thirtysomething: The Complete First Season

We can blame all our misery on thirtysomething — or, at least, all the hours of televised angst we’ve seen since then. When the seminal yuppie drama premiered in 1987, it took flak for its characters’ constant whining over such trivial matters as babysitters and breakfast rooms. But in dramatizing the mundane, the show became emblematic of a generation, and an indelible influence on future programming from Party of Five to Grey’s Anatomy. The generous EXTRAS (eight hours of cast commentaries, plus documentaries!) reflect this obsessive ethos. Still, the indulgence is well earned: Even current thirtysomethings will relate to the series’ sentiments — if not the cast’s suspenders and high-waisted pants. A

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