Thirtysomething is an American drama television series created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for United Artists Television (under MGM/UA Television) and aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991.^[1] It focuses on a group of baby boomers in their thirties who live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and how they handle the lifestyle that dominated American culture during the 1980s given their involvement in the early 1970s counterculture as young adults.^[2] It premiered in the United States on September 29, 1987, and lasted four seasons. It was canceled in May 1991 because the ratings had dropped. Zwick and Herskovitz moved on to other projects.^[3][4][5] The series won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, out of 41 nominations, and two Golden Globe Awards.

On January 8, 2020, ABC confirmed that a television pilot, which would serve as a sequel to the series, had been ordered. The pilot was never filmed, but was set to be directed by Zwick, written by Zwick and Herskovitz, and have four members of the original cast (Ken Olin, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield and Patricia Wettig) reprising their roles.^[6] In June 2020, ABC passed on the series.^[7]

General plot and characters

An ensemble drama, the series revolves around husband and wife Michael Steadman and Hope Murdoch and their baby Janie. Michael's cousin is photographer Melissa Steadman, who used to date his college friend Gary Shepherd. Gary eventually marries Susannah. Michael's business partner is Elliot Weston, who has a troubled marriage with his wife Nancy, a painter. Hope's childhood friend is local politician Ellyn Warren.

