My Life and Times

This was a low rated by critically acclaimed show. It was original clever and well acted. It up a lump in my throat each time I watched it. I loved the one where the old man is tells his grandson what life was like in the 1980's. This is a show that deserved more of a chance to build an audience. This show was probably ahead of it's time, since most baby-boombers would have to imagine themselves living at a retirement home. In a few years, they probably will be better able to imagine it.

This was an awesome show. I guess I am one of the few who did see it, and, fortunately, taped 5 of the 6 episodes. "Jessie" was so well written, acted and edited I've watched it a number of times to just enjoy something done so well.

That episode was the first thing I saw Claudia Christian in, and have been a fan of hers ever since. Met her once (lucky me!) and got to tell her that also! She said she really enjoyed working on that and was quite proud of it.

Ditto for Helen Hunt, that's where she first came to my awareness too, and I followed her happily to "Mad About You".

My second favorite episode (close behind "Jessie") is "Fare on Park Avenue" -- SO well done. Like too many exceptional quality shows that don't fit a preconceived formula, it didn't get a chance to build an audience.

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.

This show had all the makings of a very soap oprea like show, but with fine acting and writing it created something wonderful. There are not may episodes, and it is hard to know if they would have been able to keep up the show. What was there was great. The whole show is told in flashback as an old man talks about his life with his grandson. His first wife is played by Helen Hunt. He has a number of jobs during his life time, and sees history from one man's view. He worked as a cab driver in the go-go 80's. He made and lost a fortune on a passenger's stock tip. When Helen Hunt died, I got a lump in my throat. But like most people he learns to live and love again. The only unrealistic scene is when one of the grandson's friends likes one of his stories.

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.