Retro TV: thirtysomething

I remember when thirtysomething set the screens alight in the late 80s and it was all everyone was talking about. I was in my (cough) late teens at the time and their lives did seem a distance from mine and quite suburban. Due to my part time job at good ole Marks & Spencer I was unable to catch the show and only began watching bits of the last series. However my best mate at the time was a real fan and kept me updated on what was going on. thirtysomething was the sort of groundbrealong show that made it's mark and stood out amongst other shows in its era. Think of  I Love Lucy in the 50s, The Avengers in the 60s, The Odd Couple in the 70s, LA Law in the 80s, ER in the 90s and Mad Men in the noughties. Well thirtysomething was right up there in the mix.

The show was set in Philadelphia and was about a group of baby boomers (advertising phrase for people born in the 50s and 60s) who were in their late 30s and settling down to marriage, babies, careers and mortgages. Like the name the show really encompassed the fears that the characters faced while leaving the carefree years of their 20s behind and moving into a new era of responsibility and commitment. The characters comprised of Micheal and Hope Steedman played by Ken Olin and Mel Smith who had just welcomed the birth of their daughter. Michael owned his own advertising business and Hope was a writer who was now a stay at home mum. Elliot and Nancy Weston were played by Timothy Busfield and Patricia Wettig. Elliot was Michael's business partner and Nancy was a former artist who had given up her career to raise their two kids. Gary Shepherd played by Peter Horton was Michael"s best friend and free spirited lecturer who embarked on a relationship with Melissa played by Melanie Mayron, an angst ridden photographer. Ellyn Warren played by Polly Draper was Hope's best friend who was career driven and relationship hapless. The show dealt with issues such as infidelity, cancer, death, marriage and break ups.

Like LA Law the show really was a representation of yuppie culture in the 80s but while the successful law show had a conservative, Reagan(esq) feel to it, thirtysomething really tapped into the Liberalism movement of that time. It also dealt with the changing expectations from men and women and the birth of second-wave feminism. thirtysomething broke many barriers; it was the first show to introduce an hour long drama based on the personal and professional lives of a group of friends. The show has been extremely influential on other programmes such as Friends, Cold Feet and Brothers and Sisters. It was created by Edward Zwick who directed films such as About Last Night, Blood Diamond and Love and Other Drugs. Also noticeable was the fashion which was very laid back preppy style with the characters seen in high waisted jeans, shoulder pads, braces, over sized shirts and sweaters topped with loafers. The hair was all about volume with bobs and flicks. Anyway I am glad it is back on the small screen so I can finally catch up with it.

thirtysomething airs on Sky Atlantic during weekdays at 10.00am and 3.00pm.

Material Girl: Review

I can't remember the last time I sat down and watched a proper British drama series that made me feel so inspired and excited that I could not wait to see the next episode. Oh I lie, I do remember it was This Life and the year was 1996; I had finished my BA and was at journalism college and the debutante professional lives of five every so crazy lawyers who shared a house in South London had me gripped. With vivid sex scenes and colourful language and explosive storylines, This Life was Sex and the City before the iconic show became Sex and the City. Then there was the wonderful Cold Feet which charmed the us with the lives of three couples based in Manchester. Well since This Life sadly disappeared from our screens in 1997 and Cold Feet in 2003,  I have migrated to US TV shows like Lipstick Jungle, Gossip Girl, 90210, Melrose Place and the Canadian import, Being Erica. Aside from soaps like Eastenders, Brit TVvery rarely got a look in. During the noughties Sarah Parish ruled the Brit drama roost with roles in Hearts and Bones, Cutting It, Honest and Mistresses. I never really took to Cutting It, Mistresses was ok but I never warmed to any of the female characters and I totally missed out on Hearts and Bones. This is why the arrival of Material Girl (read my preview post) has been hugely anticipated by me and fellow fashionistas.

Material Girl (based on the book, Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards Jones) is the story of Ali Radcliffe played by Lenora Crichlow, an aspiring designer who decides to set up her own label after being treated badly by her boss who is the very successful but neurotic Davinia Taylor played by Dervla Kirwan. She goes into partnership with Marco Keriliak played my Michael Landes who studied at St Martins with Davinia and is keen to even a score with his nemesis. The series is set in the busy hub of London's East End and we are introduced to Ali's colourful set of friends which consists of Alex, a fellow designer who works for Ali's rival, Mimi who works at a glossy magazine and Lydia who is one of the country's top models. We see Ali go head to head with the spiteful Davinia who will stop at nothing to jeapordise Ali's career. The show starts off spendidly with shots of Champs-Elysees where Ali is helping Davinia prepare for her show at Paris Fashion Week. The rapid shots really evoke the pace and excitement of the fashion industry particularly when Fashion Week is on.  Like other glam shows such as Ugly Betty and Sex and the City, Material Girl could be enjoyed purely on the scenery which is totally vibrant and rather eclectic. The outfits have taken quite a bit of a panning by fashion journalists but considering that we see Ali dressed in play suits, capes, vintage shift dresses and of course elegant stilettos which are all key looks for any decent fashion lover I beg to differ. But hey what do I know? I only follow fashion right. Yes, Material Girl may be full of cliches albeit bitchy boss, the must have gay BF, the wacky and out there pal and the trusted bestie but it is a really good show and very enjoyable. We need more Brit dramas like this please, in fact we need more Brit dramas period.

Material Girl airs on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One