Thirtysomething

This article is about an American television series. For other uses, see Thirtysomething (disambiguation).

Thirtysomething
Main cast
Genre	Drama
Created by	Edward Zwick Marshall Herskovitz
Showrunners	Edward Zwick Marshall Herskovitz
Starring	Ken Olin Mel Harris Melanie Mayron Timothy Busfield Patricia Wettig Peter Horton Polly Draper
Composers	W. G. Snuffy Walden Stewart Levin Jay Gruska
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	85 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Edward Zwick Marshall Herskovitz
Producers	Ann Lewis Hamilton Joseph Dougherty Richard Kramer
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	The Bedford Falls Company MGM/UA Television Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	September 29, 1987 (1987-09-29) – May 28, 1991 (1991-05-28)
Related
Once and Again

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.

The series focuses on a group of baby boomers in their thirties who live in Philadelphia, and how they handle the lifestyle that dominated American culture during the 1980s given their involvement in the early 1970s counterculture as young adults. It premiered in the United States on September 29, 1987, and lasted four seasons. It was canceled in May 1991 by mutual agreement between the producers and the network. Zwick and Herskovitz moved on to other projects. 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. In June 2020, ABC passed on the series.

Plot

An ensemble drama, the series revolves around a married couple, 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.

Characters

• Michael Steadman (Ken Olin) and Hope Murdoch Steadman (Mel Harris): Hope is from Philadelphia, and Michael is from Chicago but remained in the Philadelphia 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 (JD 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. 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. It eventually led producers to refrain from sexualizing their gay characters.

History

Episodes

Main article: List of Thirtysomething episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	21		September 29, 1987 (1987-09-29)	May 10, 1988 (1988-05-10)
2	17		December 6, 1988 (1988-12-06)	May 16, 1989 (1989-05-16)
3	24		September 19, 1989 (1989-09-19)	May 22, 1990 (1990-05-22)
4	23		September 25, 1990 (1990-09-25)	May 28, 1991 (1991-05-28)

Nielsen ratings/broadcast history

Season	Timeslot	Rank	Rating
1) 1987–1988	Tuesday night at 10:00 pm	#49	12.1
2) 1988–1989		#41	13.9
3) 1989–1990		#43	12.4
4) 1990–1991		#54	11.2

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.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release Dates
		Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
The Complete First Season	21	August 25, 2009	November 26, 2012	September 18, 2013
The Complete Second Season	17	January 19, 2010	March 18, 2013	September 18, 2013
The Complete Third Season	24	May 11, 2010	-	September 18, 2013
The Complete Fourth Season	23	November 9, 2010	-	September 18, 2013

Influences and cultural impact

Thirtysomething was influenced by the films Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980) and The Big Chill (1983). The show reflected the angst felt by baby boomers and yuppies in the United States during the 1980s, such as the changing expectations related to masculinity and femininity introduced during the era of second-wave feminism. 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." 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." 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)." 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.

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). In this manner, the series was seen as "seemingly progressive but substantially conservative in its construction of reality."

Oxford English Dictionary

Almost immediately after the introduction of the show, the term "Thirtysomething" became a catchphrase used to designate baby boomers in their thirties. This cultural shift was reinforced by the Oxford English Dictionary, which added "Thirtysomething" in 1993 (under the word "thirty") and defined the term as follows:

Draft additions 1993 - n. [popularized as a catch-phrase by the U.S. television programme thirtysomething, first broadcast in 1987] colloq. (orig. U.S.) an undetermined age between thirty and forty; spec. applied to members of the ‘baby boom’ generation entering their thirties in the mid-1980s; also attrib. or as adj. phr. (hence, characteristic of the tastes and lifestyle of this group).

Honors and awards

While it aired, Thirtysomething was nominated for 41 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 13. It also won two Golden Globe awards. Later, by 1997, "The Go Between" and "Samurai Ad Man" were listed as number 22 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. Thirtysomething then placed the number 19 spot on TV Guide′s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002, and in 2013, TV Guide placed it as No. 10 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.

