Certain shows tap into a now-ness that makes them sensations of their time, but viewers swear they don’t age well. They’re like the hot haircut people got before their high school yearbook photo. At the moment that camera snapped, these folks thought they were the peak of style. But as the years go by, the haircut becomes a “what was I thinking” tragedy. The yearbook remains hidden on a dark shelf until a kid picks it out to laugh at what the previous generation thought looked cool. While the haircuts were ridiculous (especially the guy who looked like Vanilla Ice) should that really ruin your memories of high school? Eventually you get old enough to realize everyone has a dorky haircut in their yearbook photo – no matter the year. You have nothing to be ashamed of…unless you were the Vanilla Ice guy. thirtysomething suffered such a fate. In 1987, the show became a phenomena within the NPR loving set that was recovering from their 10th college reunion. Here was a pack of friends in Philly who were living their lives and suffering through their problems. They were finally having kids, starting their own business and accepting adulthood. But when the show vanished from the network, it was rarely discussed by that crowd. It suffered the same fate as Miami Vice. After the reruns went to cable, it wasn’t cool to talk about it in public spaces without fear of being mocked as a dork.
Twenty years later, thirtysomething: The Complete First Season still contains a now-ness factors. Men aren’t roaming around with suspenders on their acid washed jeans. Women no longer look like linebackers with massive shoulder pads in their business suits. Once the fashion disasters are overlooked, the fears, desires and relationships between the 7 characters are still relevant in the 21st Century. Michael (Ken Olin) and Hope Steadman (Mel Harris) are the center of the show. The first few episodes focus on Hope having given up her career to raise their newborn daughter. They slowly restore a vintage house. Michael runs a small advertising company with his longtime pal Elliot (Timothy Busfield). Tim’s wife Nancy (Patricia Wetting) also stays at home to take care of the kids. Michael’s cousin Melissa (Melanie Mayron) is a photographer who does jobs for them. Michael’s pal Gary (Peter Horton) is a college literature professor that also does plumbing and electrical work. Hope’s only outside friend is Ellyn (Polly Draper). She’s a working single gal who has a crush on her boss. All seven of them slowly have learned the sad truth that they’re now the adults. They can no longer imagine what they want to be when they grow up. They’re stuck.
“Pilot,” “The Parents Are Coming, The Parents Are Coming” and “Housewarming” make the series look like it will be completely about the Steadmans and their incomplete remodeling job. The show seemed bent on being a TV adaptation of The Money Pit. “Couples” let the other characters do more than be supporting players. Michael and Hope’s night out with Elliot and Nancy turns into a nightmare. They discover the happy couple are having major issues with each other. “But Not for Me” has Gary and Melissa bored enough to start fooling around with each other. Is this the start of a great relationship or a too close booty call situation? Michael and Hope’s date night turns into a disaster thanks to Timothy Stack (Son of the Beach and My Name Is Earl). There’s severe amounts of flights of fancy in the action along with pianist Michael Feinstein providing a live soundtrack. Fans who worry about music replacement will be relieved to know that there’s nothing missing.
What makes thirtysomething special was the lack of a consistent visual style. Most shows keep all the episode looking the same. But on thirtysomething, a director could make their episode’s look match the script’s tone. “South by Southeast” feels like a Hitchcock homage as Gary is stalked by someone upset at his womanizing ways. “Therapy” takes us inside Elliot and Nancy’s visit to a marriage counselor. This might be the first time on network TV that a wife complains that she can’t find anything stimulating about watching adult videos in their house. Ozzie and Harriet certainly didn’t confess what they did to keep things exciting in the bedroom.
The second half of the season is dominated by Elliot moving out on his wife. This relationship tension spills over into the workplace as Michael wants to break up their business relationship. thirtysomething: the complete first season doesn’t come off as an artifact stuck in its time. There are still couples renovating old buildings. Small business owners remain in fear that they’re going to go bankrupt. Women still ponder whether to raise their kids or put them in daycare. What do you do about your divorcing friends when they both want your help? The fashions might change, but the themes of thirtysomething are still relevant 20 years later. This series aged better than your yearbook haircut.
The Episodes
“Pilot,” “The Parents Are Coming, the Parents Are Coming,” “Housewarming,” “Couples,” “But Not for Me,” “We Gather Together,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Weaning,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “South by Southeast,” “Therapy,” “Competition,” “Separation,” “I’m in Love, I’m in Love, I’m in Love with a Wonderful Gynecologist,” “Business as Usual,” “Accounts Receivable,” “Whose Forest Is This?,” “Nancy’s First Date,” “Undone,” “Tenure” and “Born to Be Mild.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers appear to be from broadcast tape masters instead of an HD master struck off the 35mm negative. This creates a murky feeling on screen when it gets too dark. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0. The levels are fine with the acoustic guitar soundtrack giving a Windham Hill vibe to the action.
Audio Commentaries are on nine of the episodes. Nearly all of the key cast and crew gets a chance to talk about their favorite episodes.
From thirtysomething to Forever – Making thirtysomething: Beginnings (30:36) lets us know how the series evolved. The cast and crew discuss how the show tapped into tales from their own lives.
The Following Years (15:32) has people talking about events in the remaining three seasons. If you’re a “Don’t Spoil It” freak, don’t hit the button for this feature until Season Four gets released.
A Conversation Between Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (32:29) has the creators of the show give away the details. Zwick went on to make big movies.
Couples: Micheal and Hope (10:28), Elliot and Nancy (10:35) explores the relationships of the married folks on the show. The actors discuss how they interpreted the characters. There’s future season spoilers.
Singles: Gary, Melissa and Ellyn (11:23) lets us know how the solo acts reacted in this universe. Like the previous feature, the actors discuss the characters.
Writers (5:49) reminds us how important the scripts were in defining the show. They did go beyond the usual family drama shows. Oscar winner Paul Haggis talks about how much free range he had in defining the character in his episodes.
Directors (6:42) talk about working on a show that didn’t have a defined series style. They were able to create a new look for each episode.
Cultural Impact (10:24) looks at how the series is still seminal. Turns out they were the first demographic hit with the yuppie audience. While the show wasn’t a Cosby smash, advertisers paid top dollar to reach an audience that was eager to buy diapers and cars. Twenty years later, demographics are all that matters in TV ratings.
thirtysomething: the complete first season is a stellar start to the series that lasted four seasons. The show took us into problems that weren’t normally treated on TV. Who dared to talk about watching adult videos at home that wasn’t a character on HBO? The show improves when it explores all the characters instead of sticking us inside the Steadmans’ house. If you had fond memories of watching this show back in 1987, it’s the right time to reconnect with these friends in Philly. The series has aged well after its awkward phase.
Shout! Factory presents thirtysomething: the complete first season. Starring: Ken Olin, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield, Patricia Wetting, Melanie Mayron and Peter Horton. Boxset Contents: 21 Episodes on 6 DVDs. Released on DVD: August 25, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
