Reconsidering "thirtysomething"

I loved it, too. I hadn't watched TV in almost 20 years when I started watching thirtysomething in 1988. Ken Olin was so cute.

Yes, he was.

I loved the show but haven't seen a single episode since it went off the air.

I remember being blown away by Patricia Wettig's talent. I'd rea;;y like to see it all again.

I was completely shocked when they killed off Gary.

I agree about Patricia Wettig. She was amazing. That word is overused, but she was amazing as Nancy.

There was something I really didn't like about Ethan. But it was just a show.

Wtf are you talking about, OP? Thirtysomething was fucking amazing. It was the first time I saw a gay couple on TV. Also, Ken Olin was the dream. And Lee was hot.

"I loved the show but haven't seen a single episode since it went off the air."

It's too bad they don't show it on one of those re-run channels like COSI or Antenna TV. It's really worth seeing again. It was on Lifetime or USA in the early 90s, but I don't think it has been on since.

Melissa...

Hopeless

R7, I LOVE the show. But there are a lot of people who lazily refer to it as a "whiny" and "whitebread" show featuring babyboomers. I'm assuming these are the same people who LOVED Two and an Half Men.

Fat Michael

Nancy

Well, he's still alive, R12. And maybe he's not hot to a twink, but he still looks hot to me.

Miles

I didn't know that David Clennon was still alive! I thought I read that he died several years ago.

Ken Olin was the original Jon Hamm.

Clennon is only 75. He could play Beau in the remake!

Melissa really was a charming character. She was probably my favorite. Followed by Hope. But every actor was perfect. Polly Draper .. she was fantastic. Timothy Busfield was great (didn't like his character at first, but he really grew on me, and at the end, he was great.).

What was this show about?

[quote]But there are a lot of people who lazily refer to it as a "whiny" and "whitebread" show featuring babyboomers. I'm assuming these are the same people who LOVED Two and an Half Men.

Thirtysomething WAS whiny and whitebread. Zzzzzzzzz. And I have never been tempted to watch a single minute of Two and a Half Men.

"Ken Olin was the original Jon Hamm."

He really was. I stopped watching Mad Men in its first season when I realized it was just a rip off of Thirtysomething with a 1960s angle.

Gary's death...

Why he be die?

"Thirtysomething WAS whiny and whitebread. Zzzzzzzzz. And I have never been tempted to watch a single minute of Two and a Half Men."

Good for you. I'm not going to slam you. You like what you like.. Let me do the same as well.

I wish Netflix would get this series.

You have horrible taste ok. You should whip yourself in shame

Ken Olin constantly tweets about how fat Trump is. Sadly Olin is almost as fat. (and wouldn't his tweeting trigger Chrissy Metz?--he's the producer of her show.)

R28... What is your favorite show? Dr. Oz?

OK, R29. Are you for or against Ken Olin then. From what I've heard, he is one of the good ones.

Why did they kill that guy off? Was he pissed off?

Was there backlash from the fans?

Ken Olin constantly tweets about how fat Trump ... Ken Olin constantly tweets about how fat Trump is. Sadly Olin is almost as fat. (and wouldn't his tweeting trigger Chrissy Metz?--he's the producer of her show.

I am amazed that the Trump asshole coalition is trolling Datalounge. Note to dickheads: You're going DOWN in November. And FUCK OFF!

[quote]Good for you. I'm not going to slam you. You like what you like.. Let me do the same as well.

No one's stopping you but yourself, hon. You were having a perfectly nice discussion with fellow Thirtysomething fans and then you had to provoke negativity by preemptively slamming anyone who might be silently disagreeing with your taste as lazy viewers who love crap like Two and Half Men.

And let's CUNTinue...

Melissa, if you were anymore in touch with your feelings, you'd be molesting them.

Why does every thread on this damn board have to be combative, R34? You don't like the show? Then just let it go and read another thread. If a number of people like a movie or a show, you don't HAVE to shit on it by posting your negative opinion. That is all on you.

Was that a quote from the show, R36?

I am so stealing that line.

Me, too. Bye not "MeToo" because of the implied molestation. Which may or may not have occurred .Although Mammy Mia assured me it all happened. I did take a number of pills, though, before I "remembered." But now I remember ... and remember.. and remember~

Yes Olin was good looking - but the vaguely scandi, blond good looks of Peter Horton really did it for me! So disappointed they killed his character off -

Why? Was it because Horton had become popular and thought he was gonna have a big career elsewhere (hello David Caruso!).

Bonus interest points for Horton being married to Michelle Pfeiffer at the time as well! What a great looking couple...

You are funny, R41

R21

Damn you! I haven't seen the show since it aired but that clip gas me all verklempt.

