A Year in the Life

This show was an instant hit with me when it first aired. It had a quality that is rarely seen on network TV anymore. Even though the show was in the upper echelon of quality, I knew it wasn't gonna last. It was too different, too smart for the general population. It was kind of like 30-something which appeared a year or two later in that it made you feel and think more than maybe the average American suburbanite wants to when they plop themselves down on their living room couch.

The show will probably never be aired again since it only lasted 1 year--unfortunately the title foreshadowed it's own life span. What may be even sadder is that it could've been the start of a nice acting career for Amanda Peterson who had just done "Can't Buy Me Love" a short time earlier. Once the show cancelled, her career went on a tailspin she never recovered from.

I managed to only tape 1/2 of an episode so if someone has the season on tape, please get in contact with me so we can do business.

Although it may now be a bit dated, in fact two of the stars of the show (Kiley and Oliver) have passed away, this show would definitely be a hit on Lifetime or A&E. Trouble is, they don't want a series that only has 25 or so episodes to air. The ratings for this show were actually pretty good, in fact its 20-shares would be considered phenomenal in today's ratings game. But it aired at a time when cable was just emerging, network TV ratings were askew and indecipherable, and NBC just plain gave up on it. I can still remember Richard Kiley accepting his Emmy award that year, scolding "the network myopia that killed a fine show". A YEAR IN THE LIFE is still the best television series that I have ever enjoyed.

This was a mini-series that became a television show. It was a great series that I felt was not given a fair shake by the network. I loved watching it, but the time slot changed about three times during a six-month period which made it difficult for even faithful watchers to keep up with.

It was a warm, well-written dramatic series that also had it's funny moments. It was about a family and their daily lives. I am a big fan of the series "Family" and felt that same sort of warmth toward this show. It was so well done and it seemed criminal that it really wasn't given a chance to gain a following.

I was so sad when it was canceled. I remember there was a campaign in Seattle to keep it going. I would love to see the mini-series again. It was very realistic without being depressing. Sarah Jessica Parker was wonderful as Kay. David Oliver was adorable and I loved Amanda Peterson as Sunny.

I too thought the series was well done and I believe it was gathering steam until the Sarajevo Winter Olympics started on ABC. It lost viewership to the Games for those couple weeks causing NBC to move it a less desirable time slot further causing a slide. It's a shame but all the major networks make the same business decision - appealing to the masses to sell more soap instead of finding and keeping niche audiences with quality programming (such as Byrds of Paradise (ABC) and Now and Again (CBS)). However, with the advent of niche cable channels (Lifetime, Oxygen, BET, etc...), more diverse programming can be aired. That trend could be accelerated if the FCC will allow us to choose only those cable channels we wish to subscribe. Then the market could work and quality programming may get a chance. Until then, the lowest common denominator will win out (Fox's recipe for success).