Alles wegen Grace

I loved this show and was very disappointed that ABC (and Disney) didn't give it a chance. It had great storylines by terrific writers, a very talented cast (was especially thrilled to see Faye Grant back on television!) and it always gave me a good feeling after watching it. We need more shows like this on television and less of the reality programming "crap" that all of the networks have gone overboard with.

I miss this series. When the show debuted, it was on the Fox Family cable channel. I found the series to be very well written and well acted. I looked forward to seeing the young characters getting older and dealing with the issues in the 1960's. After the show was renewed for a second season, Fox sold the network to Disney. I knew the show would not last beyond season two and it did not. It was canceled. How did I know it would be canceled? Disney likes to put its own programming all of its channels and the show was not a Disney property. The official reason it gave for canceling the show was that it did not attract enough adult viewers. So, children are not enough to make a "family network" a success anymore? I don't buy that reason. Anyway, it did remind me of the "Wonder Years" but as I recall, "Wonder Years" was added to the ABC schedule after "Stand By Me" was a hit in theaters. If, as some posters here have suggested, this show is a "ripoff" of "Years", is "Years" a ripoff of "Stand By Me"? The bottom line is "State of Grace" deserved more of a chance than it was given and every time I watch the episodes I recorded, I'll miss it even more.

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.

I've been watching State of Grace since it first came on, and I can safely say that it's one of my very favorite shows.

All of the actors seem fit for the parts. You'd expect that modern twelve-year-olds would not be able to act well in a 1960s setting, but Mae Whitman and Alia Shawkat do a great job. All of the characters are very well cast.

Another thing is that they seem like normal people. Grace and Hannah worry about normal things that typical seventh graders do. They don't try to behave beyond their years or sit around and gossip about boys. Neither of them seem stuck up, and they're people that normal kids would like to know.

The show has also improved a lot in the past year. Some episodes were kind of boring in the first season, but now I wouldn't miss one! There is a lot better of a balance concerning air time between the Rayburns and the McKees. In the first season, the plot would usually focus on one of the families, but it's so much more interesting now that they're both featured in every episode. It makes it a lot more fun to watch.

I'd give this show a 10/10.

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!