I am thrilled to hear this news.
UPDATE
THE ENTIRE POST BELOW IS OUT OF DATE. HOLY SHIT. I HAD NO IDEA. NOBODY TOLD ME.
I’m so excited. I am buying them immediately.
Out-of-date bitching to follow:
Now can we PLEASE PLEASE release 30something on DVD too? I can’t tell you how many stupid Internet petitions I’ve signed, the basic plea being: ‘We, the undersigned, wish to see 30something be released …” I met the former president of Lifetime at a dinner party a couple years ago – and I bombarded him with questions about who owns the rights to that show (because Lifetime played the entire show in re-runs during 1994 and 1995 … a glorious time for all 30something fans) … I demanded to know WHY it hadn’t been released. He, naturally, did not know. I then said, “Uhm … could you re-run it again, please? Just for me?” I wasted no time with small talk with this dude.
He: “I was once the President of Lifetime.”
Me: “Awesome, good for you. Now what about re-running 30something again, chappie?”
I’m sure it will be released eventually – it’s just a matter of time – but seriously. That show was a phenom at the time – and I know many people hated it, and bitched about it, and yapped and whined and moaned about it – wah wah, those people are so annoying, wah wah, what privileged yuppie saps, wah wah, I hate those people!
Shut up, please. To me, the only annoying people were the ones who bitched about that show nonstop for 2 years. You hate those people? Then don’t freakin’ watch it. Honestly. I loved the show. To me – some of those actors on that show had acting moments that were pretty much as good as it gets – not just in terms of television acting, but in terms of acting IN GENERAL … Patricia Wettig? Forget about it. She was extraordinary on that show. But they all were. Perhaps not Mel Harris – but she did her part fine enough … I want to see it all again. I actually video-taped as many episodes as I could during the glorious re-run time in the mid-90s – Mitchell will remember this well, since we lived together at the time. They ran them in order – every night was a new episode, at 11:30 pm. We ran our social lives around 30something. Because we were younger then, we would make plans to go out, and meet up with our various boyfriends, AFTER we watched 30something. And I taped them all. But the tapes are going bad. They’re fuzzy now, nearly unwatchable.
The situation is growing urgent.
But regardless of my 30something gripe, yay for the release of the first season of Maude!
You know what? This makes me think I need to do a whole 30something post. I remember DBW and I talking about it a while back. It would be a great post. I have SO much to say about all of those people. I still haven’t recovered from Garry’s death. I never will, thank you very much. I grieve about it on long winter evenings. (movie quote, anyone??)
I didn’t watch it, for all the reasons you stated above.
BUT. . .
I think it ought to be out on DVD, since there seems to be a great outcry for it. Just like China Beach ought to be out on DVD. I think the problem is — I know this is the problem with CB — is maybe they can’t get the rights to the music. That seems to be the problem with a lot of TV shows.
IT’S OUT ON DVD. I JUST FOUND OUT.
Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep?
I think my single favorite story arc in 30something was when Michael and Elliot lost their business and Michael had so many problems dealing with going to work for Miles. The scene near the end where Michael compares the two of them to a couple of samurai warriors, just waiting for the other to falter, was classic!
Jeff – bingo!
Yes – the whole Miles Trentell plot was awesome. That actor was fantastic.
I, personally, loved the whole Melissa / Lee subplot. I really related to that Melissa character. (Big surprise, huh?)
I am so excited right now that it’s out on DVD. I’m a fluttery mess. I’m serious that I signed petitions – I wonder when it came out? I went to Amazon to check and there were people saying, “This needs to come out on DVD” in late 2006 … so … huh? I wonder if it’s a special edition or something?
Lisa – Oh man, you told me that about China Beach. That so SUCKS. I wish they could work around it!
Oh, well, never mind.
But still no China Beach!! Waaaa!
One of my personal favorites, too, was their Christmas episode, that they based on Joyce’s The Dead.
Absolutely lovely.
I need to talk to Mitchell immediately. he’ll be so psyched.
Also I loved that it took place in Philadelphia – where I lived at the time the show was on originally. I loved that sense of place that the show had and I so associate it with that time in my life (which, incidentally, was a horrible time).