Year	Association	Category	Recipient	Results	Ref
1988	Casting Society of America	Best Casting for a TV, Dramatic Episodic	(casting director) Judith Holstra (casting director) Marcia Ross	Won
	Directors Guild of America	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series – Night	for episode "Pilot" (director) Marshall Herskovitz (unit production manager) Stephen McEveety (first assistant director) Peter Gries (second assistant director) Dawn Easterling	Won
	Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series	for episode "Whose Forest is This?" (men's costume supervisor) Patrick R. Norris (women's costume supervisor) Marjorie K. Chan (men's costumer) Anne Hartley (women's costumer) Julie Glick	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series	for episode "Pilot" (costume supervisor) Marilyn Matthews (costumer) Patrick R. Norris	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music	Stewart Levin W.G. Snuffy Walden	Nominated
		Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production	for episode "Therapy" (editor) Victor Du Bois (editor) Richard Freeman	Nominated
		Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series	for episode "The Parents Are Coming" Shirley Knight	Won
	Golden Globes	Best Television Series — Drama	thirtysomething	Nominated
	Humanitas Prize Awards	60 Minute Category	Paul Haggis Marshall Herskovitz	Won
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite New Television Program — Dramatic	thirtysomething	Won
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series	(producer) Scott Winant (supervising producer) Paul Haggis (executive producer) Marshall Herskovitz (executive producer) Edward Zwick	Won
		Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series	for episode "Business as Usual (aka Michael's Father's Death" (writer) Paul Haggis (writer) Marshall Herskovitz	Won
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Timothy Busfield	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Polly Draper	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Patricia Wettig	Won
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Drama	thirtysomething	Nominated
1989	American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Episode from a Television Series	for episode "Accounts Receivable" (editor) Victor Du Bois (editor) Steven Rosenblum	Won
	Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series	for episode "We'll Meet Again" (men's costumer) Patrick R. Norris (women's costumer) Julie Glick	Won
		Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production	for episode "First Day/Last Day" (editor) Steven Rosebaum	Won
		Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series	for episode "We'll Meet Again" (hairstylist) Carol Pershing	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects	for episode "Michael Writes A Story" (associate producer) Jeanne Byrd (supervising editor) Victor Du Bois (visual effects artist) Simon Holden (visual effects supervisor) Steve Wyskocil	Nominated
		Outstanding Art Direction for a Series	for episode "Michael Writes A Story" (art director) Brandy Alexander (set director) Mary Ann Biddle	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series	for episode "Michael Writes A Story" (music re-recording mixer) Tim Philben (music re-recording mixer) Scott Millan (effects re-recording mixer) Clark Conrad (production mixer) Will Yardbrough	Nominated
		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	for episode "The Mike Van Dyke Show" Jack Gilford	Nominated
	Directors Guild of America	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama Series – Night	for episode "Michael's Brother" (director) Edward Zwick	Nominated
		Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama Series – Night	for episode "Therapy" (director) Marshall Herskovitz (unit production manager) Lindsley Parsons III (first assistant director) Craig Beaudine (second assistant director) Roger E. Mills	Won
	Golden Globes	Best Television Series — Drama	thirysomething	Won
	Humanitas Prize Awards	60 Minute Category	for episode "In Re: The Marriage Of Weston" Susan Shiliday	Nominated
		60 Minute Category	for episode "Elliot's Dad" Joseph Dougherty	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series	(executive producer) Marshall Herskovitz (executive producer) Edward Zwick (supervising producer) Scott Winant (producer) Richard Kramer (co-producer) Ellen S. Pressman (coordinating producer) Lindsley Parsons III	Nominated
		Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series	for episode "We'll Meet Again" (director) Scott Winant	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series	for episode "First Day/Last Day" (writer) Joseph Dougherty	Won
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Timothy Busfield	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Melanie Mayron	Won
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Drama	thirtysomething	Nominated
	Viewers for Quality Television Awards	Best Quality Drama Series	thirtysomething	Nominated
	Writers Guild of America	Episodic Drama	for episode "Nice Work If You Can Get It" (teleplay) Paul Haggis (story) Jean Vallely	Nominated
		Episodic Drama	for episode "Therapy" (writer) Susan Shilliday	Won
		Episodic Drama	for episode "Thirtysomething" (writer) Marshall Herskovitz (writer) Edward Zwick	Won
	Young Artist Awards	Best Young Actor Under Nine Years of Age	Luke Rossi	Nominated
1990	Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Costuming for a Series	for episode "Strangers" (supervising costumer) Patrick R. Norris (women's costumer) Julie Glick	Nominated
		Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series	for episode "Strangers" (hairstylist) Carol Pershing	Nominated
		Outstanding Art Direction for a Series	for episode "Michael's Campaign" (production designer) Brandy Alexander (set decorator) Mary Ann Biddle	Nominated
		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	for episode "Strangers" Peter Frechette	Nominated
		Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series	for episode "Arizona" Shirley Knight	Nominated
	Directors Guild of America	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series – Night	for episode "Love & Sex" (director) Michael Herskovitz	Nominated
	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Drama Episode	thirtysomething	Won
	Golden Globes	Best Television Series — Drama	thirtysomething	Nominated
		Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama	Ken Olin	Nominated
		Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama	Mel Harris	Nominated
	Humanitas Prize Awards	60 Minute Category	Joseph Dougherty	Won
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series	(executive producer) Edward Zwick (executive producer) Marshall Herskovitz (supervising producer) Scott Winant (producer) Richard Kramer (co-producer) Ellen S. Pressman (coordinating producer) Lindsley Parsons III	Nominated
		Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series	for episode "The Go-Between" (director) Scott Winant	Won
		Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series	for episode "The Go-Between" (writer) Joseph Dougherty	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	Patricia Wettig	Won
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Timothy Busfield	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Melanie Mayron	Nominated
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Drama	thirtysomething	Nominated
	Viewers for Quality Television Awards	Best Quality Drama Series	thirtysomething	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series	Mel Harris	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series	Timothy Busfield	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series	Patricia Wettig	Nominated
	Young Artists Awards	Best Young Actor Supporting Role in a Television Series	Luke Rossi	Nominated
1991	American Society of Cinematographers	Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series	for episode "The Go-Between" (cinematographer) Kenneth Zunder	Nominated
	Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series	for episode "A Wedding" (costume supervisor) Patrick R. Norris (women's costume supervisor) Linda Serijan	Won
		Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series	for episode "Sifting The Ashes" Eileen Brennan	Nominated
	Directors Guild of America	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series – Night	for episode "The Go-Between" (director) Scott Winant	Nominated
	Golden Globes	Best Television Series — Drama	thirtysomething	Nominated
		Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama	Patricia Wettig	Won
	Humanitas Prize Awards	60 Minute Catgegory	for episode "Fighting The Cold" Joseph Doughterty	Nominated
		60 Minute Category	Ann Lewis Hamilton	Won
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series	(executive producer) Edward Zwick (executive producer) Marshall Herskovitz (supervising producer) Scott Winant (producer) Ellen S. Pressman (producer) Richard Kramer (producer) Ann Lewis Hamilton (producer) Joseph Dougherty (co-producer) Lindsley Parsons III	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series	for episode "Second Look" (writer) Ann Lewis Hamilton	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	Patricia Wettig	Won
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Timothy Busfield	Won
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	David Clennon	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Melanie Mayron	Nominated
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Drama	thirtysomething	Won
	Viewers for Quality Television Awards	Best Quality Drama Series	thirtysomething	Nominated
		Best Writing in a Quality Drama Series	writers	Nominated
		Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series	Ken Olin	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series	Patricia Wettig	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series	Timothy Busfield	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series	Melanie Mayron	Nominated
		Specialty Player	David Clennon	Nominated
	Writers Guild of America	Episodic Drama	for episode "I'm Nobody, Who Are You?" (writer) Winnie Holzman	Nominated
		Episodic Drama	for episode "Strangers" (writer) Richard Kramer	Nominated
	Young Artists Awards	Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series	Luke Rossi	Nominated
1992	Writers Guild of America	Episodic Drama	for episode "Photo Opportunity" (writer) Racelle Rosett Schaefer	Won
		Episodic Drama	for episode "Guns and Roses" (writer) Liberty Godshall	Nominated