I see the entire series is on Youtube so I guess I'm falling down that rabbit hole.

Now if only Michael Steadman had been accused of attacking Leo and Janey. There are a MILLION DIFFERENT THINGS that are so obviously different from some upcoming ABC show.

"I see the entire series is on Youtube so I guess I'm falling down that rabbit hole." Really?? They allow that now? I thoughg YouTube was only for old videos and clips.

I remember it as a show that most of us loved in the first season (or maybe 2) but quickly lost interest when the characters became so insufferably predictable.

That's odd, because I thought the show became much, much better in the third and fourth season.s. Not only Nancy's cancer, but Hope, too. She was not a happy woman.

Mind you, I would have divorced Hope in season three. But she kept harping on and on about that "magazine career" awaiting her in Washington DC,

I agree the characters established better as the series went on. They were just a bunch of whiny babies to start.

But aren't we all, if you look at it that way, R49?

A "slide of life" is supposed to be just that, right?

Shit... SLICE of life....

I remember Lifetime briefly running reruns in the mid 90s.

Is Lifetime still on the air?

The thing that really annoys me is that they can pump out 10 seasons of Hawaii Five-O (that very few people actually watch). I mean, get real, nobody watches that damn snow. But Thirtysomething? That was a show with what they now call "content."

To clarify: Hawaii Five-O is only watched at retirement communities and old age homes.

Gary's death came when the show was teetering on the verge of cancellation. They announced a major character would die and everybody thought it would be Nancy but then the threw in the Gary twist. He appeared on the rest of the episodes as a ghost sort of haunting Michael who was having terrible stress after Gary's death and Elliot leaving the business for California.

It was really annoying that ABC didn't stick by the show. China Beach was another show from the time that never performed in the ratings but was high quality. I remember people being really mad when they cancelled it. I was mad at Olin and Wettig because the network was going to give them a few episodes the next season to wrap the show up but their salary demands and demands for Olin to direct where so extreme the network refused them.

Olin was an awful director. He directed the Gary's death episode. I always hated how he robbed Melanie Mayron of a big dramatic moment since he shot her finding out about Gary from a distance so you couldn't hear what she was saying.

R57

Wow! I haven't thought about China Beach in forever.

Such a good show.The whole cast was great but Marg H. was really wonderful

Yes, that line was actually from the show.

Hope was the biggest whiner of them all.

R55 - so true about the new version of Hawaii 5-0. Don’t know anyone who watches it - yet it comes back year after year...

Kathy Griffin used to to likewise joke about an actress friend of hers who was in JAG - ‘a show that nobody watches’ - yet also was renewed year after year...

I guess the economics work out as long as no ‘breakout stars’ ask for outrageous sums of money - and by the end it’s a matter of the quantity of episodes for syndication or something?

RE: I was mad at Olin and Wettig because the network was going to give them a few episodes the next season to wrap the show up but their salary demands and demands for Olin to direct where so extreme the network refused them. .. (Olin) robbed Melanie Mayron of a big dramatic moment since he shot her finding out about Gary from a distance so you couldn't hear what she was saying.":

Two things on that, as a fan and a viewer, not an insider:

1) Wow. I had no idea that the Olig and Wettig were the ones who fucked up the ending of the show. There could have been a special two-hour movie to wrap things up. But greedy Ken and Patty fucked that up.

2) Was the final episode, " California," intended to be the last episode? It didn't seem lie it, and wow... what a weird end to a fantastic show.

"I was mad at Olin and Wettig because the network was going to give them a few episodes the next season to wrap the show up but their salary demands and demands for Olin to direct where so extreme the network refused them."

So Olin and Wettig were the exact yuppie pigs that they depicted in their show?! Surprise, surprise!!

The soundtrack album is pretty good.

R60, you seem to be have an attachment to to the show so I'm interested: . You wrote: "I guess the economics work out as long as no ‘breakout stars’ ask for outrageous sums of money - and by the end it’s a matter of the quantity of episodes for syndication or something?

Was the series canceled because of Ken and Patty?

And to think, there could have been more seasons of "My So Called Life" if that flake Claire Danes had only signed on for one more year.

Sorry, this was my other question: 'Olin was an awful director. He directed the Gary's death episode. I always hated how he robbed Melanie Mayron of a big dramatic moment since he shot her finding out about Gary from a distance so you couldn't hear what she was saying.

I have to say, "Shifting the Ashes" is probably one of my favorite episodes. Maybe I'm wrong., But I don't remember a shot of Melissa reacting to Gary's death.

Were these people really thirtysomething? They looked old as fuck! It should have been called fortysomething.

AND.... Melanie played the hell out of the burial episode. She deserved an Emmy for that.

It was a guilty pleasure for me.