Character descriptions

• Michael Steadman (Ken Olin) and Hope Murdoch Steadman (Mel Harris): Hope is from Philadelphia, and Michael is from Chicago but remained in the area after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. Hope is a graduate of Princeton and a consumer affairs writer. After having their daughter Janie, Hope becomes a stay-at-home mother and initially gives up her writing. Later, she returns to work but struggles with her role as a mother in the process. During a difficult period in her marriage when she is pregnant with her second child, Leo, Hope contemplates having an affair with environmentalist John Dunaway (J. D. Souther). Michael's confrontation with her over this leads them to resolve their problems and rekindle their marriage. Michael is Jewish, and Hope is Christian, and complications from their interfaith marriage recur throughout the series.^[8] Michael's original ambition was to be a writer, but he works in advertising with graphic designer Elliot. The men first meet at the Bernstein Fox ad agency and then leave to form The Michael and Elliot Company. When their company goes bankrupt, Michael and Elliot join the advertising corporation DAA, run by Miles Drentell. Michael's relationship with Miles erodes his marriage with Hope, who finally decides to accept a job in Washington, D.C. By the time the show was canceled, Michael had decided to quit work altogether so that Hope could pursue her own interests.
• Elliot Weston (Timothy Busfield) and Nancy Krieger Weston (Patricia Wettig): Elliot studied graphic design at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His father Charlie (Eddie Albert) is divorced from Elliot's mother and now lives in California. Elliot's sister Ruthie (played by Meagen Fay), who lives in Philadelphia and is married with two children, has not forgiven their father for leaving them. Elliot works in the advertising business with Michael (initially in their own business, but later for DAA). Nancy was also an art major and is a stay-at-home mother to Ethan and Brittany. Like Hope, she initially feels bored and unhappy in her role as a homemaker. After Elliot has an affair which leads to divorce proceedings, Nancy develops a career as a children's book illustrator and author, and begins teaching at a local art center. Elliot becomes jealous after she also begins to date and finds himself once again attracted to her. Eventually, they rekindle their relationship and stop divorce proceedings. During the final two seasons, Nancy struggles with, but ultimately overcomes, ovarian cancer, which deepens their relationship. Always a rebel, Elliot can never reconcile himself to Miles' preference for Michael and his own loss of creative work at DAA, and eventually quits DAA in a fit of rage against both Miles and Michael. He and Nancy move to California, where he finds his passion in directing and eventually makes up with Michael when they accidentally bump into each other during Michael's job interview at TBWA\Chiat\Day. Michael does not accept the job but briefly entertains the possibility of working again with Elliot to make commercials (and turns again to Miles for help in this endeavor). At the time the show was canceled, it is implied that this venture will not happen after Michael tells Hope that he will stop working so that she can pursue her own interests.
• Melissa Steadman (Melanie Mayron): Michael's cousin and Gary's former girlfriend, who studied photography at New York University (NYU). Her work as a photographer includes the cover of a Carly Simon album and photos in Vanity Fair. Melissa has a complicated relationship with Michael, who is frequently jealous of her career path. She has an equally complicated relationship with her mother, Elaine (Phyllis Newman), and grandmother, Rose (Sylvia Sidney). Her free-spirited sister, budding actress Jill, lives in New York (and is portrayed by Mayron's sister Gale Mayron). In the first season, Melissa dates a divorced gynecologist who has a daughter (played by Kellie Martin) who does not want more children. Melissa later briefly dates Michael's boss Miles; this relationship ends when his intense attraction to her nearly evolves into date rape, which she prevents and for which he apologizes. Miles never really recovers from his infatuation, but Melissa works to avoid him thereafter. Art school-dropout house painter and twenty-something Lee Owens (Corey Parker) becomes the primary focus of her romantic yearnings. They are drawn to each other, but their relationship is fraught with problems, mostly due to the age difference. After Melissa convinces Michael and Elliot to find Lee a job at DAA, the couple begins to drift apart and eventually breaks up. At the time of the show's cancellation, they are on friendly terms again, and Gary's "ghost" (as he recently died in a car accident) tells Michael that Lee and Melissa will marry and have a child.
• Ellyn Warren (Polly Draper): Hope's childhood friend. Ellyn is an important local politician who works at City Hall. Initially dating her co-worker Steve Woodman (Terry Kinney), she later becomes involved with a married man, Jeffrey Milgrom (Richard Gilliland), who leaves his second wife for her but eventually abandons her and goes back to his first wife. After the breakup, Ellyn develops a new friendship with Gary, whom she used to dislike. Annoyed by Michael and Hope's perpetual interference in their lives, Gary and Ellyn play a practical joke on them, implying that they are having an affair. The joke ends when Ellyn reveals she is once again involved with Billy Sidel (Erich Anderson), a comics artist and friend of Michael and Hope's, who set them up on a blind date. Ellyn had dumped him while still seeing Jeffrey, but after they break up she bumps into Billy, and they begin to spend time together. Initially unsettled by Billy's genuine and straightforward manner, Ellyn grows to love him. Afraid of his growing feelings for Ellyn, Billy has a one-night stand with a former girlfriend that temporarily damages his relationship with Ellyn. They eventually work through issues related to fear and trust, and marry in a ceremony at Michael and Hope's house, held after Gary's death.
• Gary Shepherd (Peter Horton) and Susannah Hart (Patricia Kalember): Gary, who first met Michael when they were in the same freshman dorm at University of Pennsylvania, is a free-spirited, womanizing professor of medieval literature at a Philadelphia college, and Melissa's ex-boyfriend. When denied tenure, he thinks about becoming a social worker and meets Susannah, who works for a social welfare nonprofit. Susannah, who later admits to being shy and introverted, is initially an outcast among Gary's friends but develops a working relationship with the group to make Gary happy. Susannah and Gary move in together after she becomes pregnant with Emma and then marry before Susannah moves to New York for a new job. Gary stays in Philadelphia as he has found a new teaching position there that he does not want to give up, even though it requires him to teach American poetry. He falls into the role of a stay-at-home dad after the move and becomes more deeply involved in his new teaching position. He turns to Nancy for help when he is assigned a course in children's literature and does not know what to teach. Among the books Nancy recommends is Through the Looking-Glass, but she no longer owns a copy of it. Gary is on his way to visit Nancy in the hospital with a copy of the book as a gift when he is killed in a car accident. Michael, who initially cannot let go of Gary, is "haunted" by his ghost, who comes back to Michael through a mirror (looking glass). Michael learns to respect Susannah (who stands up to his controlling nature) as they turn to each other to cope with Gary's passing.
• Miles Drentell (David Clennon): Michael and Elliot's corrupt boss at DAA who styles himself as a type of Zen master. Miles is a Vietnam veteran who was once a photographer passionate about art but eventually sold out. By the time Eliot and Michael meet him, Miles is a ruthless and extremely powerful businessman whose complete lack of ethics propels Michael into periods of self-reflection and depression. Michael's internal conflict deepens after Miles promotes him, forcing Michael to also sell out. Clennon reprised this role in the series Once and Again (1999?2002).
• Russell Weller (David Marshall Grant) is a gay friend of Melissa's who met her while she was photographing a wedding. They became fast friends due to their mutual interest in art. His relationship with Peter Montefiore (Peter Frechette) in the 1989 episode "Strangers" was the subject of controversy as five of the show's regular sponsors pulled out of the episode, costing the network approximately $1.5 million in advertising revenue.^[9] It eventually led producers to refrain from sexualizing their gay characters.^[10]

History

Episodes

Nielsen ratings/broadcast history

Home media

Shout! Factory (under license from MGM) has released all four seasons of Thirtysomething on DVD in Region 1.

