My Life and Times

Perhaps it was the fickleness of the 90's or the fact that we were actively forgetting the identities of the 70's and 80's but when this show debuted it came off to such great critical acclaim and then like most critically acclaimed shows, it vanished. I am proud to have seen this series. As someone who considers himself a true lover of scifi and not just pulp or space operas this was a vista as open as any epic scifi novel. With the gentileness of one listening to their Grandparents tell stories of their youth and "salad days" we watch as elderly retiree Ben Miller regails all that will listen (including us) of his loves, losses, triumphs and pitfalls. The show was definately ahead of its time. When most scifi shows were exploring space, this one was more concerned with exploring the human condition, of the future and society on family and I think that has made all the difference. This was definately television too good for television.

Perhaps my all-time favorite show. I still remember the earthquake which prohibited Ben from seeing the birth of his child. It truly showed how things which are so important to us can be overshadowed by other events. We should not place too much value on anything.

Maybe what ended up making this show so great, fresh and well-written was the fact that it didn't have a chance to become redundant or stale. The show which stated that the only constant in life is change was, in fact, a victim of itself. In this day and age when shows are just thrown together it was so well written that every event was tied together - nothing was left hanging. I just wish I had taped the show so I could relive those shining moments of true literature on TV.

I know of only a handful of people who actually saw or remember this show. Some remember it fondly, others get it confused with "My So-Called Life" (which ironically stars the same actor, Tom Irwin). This was one of the most creative shows I had ever seen, with a concept that could have led to an almost endless number of episodes and ideas. The "Jessie" episode stands out as the most poignant 30 minutes of television I can remember. Watching how they handled a time-period/event that had already happened (i.e. the 1989 S.F. Earthquake in the pilot) and then seeing how they handled the future in '91 (i.e. New Year's Eve 1999) kept this show entertaining and original in it's brief run. It would have been a classic by now had it been allowed more time to find an audience than the six-episodes ABC gave it.

I was so disappointed when this was canceled. I was immediately drawn in to this show.

Why was it canceled? The 30-min drama format has never been successful, except for daily soaps . . . before 1980. Sports Night did better but that was a witty drama. This show was a straight half-hour drama. And at the end of each episode I was frustrated it was over. For me, I couldn't wait for the next episode, but most viewers were just frustrated, I guess.

Tom Irwin was just on 24. Dead in one episode--this guy's such a good actor; will we ever really see him in something again?

Six episodes aired on ABC in the spring of 1991 and that alone was enough to make this my favorite TV show of all time. A unique concept, great writing, and an endless list of possible story lines had they given the show a chance to grow. The first episode dealt with the '89 San Francisco earthquake, subsequent episodes took place in New York City in the '70s ("Jessie") and 80s, as well as New Year's Eve, 1999. Whoever came up with the concept for this show had something unlike anything we've seen on TV before or since. Helen Hunt was terrific, as were all of the characters, but Tom Irwin as Ben Miller really stood out. He later went on to star in another great show that was pulled way too soon, My So-Called Life. Great memories of this show. A true classic. "I'm Ben Miller....and these are My Life and Times..."