presentation for TD Financial, complete with their trademark green armchair. In another, Julianne's assistant introduces her to Tetley Infusions.

* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: Premise of the show.

* TimeyWimeyBall: Tends to happen and actually taken UpToEleven since you have multiple people doing MentalTimeTravel all at the same point in time but from different starting points but also engaging in situations where they physically end up somewhere else all together such as when visiting therapists. Just explaining what goes on is almost as confusing as trying to figure it all out.
** For instance, in "Physician Heal Thyself", Kai and Erica are talking and he notes that in his original timeline, he did one thing, but in this timeline, he did something else. Meaning that for him, Erica's timeline is an alternate universe to him even though it's the 'right' universe for her.

* WeirdnessCensor: You'd think people would start noticing other people basically teleporting around all the time. It helps that it only happens when walking through doors, but sometimes other people are going through the door with her, and don't seem to notice anything odd.

* YouCantFightFate: In the season one finale [[spoiler: Erica saves her brother's life in the past, only to have him die in the present]].