But Peter Horton? Please. What a great character he created with Garry. I didn’t like Garry all that much – he could be insufferable – but in that last season, with him as a dad, and all that stuff … He just killed me. Great work.
I might have to go back and watch it now. I think I’ll probably like it.
It’s just that when it came out, I was single and poor and it would piss me off to see these rich married people whine about how hard their lives were. NOW that my life is closer to theirs, I bet I could relate. :)
Yeah, I can see that. You know, I think a lot of the whining came from people who felt named by it. Like: do I sound like that???
And Melissa wasn’t rich! She was a crazy photographer who lived in an unfinished loft and … God, I just loved her character so much!
The thing is, though – I never heard it as “whining”, although I could see how some people could. I heard it as ‘struggling to live a meaningful life’. These people talked like me and my friends talked. And I never experience us as sitting around whining.
Oh – and there was one really episode when they made fun of themselves. Elliot and Michael were ad execs – and they proposed a commercial campaign to their client – which had 2 guys, yuppie guys, who were basically clones of the 2 of them, talking and definitely WHINING – about their lives – all as they ate a candybar – the whole point of the ad campaign.
And when it came time to show the commercial to the focus group – there were all these people saying, “I just wish those two guys would shut up.” “I hated the both of them. What idiots.” Etc. It was pretty funny – they were poking fun at the criticism they were getting.
I haven’t said anything about your promised thirtysomething post, but it’s nice to see you haven’t forgotten. I would love reading your thoughts about the show. It felt a little embarrassing to like that series so much when so many other men bitched about it all the time. I understood why people didn’t like it; the characters could be insufferable at times, but there were so many things about it that I related to completely. Even though there was a lot about Michael that was nothing like me, I could see a lot of me in him–his position in the group, a certain practicality about him even though his profession was artistic in nature, like him, I was in that transitional period between post-college/few responsibilities and serious adulthood/growing responsibilities, and so on. My wife just signed us up on Netflix–I will have to see if they have 30something available. BTW-I think the quote was “I grieve OVER THEM long winter evenings,” but I don’t mean to nitpick.
DBW –
I will be very interested to see the show now – and see how my response to it might have changed. I always had a fondness for Ellen as well (she was such a good actress, with that husky voice) – although I completely did not relate to her, personally, when it first came out. i was all about Melissa: the unhappy single person surrounded by happy couples – the artist surrounded by 9 to 5ers – but now I wonder if I would relate to Ellen more.
Member her gross affair with jeffrey – the wimpy adulterous dude?? He was fantastic, by the way – as heinous a character as he was.
I TOTALLY did not get why she was into him – but I think it might make a bit more sense to me now.
I’m totally gonna blog about this – once I get my hands on those episodes.
Right on to the person who said that sometimes music rights are the big holdup. We will probably never see WKRP on DVD for that reason – the cost would be prohibitive.
(It’s the first cousin of the reason why only half of the Mystery Science Theater episodes are available, and why some of them have gone out of print after their initial home release – the rights to use the original movies have expired, and in some cases the owners of those rights are none to pleased about the MST eps and won’t renew them. KEEP CIRCULATING THE TAPES!)
I think that was the thing about that series. People of all ages could see something of themselves within the dynamic of the characters, whether it was one character or a combination of several of them. That was close to my age group, so many of my friends, their spouses, and families were going through similar challenges. Plus, as you said, I always thought the acting was excellent, for the most part. They weren’t always trying to make their characters seem more attractive, and their failings were realistic and human. I will be curious to watch Mel Harris, for example, to see if her acting seems better because she showed a lot of flaws in her character. Her character used to drive me nuts most of the time, but I later met lots of 30-something wives with families that seemed eerily like her character, so she may have been better than I realized at the time.
One other thing–I only saw China Beach a few times, but that show had two women who I find incredibly attractive–Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger. Those two still stir the 17-year-old in me. Now I have 4 women in my thoughts.
DBW – Yeah, because for me – when the show came out it was totally not my demographic. I was 23 years old, or whatever – but something about it just so spoke to me. I guess because I just got hooked in with the people. I didn’t like all of them – but I sure as hell wanted to watch what they did. They were all so interesting.
