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Thirtysomething

  • TV Series
  • 1987–1991
  • TV-14
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
Thirtysomething (1987)
Home video trailer
Play trailer1:00
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaRomance

Seven tricenarians living in Philadelphia struggle with everyday adult angst.Seven tricenarians living in Philadelphia struggle with everyday adult angst.Seven tricenarians living in Philadelphia struggle with everyday adult angst.

  • Creators
    • Marshall Herskovitz
    • Edward Zwick
  • Stars
    • Timothy Busfield
    • Polly Draper
    • Mel Harris
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    3.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Creators
      • Marshall Herskovitz
      • Edward Zwick
    • Stars
      • Timothy Busfield
      • Polly Draper
      • Mel Harris
    • 29User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 13 Primetime Emmys
      • 28 wins & 63 nominations total

    Episodes86

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos1

    Thirtysomething: The Complete First Season
    Trailer 1:00
    Thirtysomething: The Complete First Season

    Photos157

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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Timothy Busfield
    Timothy Busfield
    • Elliot Weston
    • 1987–1991
    Polly Draper
    Polly Draper
    • Ellyn Warren
    • 1987–1991
    Mel Harris
    Mel Harris
    • Hope Murdoch Steadman
    • 1987–1991
    Peter Horton
    Peter Horton
    • Gary Shepherd
    • 1987–1991
    Melanie Mayron
    Melanie Mayron
    • Melissa Steadman
    • 1987–1991
    Ken Olin
    Ken Olin
    • Michael Steadman
    • 1987–1991
    Patricia Wettig
    Patricia Wettig
    • Nancy Krieger Weston
    • 1987–1991
    Brittany Craven
    • Janey
    • 1987–1991
    Lacey Craven
    • Janey
    • 1987–1991
    Luke Rossi
    • Ethan Weston…
    • 1987–1991
    Jordana 'Bink' Shapiro
    • Brittany Weston
    • 1987–1990
    David Clennon
    David Clennon
    • Miles Drentell
    • 1989–1991
    Patricia Kalember
    Patricia Kalember
    • Susannah Hart
    • 1989–1991
    Andra Millian
    Andra Millian
    • Angel Wasserman
    • 1989–1991
    Richard Cummings Jr.
    Richard Cummings Jr.
    • Mark Harriton
    • 1989–1991
    Terry Kinney
    Terry Kinney
    • Steve Woodman
    • 1987–1989
    Richard Gilliland
    Richard Gilliland
    • Jeffrey Milgrom
    • 1989–1990
    Erich Anderson
    Erich Anderson
    • Billy Sidel
    • 1990–1991
    • Creators
      • Marshall Herskovitz
      • Edward Zwick
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews29

    7.53.3K
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    Featured reviews

    UtahCJD

    best series in tv history

    This is a series that started out good, and only got better! wow! The cast working together so well the way they did made it even better. Everyone fit together so nicely, and it went so well. I have this on tape and I wish I could buy it on permanent tape. So many fav episodes! wonderful series! Love it!
    8rjbolwell-1

    Why no DVD?

    I look back with a degree of nostalgia to the 1980's when my own kids were born and the work/life balance was a constant juggling act. Yes it was a 'yuppie' show as some have said but it was true to life for many, hitting a nerve for those of us struggling with young children and a slightly off-beat boss.

    The acting and script writing was first rate and each of the characters utterly believable. I guess an airing now many reveal a show that is a little dated but it was true to its era. For all of us who really were in their thirties when the show was on prime time TV, please will someone out there consider releasing it on DVD!
    jdstone-1

    Quite simply...

    The most annoying show about the most annoying people on the face of the earth and that's saying a lot. I was thirtysomething when thirtysomething began it's run and I absolutely loathed it, the characters and the whiny dialogue and the stories about loathsome, whiny, self-absorbed brats who'd had everything handed to them on a silver platter but were still whining because everything wasn't perfect. Whew, how was that for a run-on sentence? But it was hard to care about these characters. It seemed to me that the writers secretly agreed with me, because the dilemmas these yuppies and their larvae faced brought into sharp relief the shallowness of their lives and their lack of empathy for others.
    aqqs10

    Much Missed

    Finest ensemble drama series I have ever seen. It's 13 years since it finished yet it's still keenly missed by it's many devotees. Ths is made worse because it's not available on video or DVD, unlike other series' made by it's creators.

    It suffered from the label of being 'yuppie' & 'whiney', probably because the first series took a little time to settle into a rhythm. Yet it was anything but, being both serious and funny about the issues which affect everyone. Yet it never descended into a soap opera and the acting, writing and staging was of a consistently high standard. It's a pity that it ended so suddenly, without a real resolution.
    10kuanyin4

    Love it or hate it, personally, I love it

    I loved this show so much when it was on and never stopped. It may be my favorite TV show ever, definitely top 5. The negative reviews still get me irate, but it isn't for everyone, obviously. One irk was in the very first show, as everyone was telling Michael not to worry, Hope will lose the baby weight. Hope was as slim as anyone would ever want to be. So yeah, there were some contrived conversations for a brief bit, then they hit their stride and absolutely nailed it show after show.

    I'm coming to the conclusion that a lot of people actively hate signs of intelligence. The characters weren't whiny, but they did discuss, a lot. If smart people having real conversations about life is boring or annoying, go watch Cagney and Lacey or Home Improvement. They weren't rich yuppies, the two main families were striving to have a nice home and work life, like most people were then, me included. The other characters chose more alternate lifestyles.

    They were the first TV show to have two gay men in bed, even though they just talking. That really made upset people off and I always assumed that the negative reaction hastened the end of the show, Too bad, I would have happily followed the characters along much longer and I wish there had been follow ups later. Sadly, it was never meant to be.

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The word "thirtysomething" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary as a direct result of its popular usage from this series.
    • Quotes

      Miles Drentell: Nobody wants to be unpopular. That's why we're here. That's the dance of advertising. We help people become popular. Through popularity comes acceptance. Acceptance leads to assimilation. Assimilation leads to bliss. We calm & reassure. We embrace people with the message that we are all in it together. That our leaders are infallible and there's nothing, absolutely nothing wrong. That's what we do. It's what we've always done... In return for our humanitarian service, we are made rich.

    • Crazy credits
      Throughout season 1 and season 2 Elliot's and Ellyn's names are spelled incorrectly in the opening credits. Elliot's is spelled with two 't's ("Elliott"), and Ellyn's is spelled with a second 'e' instead of a 'y' ("Ellen"). "Ellyn" is not corrected until the first episode of season 3 (3.1 "Nancy's mom") and "Elliot", not until the fourth episode of season 3 (3.4 "new baby").
    • Connections
      Featured in The 40th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1988)

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    FAQ20

    • How many seasons does Thirtysomething have?Powered by Alexa
    • Who played the thirtysomething-ers parents?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 29, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Die besten Jahre
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • The Bedford Falls Company
      • MGM Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h(60 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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