To clarify, when I said "I don't remember a shot of Melissa reacting to Gary's death," I meant I didn't remember Melissa being told one-on-one when happened, not after he died.

Gary's death is linked above r70. Michael tells Melissa but you just see it from a distance (from Hope's perspective sitting in the car actually.)

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A GOOD NANNY!"

[quote]2) Was the final episode, " California," intended to be the last episode? It didn't seem lie it, and wow... what a weird end to a fantastic show.

They didn't know they were being cancelled (they may have suspected.) All the episodes had been shot and then it was cancelled with only one or two episodes left to air. So California wasn't intended as an ending I guess since they didn't know they'd be cancelled.

I remember Wetting going on Arsenio Hall's show right after the cancellation and saying how happy she was about it being cancelled and it felt so "liberating" like she was going to go on to a major film career or something. I always got some satisfaction that she never really worked much after the show.

Except, of course, in "Brothers & Sisters," AKA "thirtysomething redux."

I was and AM a big fan of thirtysomething but I think "Once & Again" was better.

[quote]I didn't know that David Clennon was still alive! I thought I read that he died several years ago.

So did I - I could have sworn it. I guess it's a Mandela Effect thing...

[quote]Why? Was it because Horton had become popular and thought he was gonna have a big career elsewhere (hello David Caruso!).

They had apparently always planned to kill one of the mains off at some point. They originally thought it would be Nancy - but throughout the course of her character's cancer arc, they got so much audience feedback from people invested in not wanting her to die that it set off this crisis among the writers. They felt responsibility to be true to what they were depicting, and the odds for someone in Nancy's position to survive the cancer were not high. But finally they couldn't bring themselves to kill her off, and it was decided someone else would die in her place. I guess they picked Gary because with him they could have some of the same kind of drama that killing Nancy would have left behind - children left without a parent, grieving spouse, etc. They thought Peter Horton would be OK with it because he wanted to direct anyway. But it took some time to get him on board with it, he didn't want to leave.

There's a book called Thirtysomething At Thirty: An Oral History that has a ton of behind the scenes information and interviews about the show - it's a bit amateurish (buy the ebook if you can, it's cheaper and the physical presentation of the paper book sucks anyway), but a must for any big fan of the show.

Does anyone remember a short-lived show from the 90s called EZ Streets? Ken Olin is smoking in it.

thirtysomething and LA Law, never missed an episode, loved then both. Ken Olin and Harry Hamlin were my dream guys. I loved the openings of both shows!

I disliked Timothy Busfield so much I couldn't ever get into the show. Don't know that there are many other actors I can say that about.

I loved the show where bad things keep happening to Ellen and she laughs and cracks jokes through all of it......and then she vomits blood, revealing she has an ulcer.

R79 Does that mean you never watched The West Wing either?? Don't give away your power to Timothy fucking Busfield...

Thirtysomething was a great show. Yes, the characters - all of them - had their moments of being exasperating. Then they'd say or do something that put you on their side again. Just like real life! That was the beauty of the show, which was totally unique on television at the time. TV in the '80s consisted of primetime soaps, sitcoms, and crime shows that could be very dramatic (The Equalizer), somewhat comedic (Magnum, PI) and downright goofy (Knight Rider). This was the cultural landscape from which thirtysomething sprang, and it seemed that finally there was a television show for and about actual real-life adults. It was incredibly refreshing and sorely needed.

Cancer, adultery, loneliness, divorce, parental estrangement, business stressors - sure it was a whiny show, but life gives you lots of grief to whine about.

I couldn't stand that smug, sanctimonious Hope. And she grew fat. And she treated her well-meaning parents like shit.

It does, r81. I wish I could explain it, because it sounds dippy even to myself, but he is just incredibly unappealing.

I understand, r84. I had to stop watching NYPD Blue because I find Jimmy Smits so unbearably smarmy. And I won't see anything with Ben Affleck in it.

In contrast, sometimes a show is so bad, I avoid it even if I like one of the stars (HIMYM/NPH).

"You would think that a bunch of queens who who were happy to fritter the day away talking about their own pet peeves and miscellaneous nonsense would love this show. "

And who the fuck are you supposed to be? You're whining about people not liking your show. You're on a website talking down to gay men. You're just a self-centered asshole.

Is that why you like thirtysomething so much? BTW, which mesothelioma channel are you watching this show on? Regrets TV?

R85

You don't like Jimmy Smits????????????????

The death of Bobby Symone wrecked me.

He was fucking incredible in Sons of Anarchy.

[quote]You don't like Jimmy Smits????????????????

Can't STAAAAAAAAAAAAAND him. It's partly his marble-and-mushmouth way of speaking, I know.

