thirtysomething: The Complete First Season

Original Soundtrack Intact
The L.A. Times has reported that all music rights have apparently cleared, which means that the dvd of this landmark series, unlike Northern Exposure, will retain the spirit of the original with its original soundtrack intact. Other pluses are the creation of a new master copy (ensuring excellent visual quality) and extensive bonus features, including commentary and interviews. Each subsequent season will be released at six month intervals. All great news for fans who have patiently awaited this release for almost 20 years.

Looks like they're doing it right
This show changed the way I watch television. I began taping episodes when I realized that the shows tie together almost like an enormous miniseries, and the quality is so dense that the episodes deserve many repeat viewings, like good movies do. "thirtysomething" deserves a high-quality DVD format, and it has always been puzzling to fans that this astoundingly no-brainer fact has not motivated a DVD release until now. I'll be snapping up my copy as soon as it is released, and I expect that it will be worth every penny. I wanted to learn more details about the special features included, so, thanks to a tip from another reviewer, I looked up the L A Times April 29, 2009 article "The years roll back--we're thirtysomething again" for more information. Here are some essential factoids gleaned from the article that Amazon has not yet posted:

The Season 1 DVD set will include interviews and commentaries by cast members Ken Olin (Michael), Mel Harris (Hope), Timothy Busfield...

I'm overjoyed and now where's the reunion episode?
Twenty years later, and this remains one of my favoite all-time shows. It got a lot of flack at the time for being about a bunch of self-absorbed yuppies, but that was just those who watched for fifteen minutes and saw some character whine about something. In truth, it was a well written, compelling, and poignant series with a top-notch cast that really hit the mark portraying family and friendships and the rocky roads we encounter in this thing called life. I was only in high school and early college when it came out, but now that I'm in my late thirties (yikes!) I have often remembered episodes that touched upon experiences I was having over the years, sometimes funny and sometimes painful. I loved all the characters for different reasons, but I was always drawn to Melissa Steadman, the eternally single, wise-cracking cousin of Michael. Now that I'm married with a baby, I would probably relate just as much to Hope or Nancy. Anyway, I look forward to finding out who strikes me...

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