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A Year in the Life

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A Year in the Life
GenreDrama
Created byJoshua Brand
John Falsey
Developed byStu Kreiger
StarringRichard Kiley
Jayne Atkinson
Adam Arkin
David Oliver
Sarah Jessica Parker
Amanda Peterson
Wendy Phillips
Morgan Stevens
Diana Muldaur
ComposerDavid McHugh
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22 + miniseries
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesFalahey/Austin Street Productions
Universal Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseDecember 15, 1986 (1986-12-15) –
April 13, 1988 (1988-04-13)

A Year in the Life is an American television drama series that began as a three-part miniseries which was first broadcast in December 1986 and later ran as a weekly series on NBC from September 16, 1987 to April 13, 1988. It was created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, who had previously created the critically acclaimed series St. Elsewhere, also for NBC.

As suggested by the title, the miniseries followed the various members of the Gardner family of Seattle during the course of one year. The major event of that year was the sudden and unexpected death of wife and mother Ruth Gardner (Eva Marie Saint). Following the success of the miniseries, NBC decided to launch a one-hour drama series the following fall.

Richard Kiley played Joe Gardner, owner of a successful plastics business and father of four adult children. The children were twice-divorced daughter Anne (Wendy Phillips), who had returned home with her two teenaged children; daughter Lindley (Jayne Atkinson) and husband Jim (Adam Arkin), parents of a newborn baby daughter; black sheep son Jack (Morgan Stevens); and conservative youngest son Sam (David Oliver), married to free-spirited Kay (Sarah Jessica Parker). Diana Muldaur was a later addition to the cast as Dr. Alice Foley, Joe Gardner's new romantic interest. Amanda Peterson played Joe Gardner's granddaughter Sunny Sisk and Trey Ames played Gardner's grandson, David Sisk.

The miniseries was the third-highest rated miniseries of the 1986–87 US television season with a 16.9/27 rating/share.[1]

The series ran for one complete season, but brought in low ratings and was not renewed for a second season, ranking 63rd with an average 11.9 rating.[2]

Cast

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Episodes

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Miniseries (1986)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
Part–1"The First Christmas"Thomas CarterJoshua Brand & John FalseyDecember 15, 1986 (1986-12-15)
Part–2"Springtime/Autumn"Thomas CarterStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey (Autumn)
Teleplay by : Stu Krieger
Story by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey (Springtime)
Teleplay by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey and Bruce Franklin Singer
December 16, 1986 (1986-12-16)
Part–3"Christmas '86"Thomas CarterStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Stu Krieger
December 17, 1986 (1986-12-17)

Series

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Don't I Know You From Somewhere?"Thomas CarterStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Robin Green
September 16, 1987 (1987-09-16)
2"Things You Should Know Before and After"Michael Toshiyuki UnoStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Stu Krieger
September 23, 1987 (1987-09-23)
3"What Do You Think Love Is?"Michael Ray RhodesStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Josef Anderson
September 30, 1987 (1987-09-30)
4"What Do People Do All Day?"Jack BenderStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Pamela Douglas
October 21, 1987 (1987-10-21)
5"Dixie Chicken"Michael Toshiyuki UnoStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Frederick Rappaport
October 28, 1987 (1987-10-28)
6"EM7, Raiders Minus 3 and a Half for a Nickel"UnknownUnknownNovember 4, 1987 (1987-11-04)
7"Acts of Faith"Kevin HooksStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : David Chisholm
November 11, 1987 (1987-11-11)
8"In Dreams Begin Responsibilities"Kevin HooksTeleplay by : Barbara Hall
Television Story by: Joshua Brand & John Falsey (Suggested from a Story by Debra McConnell)
November 18, 1987 (1987-11-18)
9"So Much Water So Close to Home"Helaine HeadStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Jeff Baron
November 25, 1987 (1987-11-25)
10"I Think You Know Something I Don't Know"Arthur Allen SeidelmanStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Barbara Hall
December 2, 1987 (1987-12-02)
11"While Someone Else is Sleeping or Opening a Window"Rob CohenTeleplay by : James Kearns
Television Story by: Joshua Brand & John Falsey (Suggested from a Story by Andre Dubus)
December 16, 1987 (1987-12-16)
12"The Little Disturbance of Man"Mimi LenderStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Robin Green
January 6, 1988 (1988-01-06)
13"Sometimes It's Hard to Remember"Stephen CraggStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : James Kearns
January 13, 1988 (1988-01-13)
14"At the Last Moment, Enormous Changes"Gabrielle BeaumountStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey and Barbara Hall
Teleplay by : Barbara Hall
January 20, 1988 (1988-01-20)
15"Goodbye to All That"Helaine HeadStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Nick Harding
February 3, 1988 (1988-02-03)
16"The Go-Between"Michael Ray RhodesStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Doris Silverton
February 10, 1988 (1988-02-10)
17"Fathers and Other Strangers"Kim FriedmanStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Thom Thomas
February 17, 1988 (1988-02-17)
18"Common Ground"Gabrielle BeaumountStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Susan Black
March 9, 1988 (1988-03-09)
19"Glory Days"Mimi LenderStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : Nick Harding
March 16, 1988 (1988-03-16)
20"The Politics of Being"Joel OlianskyStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey
Teleplay by : David Assael
March 23, 1988 (1988-03-23)
21"Peter Creek Road"Michael Ray RhodesStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey & Robin Green
Teleplay by : Robin Green
April 6, 1988 (1988-04-06)
22"Love Mother"Joshua BrandStory by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey & Barbara Hall
Teleplay by : Barbara Hall
April 13, 1988 (1988-04-13)

References

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  1. ^ (Three or more parts.) TV Guide magazine, June 27–July 3, 1987, issue #1787. All figures are based on the Nielsen ratings. The rating represents the percentage of the 87.4 million TV households tuned to a station (sets watching this show). The share represents the percentage of TV sets tuned to a television station at the time of the broadcast (sets in use).
  2. ^ "The TV Ratings Guide: 1987-88 Ratings History".
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