Blue in Green - Miles Davis

Gary's death: Horton wanted to focus on directing rather than acting. He spordically does guest shots but has been a fairly prolific tv director ever since.

Wettig was pretty underrated as an actress--except for the dumb new age-y episode, the cancer arc was one of the best things ever done on the subject. It's a shame that he hasn't worked a lot w/o Olin being involved.

Hope was the most irrating character--she seems like a better candidate for death. Polly Draper was really annoying, but I think that was just knowing how to play a spoiled passive aggressive character. Gary's annoying girlfriend was nota good addition--they already had Hope & Ellyn, another annoying woman was too much.

I was going to say that the anti-Busfield troll was ridiculous...then I realize that I am exactly the same with Neil Patrick Harris. I avoid film, television, events--anything he is in. I cannot stomach him.

Wetting is really great on Prison Break. I'm surprised she didn't more attention for that show.

The 1980s clothes still look good to me.

Northern Exposure was another good show. I loved Thirtysomething. I don't remember a lot of the episodes, but wish it would be shown in reruns.

[quote]Northern Exposure was another good show.

All of the characters were too annoying, especially Maggie.

Carly Simon.

The same sex bedroom scene which was referenced on WIll and Grace,

Ethan's storybook episode.

Hope's barrette.

Dennis Miller making fun of Gary's death on SNL.

Hope being mean to her parents.

Hope always pissed off at her husband for just existing in the same kitchen with her.

Hope's dangly earrings.

Gary's ponytail.

Elliot's infidelity.

Nancy's hairy legs.

Why were there 7 people? Why not make the sexes equal? After Peter's death, there were only 2 men on the show with 5 women.

They were like FRIENDS. They only knew other white people.

You could never afford to produce it today. How many parents' basement sets can one show support?

[quote]They only knew other white people.

People weren't always going on about that then.

People like to be with people who are like themselves.

Aren't we all just humans?

On DL? Not anymore

I don't understand r94 why Northern Exposure isn't streaming anywhere. I want to binge the entire six seasons, I loved that show.

Weren they all supposed to be bleeding heart liberals? Where was the diversity?!? I ASK you where was the diversity?!?

I also loved “Thirty Something”. Not long ago it was available to watch on Amazon for free if you were a prime member.

[quote]Nancy's hairy legs.

Okay, seriously - people will probably laugh, but these kinds of details were a big part of why the show's writing was a thing apart, and still holds up. Nancy's unshaven legs and Elliot's reaction to them was something I'd never seen happen between a TV couple before. Their marriage was crumbling before our eyes under the weight of all their differences and his infidelity, she's feeling like crap about herself but is trying to be sexy and in the moment - and then that 'Did you shave?'. Devastating. It was like someone flipping a switch. She's mortified, the intimacy is broken, and it feels like we saw something that our eyes weren't meant to see. The show was full of small nuances like that in the characters' interactions, that I had never seen anyone do in a TV show before.

The show had some great guest star appearances. Alan King, Eddie Albert, Shirley Knight, Lois Smith, Betsy Blair, Eileen Brennan, Sylvia Sidney.

Were these people really thirtysomething? They look so much older.

[quote]The show had some great guest star appearances. Alan King, Eddie Albert, Shirley Knight, Lois Smith, Betsy Blair, Eileen Brennan, Sylvia Sidney.

The star appearances often let down the shows for some reason. They were sort of campy and did not fit.

Mellisa's father was played by Dorothy's ex-husband. He was quite good.

How were all these people connected? Do they all hang out at a coffee shop?

thirtysomething was loosely based on the movie The Big Chill.

I was a teenager when I watched it. Would love to see it now that I am older, if it would still hold up.

What's the Big Chilli?

[quote]Were these people really thirtysomething? They look so much older.

That's what people in their thirties looked like then. No fillers, dermabrasion, etc.

[quote]How were all these people connected? Do they all hang out at a coffee shop?

Michael and Hope are married. Michael's business partner Elliott is married to Nancy. Nancy and Hope are friends. Ellyn is Hope's best friend, and also friends with Melissa, Michael's' cousin who is more like a sister. Gary is Michael's best friend from college and Melissa's ex, later married to Susannah. I think that covers the main characters.

The original intention was to focus on Michael & Hope as the central characters...but they were the most boring. Michael's job and Hope's babies...ZZZZzzzz...

When they started to focus on the other characters it improved immensely.

In fact, when it became clear it was a Michael/Hope episode, I used to switch off.

E110... Yes, they really were thirtysomething. I googled a couple of people, who are my age.. they were in their early to late thirties back then.

Yeah... People in their thirties looked their age back then. They didn't try to look like teenagers with cosmetic procedures, like today.. lol.

*R110*... correction

Nancy falling asleep at the dinner table while going through cancer treatments was also a memorable scene.