Product Description

Few television programs can claim to have the cultural resonance that thirtysomething did in late 1980s America. Winner of four Emmy Awards, the groundbreaking hour-long drama held up a mirror to a generation of young adults struggling to find a larger meaning to their existence in an era marked by rampant consumerism and the yuppie ethos. Season Two picks up where everyone left off and then some.

Hope and Michael contemplate a second child; Elliot moves to lure Nancy back; Gary gets serious with his girlfriend Susannah (played by Patricia Kalember); Melissa continues to find herself; and Ellyn gets an ulcer. Then there is all that happens in between, including the arrival of an antagonist for Michael and Elliot: David Clennon joins the cast as the diabolical, smug, manipulative and very successful advertising mogul Miles Drentell.

In becoming a commercial force that connected with millions of viewers every week, the series continued to push the limits of what a great television show was capable of while consistently maintaining its artistic and creative edge. thirtysomething: The Complete Second Season features all 17 episodes restored from the original film elements along with new interviews and commentaries for the optimal DVD experience.

Bonus Features

* New Cast Interviews

* Commentaries by Creator, Cast and Crew

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #747 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP (MUSIC)
• Released on: 2010-01-19
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 810 minutes

Customer Reviews

Wonder and pathos
I had forgotten how good and original this series was. 16 years since I first watched it, it still delights, and has not aged, but matured. Some episodes would win awards as free standing dramas. The characterization is excellent, the performances outstanding, the drama real and moving, and the team work unequalled since The Big Chill. The direction and writing deserved the awards they won. Five stars.

Wonderful DVDs, but a problem
I just received this DVD set. The commentaries are interesting and insightful, and it's great to see the uncut episodes for the first time in over twenty years. I have only watched one of the discs, but have found what I consider to be a big production problem. On Disc 1, episode 2 "In Re: The Marriage of Weston", the scenes have been edited out of order. It's very obvious, but to be certain I compared the DVD with a copied episode from "Lifetime". Two sequences stand out. On the DVD, early on Hope and Ellyn giggle about the instructor at the art center and Hope intimates he and Nancy have slept together. However, the scene where Nancy gets the art center job and meets the instructor comes later in the DVD. Likewise, there is a scene where Nancy angrily confronts Elliot about contacting a Realtor to sell the house, and rips him for instructing Ethan not to tell her. The scene in the DVD where Elliot is showing the Realtor the house and admonishing Ethan not to tell his mother comes after this scene.

The DVDs are beautiful. I would have given the set 5 stars if not for the production problem

Unique and very special television series, Thirtysomething
Thirtysomething was enormously popular with us fans for several reasons. There is such a chemistry and warmth among these characters and the writing, directing, and acting made it the perfect television show that was engaging for the viewer. The writing was intelligent and full of integrity. Going back and watching the episodes, one is transported back to how each episode was carefully crafted, and it's always been a show that I could easily get lost in. Many of the episodes are quite beautiful visually, particularly Be A Good Girl with Melissa's character, and it's a pleasant surprise to see the actors and actresses featured including Estelle Reiner and Sylvia Sidney. I love how each character's story is developed throughout the seasons and that it was a perfect ensemble show. Television shows since have not quite been up to par since the time of Thirtysomething, in my opinion. I forgot about the episode featuring Carly Simon which was a treat, watching Ellyn dance and sing to Carly's songs. I also look forward to a future episode which features Melanie Mayron's real life sister, Gale Mayron. Knowing that only after two seasons of Thirtysomething on DVD that there are still many great episodes to come is delightful and something to look forward to.