Mill Creek Entertainment has rereleased the first season on DVD in two volumes. On January 18, 2011, it released Season One, Volume One, which contains the first 10 episodes of the season. Season One, Volume Two, which contains the remaining 11 episodes, was released on January 10, 2012.

In Region 2, Revelation Films released the first two seasons on DVD in the UK. Season 3 was briefly released in 2014, but was almost immediately withdrawn from sale for unspecified "contractual reasons" and has, to date, not been rereleased, nor has Season 4.

In Region 4, Shock Entertainment has released all 4 seasons on DVD in Australia.

Influences and cultural impact

Thirtysomething was influenced by the films Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980) and The Big Chill (1983).^[12] The show reflected the angst felt by baby boomers and yuppies in the United States during the 1980s,^[13] such as the changing expectations related to masculinity and femininity introduced during the era of second-wave feminism.^[14] It also introduced "a new kind of hour-long drama, a series that focused on the domestic and professional lives of a group of young urban professionals, a socio-economic category of increasing interest to the television industry [...] its stylistic and story-line innovations led critics to respect it for being 'as close to the level of an art form as weekly television ever gets,' as the New York Times put it."^[12] During its four-year run, Thirtysomething "attracted a cult audience of viewers who strongly identified with one or more of its eight central characters, a circle of friends living in Philadelphia."^[12] Even after its cancellation in 1991, it continued to influence television programming, "in everything from the look and sound of certain TV advertisements, to other series with feminine sensibilities and preoccupations with the transition from childhood to maturity (Sisters), to situation comedies about groups of friends who talk all the time (Seinfeld)."^[12] The show also influenced the British television series Cold Feet, which featured similar storylines and character types. The creator of Cold Feet wanted his show to be in the mould of successful American TV series like Thirtysomething and Frasier.^[15]

Susan Faludi, in her bestseller Backlash (1991), argues that Thirtysomething often reinforced, rather than dismantled, gender stereotypes. She suggests that it exhibited a disdainful attitude toward single, working, and feminist women (Melissa, Ellyn, and Susannah) while at the same time "exalting homemakers" (Hope and Nancy).^[16][17] In this manner, the series was seen as "seemingly progressive but substantially conservative in its construction of reality."^[18]

Mel Harris (born July 12, 1956) is an American actress best known for her role as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987?1991), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination in 1990.

Early life and education

Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the daughter to Mary Michael "Mike", a high-school science teacher, and Warren Harris, football coach at Bethlehem High School and Princeton University.^{[citation needed]} Harris grew up in North Brunswick, New Jersey^[2] and graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1974.^[3]

Career

In 1985, shortly before her 1986 acting debut, Harris appeared as a regular contestant on the Dick Clark-hosted syndicated game show The $100,000 Pyramid, credited as Mel Kennerly ? her third husband's surname. She returned to the game show in 1991, as a celebrity on the John Davidson-hosted show, with a clip of her win in 1985 shown in a flashback.^[4]

Television

Harris made her television debut in 1986, with a small role as a character's girlfriend in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. After appearances in a single episode each of three other series over 1986?1987, Harris had her first starring role, as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987?1991). The series received critical acclaim during its run, with Harris was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress ? Television Series Drama in 1990.^[5] She directed one episode during the final season.

In 1989, Harris played real-life victim Madge Oberholtzer in the miniseries Cross of Fire. In the 1990s, Harris had many leading roles in made-for-TV movies and miniseries, include The Burden of Proof (1992), Ultimate Betrayal (1994) and The Women of Spring Break (1995). From 1996 to 1998, she starred with Jere Burns in the NBC sitcom Something So Right. The series was cancelled after two seasons.

Harris has appeared in a number of television series in 2000s, including Touched by an Angel, Stargate SG-1, The West Wing, JAG, House, and Criminal Minds. In 2007, she was a regular cast member in the MyNetworkTV limited-run serial Saints & Sinners. At that time, she began working as a writer. She was executive producer and creator of 2012 ABC drama pilot Scruples based on the 1978 novel by Judith Krantz.^[6][7] After a six-year hiatus, Harris returned to television in 2013, appearing in the two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2016, Harris starred in the first season of Hulu drama series Shut Eye, and from 2017 to 2018 had a recurring role in the Bravo comedy series Imposters.

