A Year in the Life

I think about this show often and wish so much I could watch it again!

It's hard for me to remember this show - I only saw that one season the one time, some sixteen years ago - and I can't be sure it's as good as I think it was. But with Brand and Falsey at the helm I have to assume my memory serves me. This was one of the better shows of its era - fine writing, storylines and terrific acting. It was small scale, nothing briliant, but just good quality. It was also occasionally very funny (I remember the mother getting aversion therapy to quit smoking). I guess it's lying in a vault somewhere and is never repeated (certainly not where I am in New Zealand). But if you ever get the chance to see the show, do watch it, it was nice.

A Year in the Life was, in my opinion, a good solid representation of the values and tribulations of the American family. I was very upset when it was discontinued. I loved watching the family play football in their yard and I loved Richard Kiley as the Dad. He was such a strong character. I also loved the way he would "talk" to his dog. I have always wondered,in all the articles I've read on Sarah J. Parker, why I have never seen a mention of her acting in this show. I thought she was beautiful and I would think it would be a credit to her list of accomplishments. It was sad to see it canceled. Is there a way it could ever be brought back as a mini-series? I think the folks in TV land would love it.

I too thought the series was well done and I believe it was gathering steam until the Sarajevo Winter Olympics started on ABC. It lost viewership to the Games for those couple weeks causing NBC to move it a less desirable time slot further causing a slide. It's a shame but all the major networks make the same business decision - appealing to the masses to sell more soap instead of finding and keeping niche audiences with quality programming (such as Byrds of Paradise (ABC) and Now and Again (CBS)). However, with the advent of niche cable channels (Lifetime, Oxygen, BET, etc...), more diverse programming can be aired. That trend could be accelerated if the FCC will allow us to choose only those cable channels we wish to subscribe. Then the market could work and quality programming may get a chance. Until then, the lowest common denominator will win out (Fox's recipe for success).

The subject matter, acting and directing of this series were, in its time, on the level of cable television -- and I knew upon viewing it that it would never last. I've got every episode, including the miniseries on videocasette, but they are now very hard to watch (on the edge of extinction), but I still have a "Year in the Life" marathon about once a year when I feel like visiting this most interesting Seattle family. My favorite scene, and the crowning glory of this series was when Anne explains to Sunny that she was not responsible for a friend's suicide.....just excellent. I don't know if this will ever be run again, perhaps on cable...but someone send a shoutout because I will resubscribe to cable just to tape fresh copies of every episode....network television is rarely this excellent.