And I so agree about Mel Harris – she seemed like such a whiny beeyotch most of the time – and whaddya know, I see whiny bitchy wives around me at almost all times now. Ha. I’m not sure what that character was supposed to be – and I think eventually they wrote to that actress’ strengths (and she wasn’t all that good – she could do one or 2 things rather well, but she was limited). I don’t know if Hope was supposed to be something else – I remember something about her feeling all this guilt about leaving the workforce, like her old feminist friends would be snots towards her … but that storyline wasn’t really developed.
Her main thing was being a passive-aggressive bitchy wife who needed more help with the housework. Not really an interesting character arc – but DEFINITELY a real type of woman.
I also adored Elliott – as flawed as he was. That actor was so so so good. I was so happy to see him get that nice gig on The West Wing – he’s just such a good actor.
DBW – hahahaha It must be rather crowded in your head right now.
I loved China Beach too – that was on at about the same time, am I right?
Marg Helgenberger is fantastic. I love how long she’s been working – she’s just flat out GOOD. And she had what I call a “10 minute Oscar” in Erin Brockovich. Way to NAIL your scenes, Marg. Amazing.
I didn’t mean to demean Hilgenberger’s abilities. She is hot, and talented, and hot. Did I say she is hot? Because she is–she’s hot. To be serious for a second–it’s always presumptuous to read too much into an actor’s personal character just from watching their work, but, I think there are certain people whose work exhibits a high level of intellect, wit, maturity, etc. With some actors like that, it’s pretty easy to conclude they might have some, or all, of those characteristics in their private lives. I think Marg Helgenberger is like that. I have seen her in many roles, and she always has a quality of intelligence, curiosity, and confidence about her–which is mostly what I find so attractive about her. Somehow, I just know she is an interesting, intelligent, and charming woman. At least, I like to think so.
Did you demean her abilities?? I didn’t notice that!
She is hot. AND you appreciate her work.
Lovely!
Yeah – I think it would be hard for her to play a dumb person. She can definitely play a woman who makes risky choices – like she did sometimes in China Beach – there’s a wildness in her … but you NEVER thought that that character was a dim bulb, iintellectually.
No, I didn’t demean her. It’s just that I said she was attractive, and you said she was “flat out GOOD,” and I didn’t want it to seem I just liked her for her looks. I’m not that easy–LOL.
hahahaha
No, I didn’t mean it that way! Oh man, internet communication can be so weird.
You, happily enthusiastic: “She’s hot!”
Sheila, bitchy, snotty: “She’s a good actress.”
Uhm … okay …
Yes, it can be a little difficult without the aural clues. She is one of those people where it seems like there is a lot of “there” there, if you know what I mean. Back to the original subject, she would have been great as a character on thirtysomething. I wish that had happened.
As soon as I wrote that last comment, I had a thought Helgenberger might have been on a thirtysomething. While looking, look what I found——http://home.kc.rr.com/bobfahey/lb-30s/articles/article06.htm
Ooh! You know I have a feeling I read that when it orginally came out – but I am so printing it out to read later.
I am waiting – barely patiently – for the Ally McBeal DVDs. I want them SO BAD.
RTG – No Ally McBeal yet? I’m shocked!
Sheila, did you watch Homefront??? THAT’S the show I’ve spent years signing petitions to get onto DVD. Such a great show. About a small town right after the end of WWII. Were you a fan?
Erik – I never saw it! How long was it on?
Was that the one with Marian Cunningham in it?
I think you’re thinking of Marion Ross who played Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days, yes? The show she was on was Brooklyn Bridge, which I never watched, but heard good things about.