In January 2020, ABC ordered a sequel for Thirtysomething, with Harris set to return alongside original co-stars Ken Olin, Patricia Wettig, and Timothy Busfield.^[8] In June 2020, ABC decided not to move forward with the sequel.^[9]

Film

Harris made her film debut playing a female leading role in the 1987 action film Wanted: Dead or Alive starring Rutger Hauer. During the time that she was appearing on Thirtysomething, she also starred in the horror film Cameron's Closet (1988) and action comedy K-9 (1989). That same year, Harper's Bazaar named her one of "America's 10 Most Beautiful Women".^[10]

She co-starred in the 1992 psychological horror-thriller film Raising Cain, and the following year played the leading role in the thriller film Suture. Other film credits include The Pagemaster (1994), Hangman's Curse (2003), and The Lodger (2009).

Personal life

Harris has been married six times.^[11] She was married to David Silbergeld from 1978 to 1979; Brian Kilcommons from 1980 to 1982; photographer David Hume Kennerly from 1983 to 1988 (with whom she had son Byron); actor Cotter Smith from 1988 to 1996 (with whom she had daughter Madeline); and investment banker Michael Toomey from 2001 to 2006. She has been married to screenwriter and producer Bob Brush since 2009.^[11][12]

Kenneth Edward Olin (born July 30, 1954) is an American actor, television director, and producer. As an actor, Olin is known for his role as Michael Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987?1991), for which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ? Television Series Drama nomination in 1990. Olin later began working behind the scenes, as a director and producer. His credits as a producer include Alias (2001?2006), Brothers & Sisters (2006?2011), and This Is Us (2016?2022). Olin is married to actress Patricia Wettig.

Career

Acting

Olin made several guest appearances on episodic primetime TV in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His first series regular role was on the short-lived NBC comedy-drama Bay City Blues in 1983. He later joined the cast of NBC police drama Hill Street Blues playing Detective Harry Garibaldi from 1984 to 1985, and from 1985 to 1986 co-starred on the CBS prime time soap opera Falcon Crest as Father Christopher Rossini. Olin also guest-starred on Murder, She Wrote and Hotel before he was cast as Michael Steadman, one of the lead roles in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething. Debuting in 1987, the series received critical acclaim, setting a new bar for realism in the realm of prime-time drama.^[1] For his performance, Olin was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ? Television Series Drama in 1990.^[2]

In 1996, Olin played a leading role in the short-lived CBS crime drama EZ Streets. From 1998 to 1999, he played the leading role in another short-lived CBS series, medical drama L.A. Doctors. He appeared along with wife Patricia Wettig in the 1995 television film Nothing But the Truth, and well as in Telling Secrets (1993) with Cybill Shepherd, The Advocate's Devil (1997) alongside Mariska Hargitay, and Evolution's Child (1999). His film credits include roles in Ghost Story (1981), Queens Logic (1991), and 'Til There Was You (1997).

From 2007 to 2011, Olin had a recurring role opposite wife Patricia Wettig in the ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters. From 2015 to 2017, he had a recurring role in the CBS drama series, Zoo. In 2020, ABC ordered a sequel for Thirtysomething and Olin was set to return alongside Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield and Patricia Wettig; however, the project remains in development limbo. ^[3]

Producing and directing

Olin directed six episodes of Thirtysomething. He also directed television movies The Broken Cord (1992), Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992), In Pursuit of Honor (1995) and Phenomenon II (2003), as well as White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994) for Buena Vista Pictures.^[4] He directed episodes of L.A. Doctors, Judging Amy, Felicity, The West Wing, 23 episodes of Alias, 20 episodes of Brothers & Sisters, Sleepy Hollow, and 20 episodes of This Is Us.

Olin has been an executive producer on several television dramas, starting with the ABC action drama Alias (2001-2006). From 2006 to 2011, he was a producer on ABC's family drama Brothers & Sisters, and also appeared on a recurring basis.^[5] His wife, Patricia Wettig, was also a regular cast member on the show. In the summer of 1990, Olin directed Wettig in a production of "My Mother Said I Never Should" at the Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar College.^[6]

His other credits include Breaking News (2002), The Mob Doctor (2012-2013) and Sleepy Hollow. In 2016, he began producing NBC's family drama This Is Us, which received four Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series nominations during its run.^[7]

Personal life

Olin was born to a Jewish family^[8] in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a former Peace Corps official and pharmaceutical company owner.^[9] He was raised in Highland Park, Illinois. He graduated from The Putney School in Putney, Vermont, in 1972.^[10] He then completed his college career at the University of Pennsylvania. He is married to thirtysomething co-star, Patricia Wettig, with whom he has a son, Clifford, and a daughter, Roxanne, who appeared on The City.^[11]