MovieChat Forums > Thirtysomething (1987) Discussion > The writing on this show...

The writing on this show...

posted 11 years ago by Iwishyouwell
6 replies | jump to latest

Thirtysomething went off the air while I was still in elementary school, so obviously it was ahead of my generation's time by a long mile.

However I just started watching this on Amazon, via prime. I am floored by the quality of writing in this show. I'm only five episodes in, but still, so far it's one of the best written shows I've ever encountered. While everything is top notch, the production values, direction, acting, the writing is the headliner here.

Unless this show ends up taking a huge dip in quality, for the life of me I can't fathom why it has less than a 7 cummulative rating here on IMDB!

[–] Orpheum-3 11 years ago

Because a lot of people were put off by the reality of the show, saying that the women were shrews and the men were whiny girls.

When in actuality, the women were strong, college educated, and had the fortitude to not be afraid to share their opinions, and the men were responsible (mostly) sensitive (mostly) and honest (mostly about their feelings with their friends and family.

The less introspective members of our species tend to look at people like that as annoying, so they downvote.

Personally, I found the show to be utterly brilliant.

[–] Owlwise 10 years ago

Well said! It's clear that the intelligence & sensitivity of the show made a lot of perpetual adolescents squirm uncomfortably, since it didn't pander to their boyish power fantasies, and actually presented grownups trying to make sense of their lives -- which is the last thing in the world eternal man-boys want to do.

[–] Tree_Woman 10 years ago

I was thirty five and had just been diagnosed with Stage Two breast cancer when Nancy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Patricia Wettig nailed EXACTLY how it felt - Nancy became a voice for me - she exposed all those weird emotions when friends don't know what to say. The scene in the shoe store when she tries on outrageously expensive boots, and the salesman tries to persuade her to buy them because "they will last you the rest of your life". Her friends don't know how to react when Nancy tells the salesman, "That doesn't speak very well for your product".

To Patricia Wettig - THANK YOU, you validated all the weird stuff that was happening to me at such a young age. People would say things that they assumed to be comforting, and they weren't; it drove me nuts.

The intelligence & sensitivity & intensity of the show make it a classic.

[–] Kimrubymoon 10 years ago

You are soooo right! Unfortunately, there are still waaaay toooooo many Peter Pan's out there who aren't even interested in their 40's. Boy, did my parent's generation really screw up raising most of them. Sad.....and frightening. I'd LOVE to find a real man like Michael Steadman :-(

[–] Kimrubymoon 10 years ago

I completely agree! I was a late teenager/early adult during the show's original run and I learned a great deal about what to expect (or hoped to expect) out of life when I would reach my 30's. Unfortunately, there are not too many Michael Steadmans out there!

[–] etodd-4 11 years ago

I TOTALLY agree with you. I was 30 something when the show aired, and I think I was always attracted to the show because of the superb writing. The dialogue of the show is the best and foremost ingredient!