Homefront was a one-hour drama starring Kyle Chandler (from the bomb episode of Grey’s Anatomy and currently on Friday Night Lights, and I have loved him ever since Homefront and am so happy that he’s having success)–basically it followed three families in this small town after the war–a rich, uptight white family that owns the local factory (I forget what kind of factory it was); the black couple who work as their housekeepers; and then another family with several siblings, one of whom returns home from fighting in the war in the pilot episode only to find out that his fiance didn’t wait for him–she’s secretly dating one of his brothers (Kyle Chandler). And their mom is dating a unionizer who stirs up lots of trouble at the factory, where some of the brothers work. That was a terrible description of the show that did not do it justice at all, but I guess I deserve some slack since I haven’t seen the show since it went off the air in 1993. I think it was on for 2 and a half seasons. Just imagine 40s music, 40s costumes, and lots of fun soapy shenanigans. Ahhh, it was good. When it comes out on DVD I’ll let you know and then you’ll see for yourself.
I just reread the top of my comment and I hope it doesn’t sound condescending, like, “oh sheila I think you mean so-and-so,” because there’s probably an actress named Marian Cunningham who I just don’t know and that’s who you were talking about.
Oh – wait – wasn’t Mrs. Cunningham’s first name Marian? I am now TOTALLY confused. It probably wasn’t and I just got mixed up. I love that actress!
You didn’t sound condescending! I’m the one who sounds vaguely retahded.
Homefront sounds marvelous – I didn’t realize it was on in the early 90s – I totally never watched it, but it sounds terrific. I
Why is there a random “I” standing alone at the end of my comment?
Could it be the glass of cabernet I just drank?
I fear it must be.
Okay, I’ve solved the mystery of her name: It’s Marion Ross in real life and it was Marion Cunningham on Happy Days. I knew it was Marion in real life and couldn’t conceive that her TV name would be the same (I’ve always thought of her character as “Mrs. C”), so I think that’s where the confusion came in–but now we know that both Marions are right! (And yes, she’s an AWESOME actress.)
Here’s a picture of the Homefront cast: cast photo
You probably never watched the show because you never knew when it was on–I remember it was yanked around the schedule and kept popping up on different nights, which was very frustrating, and it never found its audience–except for critics and its core group of cultish fans.
Okay, so I tried to be really snazzy by making that link to the Homefront photo in my above comment, and the link doesn’t work. Oh well!
Yes – it works – I can see it! Oh – it’s the Early Edition guy. Is that the actor you love? Or – Morning Edition? The Chicago show … I know a billioin people who were on that show at one time or other, because it was filmed in chicago.
I am so sorry that I do not retain names better. I’m always close – but sometimes just a little bit off.
Yes, I love the Early/Morning Edition guy–I don’t know the exact name of the show either. Even though I love Kyle Chandler, I never watched his Edition show because it was on while I was in college and I didn’t watch any television while I was in college. (Maybe that’s why it feels like I got so much more DONE back then.)
sooo much to say….can we spend anentire week watching the whole series in one sitting?????????????????????PLEASE!!!!??????????…Erik..ive done two episodic tv gigs…both starred Kyle Chandler…great guy..genuine, funny,warm,generous of spirit..LOVE Friday Night Lights btw…he was good friends with Kenny Bradley…remember how funny Kenny was watching 30 something???and u and Jeremy dancing to the theme song???? Hilarious!!!..oh btw Kate and I are freaking out..and u know why!!!
Mitchell, Friday Night Lights is my favorite show right now. And I never would have thought it was a show I would have gotten into, but I have a friend who works on it, so I watched the first episode for her, and every week I get more and more hooked and now I’m so obsessed. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are SO GOOD together–you completely believe them as a couple, and I love their relationship with their daughter, and her relationship with Saracen, and his relationship with his Grandma, and how in-over-his-head he is, and how Julie starts to really fall for Saracen when she sees him with his Grandma–sorry, Sheila, I don’t think you watch this show and here I am rambling on and on about it. GREAT SHOW.
i like it because it comes off as sincere…good writng and acting..and ur right they have great chemstry.
Pardon me, but I am jumping right into this conversation, Mitchell! (Hi, Erik. I’m Beth). LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Friday Night Lights! Great acting, great writing. I concur with the relationship comment. The only thing is, I keep thinking it is on on Friday night because of the name. So I have missed it the last two weeks. (what a moron!!)
And Erik, when you were saying that Marion Ross was a fantastic actress, I thought you were going to say she was “hot”, kinda like DBW and Dana Delany. You scared me for a second!
