# thirtysomething (1987)

> A group of baby boomers in their late thirties in Philadelphia navigate marriage, parenthood and careers.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1364

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 85
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Ken Olin, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield, Patricia Wettig, Peter Horton, Melanie Mayron, Polly Draper, Patricia Kalember
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092492/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: melancholic, intimate, wistful, sincere, talky

## Synopsis

thirtysomething (1987-1991) is an American network drama created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for ABC. Its ensemble follows a circle of baby boomers in their late thirties in Philadelphia, centred on Michael Steadman (Ken Olin) and Hope Steadman (Mel Harris), a couple raising a young family while building their working lives. Around them move Elliot Weston (Timothy Busfield) and Nancy Weston (Patricia Wettig), along with Gary Shepherd (Peter Horton) and Melissa Steadman (Melanie Mayron), whose friendships, marriages and career compromises form the substance of each hour. The engine is quiet and personal: ambitions collide with diapers, mortgages and the fear of settling, and most episodes are built from conversations that turn small domestic moments into larger reckonings. Spanning four seasons and eighty-five episodes, it is a character-driven, talky drama with a warm but melancholy register. Its focus on yuppie anxieties and generational identity makes it a natural fit for viewers who loved intimate adult ensemble dramas, with fans of Parenthood and My So-Called Life likely to find resonance in its emotional honesty and close attention to ordinary life.

## Shows like thirtysomething

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- [Togetherness (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/54924)
- ['Til Death (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/1478)
- [Men of a Certain Age (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/15073)
- [Growing Pains (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/47)
- [Charles in Charge (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/535)
- [Knots Landing (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/2467)
- [Empty Nest (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/2682)
- [Chicago Hope (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/6041)

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