Thirtysomething
Hope and Michael are a married couple in their thirties, living in Philadelphia and struggling with everyday adult angst. Michael runs an ad agency with his friend Elliot, whose marriage to Nancy is beginning to show the cracks of age, as is the friendship between Hope and her best friend Ellyn. Michael's best friend Gary is trying to get over his mutually-destructive affair with Michael's cousin Melissa and get on with his womanizing life. It sounds like just another soap, but is given a unique atmosphere by the production team (the Bedford Falls company, also responsible for "My So-Called Life") whose intelligent scripts, believable characters, and frequent dips into the slightly-surreal world of the characters' minds places the series as one of the highlights of the late 1980s.
- 1987-1991
- 4 seasons
- ABC
- Drama
- TV-14
Hope and Michael are a married couple in their thirties, living in Philadelphia and struggling with everyday adult angst. Michael runs an ad agency with his friend Elliot, whose marriage to Nancy is beginning to show the cracks of age, as is the friendship between Hope and her best friend Ellyn. Michael's best friend Gary is trying to get over his mutually-destructive affair with Michael's cousin Melissa and get on with his womanizing life. It sounds like just another soap, but is given a unique atmosphere by the production team (the Bedford Falls company, also responsible for "My So-Called Life") whose intelligent scripts, believable characters, and frequent dips into the slightly-surreal world of the characters' minds places the series as one of the highlights of the late 1980s.
Season 1 Episode Guide
21 Episodes 1987 - 1988
Episode 1
Thirtysomething
Tue, Sep 29, 1987 50 mins
Hope and Michael Steadman are still adjusting to parenthood while struggling with money problems and best-friend crises.
Episode 2
The Parents Are Coming
Tue, Oct 6, 1987 47 mins
Everyone loves Hope's mother--except Hope who drives Michael and her friends crazy as she dreads a visit from her parents.
Episode 3
Housewarming
Tue, Oct 13, 1987 48 mins
Michael and Hope race to renovate their crumbling mansion for a huge housewarming party.
Episode 4
Couples
Tue, Oct 27, 1987 48 mins
A night out with friends degenerates as Nancy and Elliot's marital woes become apparent.
Episode 5
But Not for Me
Tue, Nov 3, 1987 48 mins
Gary and Melissa rekindle their affair; Michael and Hope's first date in months is a disaster.
Episode 6
We Gather Together
Tue, Nov 17, 1987 47 mins
Hope and Michael plan a quiet Thanksgiving, then learn that friends are counting on being invited.
Episode 7
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Tue, Dec 1, 1987 48 mins
Michael and Elliot wrestle with a creativity block before a deadline; Ellyn develops a crush on an associate.
Episode 8
Weaning
Tue, Dec 8, 1987 48 mins
Sensing baby Janey's decreasing dependency on her, depressed Hope decides to go back to work.
Episode 9
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Tue, Dec 15, 1987 48 mins
Michael and Hope argue about whether Janey's first holiday should be Christmas or Hanukkah; a famous photographer shows interest in Melissa's work.
Episode 10
South by Southeast
Tue, Jan 5, 1988 60 mins
Gary is in love, but as things start to get serious he receives a series of threats on his life--and the likely suspect is a jealous psychology professor.
Episode 11
Therapy
Tue, Jan 12, 1988 48 mins
Elliot and Nancy seek professional help for their troubled marriage; Michael has difficulty keeping a secret.
Episode 12
Competition
Tue, Jan 19, 1988 48 mins
When an important client clarifies that he prefers Elliot to Michael, Michael becomes increasingly more envious of his partner.
Episode 13
Separation
Tue, Jan 26, 1988 48 mins
Elliot temporarily moves in with Michael and Hope after separating from Nancy.
Episode 14
I'm in Love, I'm in Love, I'm in Love, I'm in Love, I'm in Love with a Wonderful Gynecologist
Tue, Feb 2, 1988 47 mins
Competing for the attention of the same man jeopardizes the newfound friendship between Ellyn and Melissa.
Episode 15
Business as Usual
Tue, Feb 9, 1988 47 mins
Michael's hopes for a joyous reunion with his father are destroyed when he discovers the real reason for the visit.
Episode 16
Accounts Receivable
Tue, Mar 1, 1988 47 mins
Michael's rocky relationship with his brother Brad is further strained when he learns that the family business is almost bankrupt.
Episode 17
Whose Forest Is This?
Tue, Mar 15, 1988 48 mins
Nancy and Elliot's separation takes its toll on their son; Elliot prepares for a blind date with a chiropractor.
Episode 18
Nancy's First Date
Tue, Mar 22, 1988 47 mins
Melissa's burgeoning romance slows when she learns that he doesn't want any more kids; Nancy has her first date since the separation.
Episode 19
Undone
Tue, Apr 12, 1988 47 mins
Michael's best friend from college visits.
Episode 20
Tenure
Tue, May 3, 1988 48 mins
Gary evaluates the fate of his academic career as he undergoes tenure review at the college; when Ellyn learns that her building is going co-op, she wonders if she should buy her apartment.
Episode 21
Born to Be Mild
Tue, May 10, 1988 47 mins
Ellyn and Woodman's weekend is ruined when they are forced to babysit Janey.