Thirtysomething News

November 22, 2009, 7:26 AM / Q: I keep looking for "The Unit" to be back on. I could have sworn your column said it would be.

Q. My husband and I recently watched the season finale of "Drop Dead Diva." When will the show start up again? - Carol Guglielmino, Indiantown, Fla.

FX is saddling up for "Reconstruction," a period Western inspired by harsh modern-day realities.

On Tuesday, the show gets down to its basics, with 10 couples trying arbitrary styles.

Best-known for her intense portrayal of the free-spirited Melissa in the acclaimed ABC drama series "thirtysomething", the petite auburn-haired Mayron began her career touring the US in a production of "Godspell". She.... Best-known for her intense portrayal of the free-spirited Melissa in the acclaimed ABC drama series "thirtysomething", the ...

It's been 20-something years since the premiere of ABC's thirtysomething - 22 years, to be exact.

She is the kid of "thirtysomething" actors Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig -- who are now both on "Brothers & Sisters" -- and the high school friend of Whitney Port of "The Hills" and "The City" fame.

Considering ground-breaking television at the time, it was reality TV - for baby boomers, anyway - before there was reality TV.

Peter Horton: 'thirtysomething' lacked big 'but' Although "thirtysomething" was, in many ways, a pioneer of dialogue-heavy dramas with introspective characters, Peter Horton says he's not sure the show could be made the same way today.

While John Hughes was defining the '80s for teenagers, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz were doing the same thing for yuppie boomers with ''thirtysomething'' , which is finally getting the deluxe boxed-set treatment.

Here's a topic you may not have given a lot of thought to: how Bruce Lee changed the world.

At the distance of two decades, "thirtysomething'' is a cultural gold mine. The 1987-91 TV drama reveals the way a particular America came of age at a particular time .

For actors Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig, life began at thirtysomething . Now at fiftysomething, after 27 years of marriage, they are still figuratively joined at the hip, professionally and personally.

Pictured, from left: Peter Horton , Melanie Mayron , Ken Olin , Mel Harris , Brittany/Lacey Craven , Polly Draper , Luke Rossi , Patricia Wettig , Timothy Busfield and Jordana Bink Shapiro .

Back when ABC was airing new episodes each Tuesday night at 10 p.m., I was firmly convinced that thirtysomething was the best show on television.

I am - " Hercules!! Wiseguy: The Complete First Season at $9.99 has to be the steal of the year.

Although "thirtysomething" was in many ways a pioneer of dialogue-heavy dramas with introspective characters, Peter Horton says he's not sure the show could be made the same way today.

Some people called it That Show About Yuppies Who Whine. But for many loyal viewers, particularly baby boomers, thirtysomething felt like a burst of refreshing honesty on '80s network television, a show that dared to highlight the difficulties of balancing marriage, career, parenthood and friendships; in other words, the stuff of life.

It's my general opinion that television, much like stand-up comedy, tends to not age very well: one generation's groundbreaking, revolutionary series is the next's hacky standard that needs to be pushed against.

It was the show that redefined what it means to be 30, and gave us the shorthand we use to refer to that generation.