Alles wegen Grace

This is a really well done show. The writing is perfect, and the two girls make the show what it is. I especially like Hannah, how cute! She is just precious. The storytelling so far is interesting, and I like the entire setup, with the woman who is now in middle age, narrating the stories told of her life. The supporting characters, especially Hannah's family are awesome, and they help so much with the humor. Great show, hope it's on for a long time. 9/10

Ok, so I may be WAY behind on my television watching, but I have just recently found the delightful program entitled, State of Grace. What a pity that this has been cancelled!!

The show centers on two 12-year old girls growing up in the South in the mid 60s. I can speak with authority about this because I was 12 years old, growing up in the south in the mid 60s. Great attention has been paid to detail of the period - from the behavior, to the costumes, to the sets. The incidental music is from the mid 60s and fits right in with the situations that are occurring at the time. For instance, in the episode "Saving Grace", Grace is rebelling a little against the school dress code. When she walks down the hall wearing her mini dress with pop art material, groovy metal flower pin and textured hose, the music that is playing is "England Swings". Carnaby Street fashions were all the rage at that time. I nearly choked when the "sister" made Grace get on her knees in the hall while she measured the length of distance from her hem to the floor. How many times did I have to do that??

Nay-sayers have criticized this show for ripping off "The Wonder Years". I have tried to watch that show, but it is not an experience like "State of Grace" is. TWY just doesn't transport one back to the time like SOG. I just don't get the feeling of the era as I do watching Grace. Also, just because someone has an idea, does that mean no one else can ever expand on that idea? What if we complained that the telephone had been invented and no one else should tamper with it? Where would most people be without their beloved cel phone attached to their ear? In this case, someone took the idea of The Wonder Years, and MADE IT BETTER!

Every actor in this show is absolutely perfect for his or her part. The script is tight and well written - sometimes funny, sometimes poignant. When it's funny, it's really funny. I loved the part in the episode, "Eve of Discussion" where the Rayburns were writing a big ad for the newspaper. When they checked the morning paper for their ad, they found that instead of reading, "You'll sink in our sofas!" it read, "You'll STINK in our sofas!" (I'm chuckling as I write this - OK it sounds a little sophomoric, but you just had to be there.) KUDOS to everyone involved in this production, and thank you for giving me a slice of my youth, if only for a little while.

What makes "State of Grace" so appealing to me (besides May Whitman and Alia Shawkat, who are ideally cast and so cute!) is its natural flow and ability to capture different brands of humor and customs within the contexts of Hanna and Grace's respective upbringings without being offensive. I think the show has been carefully researched, well-written and the cast has a really good synergy. I especially get a kick out of Erica Yohn as "Grandma Ida". She gave an equally down to earth and warm performance in "Corinna, Corinna". It's nice to turn on the TV once in a while to no courtroom, gunshots, emergency room or police station. Good, clean fun!

State of Grace was a fabulous show and one I thought had more depth than Wonder Years (although I was a big fan of Wonder Years also). Perhaps I liked it so much because I am the mother of 2 daughters, perhaps because my daughters are the result of a mixed religion marriage. At any rate, the acting was sublime: both my girls and I adored both Hannah and Grace. The interactions between Hannah's parents and the growth of Grace's mother (played WONDERFULLY by Faye Grant) made the show a delight for parents as well. My little one still gets teary when she hears "Do You Believe in Magic?" Trust Eisner to f*&^ up again.

Having grown up in North Carolina in the Sixties in an area known for furniture, I found this very authentic. I was a couple of years younger than the main characters but found most of their situations true to my experiences. I enjoy the reruns but I am disappointed that it wasn't continued. The actors were well cast. Several of my friends and I enjoyed watching and discussing the show each week.