Thirtysomething is a television drama series that aired on
ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991. It details the lives of seven friends in their 30s - former
Sixties counterculture types turned
Bourgeois Bohemians - living in suburban
Philadelphia.
The main characters are:- Michael Steadman - An advertising executive.
- Hope Steadman - Michael's wife, a freelance journalist raising their newborn daughter, Janey.
- Elliot Weston - Michael's advertising partner, who, at the beginning of hte series, is having marital problems after an affair with a co-worker.
- Nancy Weston - Elliot's wife, an aspiring artist raising their two children, Ethan and Brittany. Nancy battled ovarian cancer during the last two seasons.
- Melissa Steadman - Michael's photographer cousin.
- Gary Shepherd - An English professor who was Michael's best friend. Gary tragically dies in a car accident a few episodes into the final season.
- Ellyn Warren - Hope's girlhood friend, a career woman.
- Miles Drentell - Michael and Elliot's Bad Boss, who employed them once their ad agency went bankrupt.
- Susannah Hart - Gary's girlfriend and later wife, who eventually bore him a daughter, Emma.
Not to be confused with the Hugh Laurie Britcom
Fortysomething.
This show provides one or more examples of:
- all lowercase letters: Officially, the show's title is thirtysomething.
- But Not Too Gay / Fair for Its Day: The show got a burst of publicity as being the first program to feature a gay couple in bed together. However, the actors playing the couple were not allowed to touch each other, and the network later refused to rerun the episode due to negative advertising reaction.
- Creator Cameo: Story editor Liberty Godshall (who started out as an actress before turning to writing) has a supporting role in "Advanced Beginners," which she also wrote.
- Directed by Cast Member: Arguably the biggest example of this trope without Star Trek in the title (just about the only non-child regulars who didn't direct episodes were Polly Draper* and Patricia Wettig) - there were so many episodes that one episode was even about Elliot's directing debut! Well, they say you should write about what you know...
- Loads and Loads of Characters
- Mrs. Robinson: Dating the much younger Lee causes Melissa to feel like this.
- Unintentional Period Piece: Remembered primarily for being associated with the 'Baby-Boomer' demographic along with some of the more common 80's tropes.
- Your Cheating Heart: Elliot, as listed above.
0 reviews