Sequel

A sequel to the series, thirtysomething(else), was pitched in September 2019. The pilot was a co-production between MGM Television and Bedford Falls Productions, which was behind the original series, and ABC Studios, and producers were casting its four original main roles at the time of the announcement.

In February 2020, Chris Wood was cast as Leo Steadman, the show's male lead. Over the next few weeks, Odette Annable was cast as Janey Steadman and Patrick Fugit and Auden Thornton as Ethan and Brittany Weston. Melanie Mayron and Polly Draper agreed to appear as Melissa Steadman and Ellyn Warren. On June 29, ABC decided not to move forward with the sequel.

Further reading

Articles

• Bellafanta, Ginia (August 20, 2009). "A Series That Shows Its Age". The New York Times.
• Bianculli, David (October 7, 2009). "'Thirtysomething' Withstands The Test Of Time". NPR.
• Collins, Scott (August 23, 2009). "'thirtysomething' twentysomething years later". Los Angeles Times.
• Dana, Rebecca (January 11, 2008). "The 'Thirtysomething' Power Players". The Wall Street Journal.
• Escherich, Katie (August 25, 2009). "Exclusive: 'thirtysomething' Cast Reunion on 'GMA'!". ABC News.
• Fretts, Bruce (August 17, 2001). "thirtysomething (A-)". Entertainment Weekly.
• Karpel, Ari (August 21, 2009). "Talking About 'Thirtysomething'". The New York Times.
• Stuever, Hank (February 11, 2016). "Thirtysomething' killed off Gary 25 years ago. Now TV characters drop dead all the time". The Washington Post.
• "The Cast Of 'Thirtysomething' Reflects". NPR. August 25, 2009.
• Zehme, Bill (June 1, 1989). "Thirtysomething Confidential". Rolling Stone.
• Zoglin, Richard (October 5, 1987). Yup, Yup and Away!. Time Inc. Video.

Books

• Ryan, Scott (June 7, 2017). thirtysomething at Thirty: An Oral History. Bear Manor Media. ASIN B00P57Z0VM. A book that interviews the entire cast and writing staff of the series.

Scholarship

• Auster, Albert (2007). "thirtysomething: Television, Women, Men, and Work". Critical Studies in Television. Lexington Books.
• Hanke, R. (1990). "Hegemonic masculinity in Thirtysomething". Critical Studies in Mass Communication. Vol. 7. pp. 231–248.
• Heide, Margaret J. (1995). Television Culture and Women's Lives: thirtysomething and the Contradictions of Gender. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Screenplays

• "Writers of Thirtysomething". Thirtysomething Stories. Pocket. 1991.

External links

• thirtysomething at IMDb
• Remember 'thirtysomething'? Here's What Inspired One Of The Greatest TV Shows Of All Time (video interview). February 15, 2015.