I also am excited for Thirtysomething, although I so relate to the Mel Harris character. Totally don’t see her as naggy/whiny. But I am kinda in her place. I think it all comes down to walking in someones shoes. At any rate, she’s a hell of a lot more realistic then Mrs. C was. I mean, we all love Mrs. C, but even she told Howard to “sit on it” in an episode or two!!
And then there’s the most inaccessible program of all….”Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”. This little gem has not been seen in its entirety since it was first broadcast, 35 years ago. It’s only been re-broadcast a few times since: in late-night syndication for a few months back in 1983, then about 20 episodes on Lifetime TV around 1993, and then finally only the first 37 episodes on TVLand about five years ago. Hard to believe that it was an enormously popular hit in its day… And it will probably not get put onto DVD for years to come, because there’s really no way to package something that had no “season 1, season 2”. This was 325 episodes spread over 2 years. And you can’t even find bootleg copies of the second year’s episodes. God, I loved that show, but hardly anyone under the age of 45 has even heard of it.
Beth, NBC has every single episode available on its website. Or at least it did over the holidays, I’m not sure if they’ve taken the episodes down, but I know they put them up there so that people could catch the episodes they’d missed. So all is not lost! You can still see the last two episodes, on your computer at least!
And hey, maybe it’s just because I’m gay, but I think that Marion Ross WAS kinda hot.
Erik-
I love you.
I love you with the fire of a thousand suns! The Marion Ross hotness is pricless- underneath all her properness is a hidden hot woman. I get it. Kinda all that foundation undergarments and great old bathing suits and pinup posters and whatnot. Aahhhhhhhhh Marion……. on the outside is all oatmeal cookies and meatloaf. But undearneath? grrr………
Yes! Beth, you see it too! She is SO grrr. Underneath it all.
I love the description “on the outside she’s all oatmeal cookies and meatloaf.”
But of course she put that oatmeal cookie and meatloaf exterior on for the show. I guess that’s the only type of part she’s ever really played, but still, I bet she’s such a party animal at home too. Doobies and such.
(To completely digress, I’m sitting at a coffee shop and this strange Maude-ish woman sat on the couch next to me and fell asleep on she’s totally leaning on me and I’m trying not to move because she obviously needs her sleep, but she is so leaning on me and this is really awkward.)
Oh, and speaking of Maude,
Sheila, what’s your take on Dakota Fanning?
Because–and I can’t really explain why–but–she has always reminded me, in a weird way, of Beatrice Arthur.
Tempe – Oh my God, how awesome was Mary Hartman Mary Hartman?? Great great show. None other like it. Louise Lasser is so … specific, so wonderful. I remember her INSANE guest-hosting evenings on Saturday Night Live – she was so great.
I would totally love to see that show again – it’s not out?? Maybe we should start a petition.
Beth – I SO want to see 30something now because I have a feeling that I won’t be so judgmental of Hope. I just so didn’t relate to her when I first saw it – but I’m really curious to see how my response to her might have changed, now that I’m older.
I remember a great episode where Susannah (Garry’s girlfriend – and none of them really connect to her – member??) and Hope end up having it out – and Hope realizes: “Holy shit, we have all been being so mean to this poor woman …” and Susannah has just had a baby, she’s overworked, she has no friends – and Hope makes her take a bath and just waits on her, brings her a glass of wine, forces her to chill out … do you remember this at all?
I loved that episode.
But that show was just so full of so many cool moments like that.
I can’t WAIT to see this show now that I am 30 something. But I better hurry up and see it before I turn 40 something- ha ha ha!!
Erik- I am dying at the thought of you typing away with a sleeping woman leaning against you!!
And SHEILA!! DREAMGIRLS!!!! JENNIFER HUDSON!!! EDDIE MURPHY!!!! YAHOO!!!
I ust saw THIS and remembered that someone had mentioned on this thread that they wished Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was available on DVD–Tempe, ’tis! Or, at least the first 25 episodes are, but hey it’s a start. (I’ve actually never seen the show, but I understand television fanatacism.)