thirtysomething_
"The '80s never looked so good."
Thirtysomething is an American television drama about a group of baby boomers in their late thirties. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for MGM/UA Television Group and The Bedford Falls Company, and aired on ABC. It premiered in the U.S. on September 29, 1987. It lasted four seasons, with the last of its 85 episodes airing on May 28, 1991. The title of the show was designed as thirtysomething by Kathie Broyles, who combined the words of the original title, Thirty Something. In 1997, "The Go Between" and "Samurai Ad Man" were ranked #22 on TV Guide′s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, Thirtysomething was ranked #19 on TV Guide′s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #10 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.
Created By
Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
Network
ABC
Episodes
85
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Overview
thirtysomething has 4 seasons with 85 episodes spanning 1987-1991.
Ken Olin →
Year context
thirtysomething first aired 39 years ago in 1987.
CAST (8)
SEASONS (4 seasons, 85 episodes)
SEASON 1
01
Pilot
Hope and Michael Steadman are still adjusting to parenthood while struggling with money problems and best-friend crises.
02
The Parents Are Coming, the Parents Are Coming
Hope's anxiety over her parents' impending visit taxes everyone's patience.
03
Housewarming
Michael and Hope race to renovate their crumbling mansion for a huge housewarming party.
04
Couples
A night out with friends degenerates as Nancy and Elliot's marital woes become apparent.
05
But Not for Me
Gary and Melissa rekindle their affair; Michael and Hope's first date in months is a disaster.
06
We Gather Together
Hope and Michael plan a quiet Thanksgiving but learn friends are counting on being invited.
07
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Before a deadline, Michael and Elliot wrestle with a creativity block; Ellyn develops a crush on an associate.
08
Weaning
Sensing baby Janey's decreasing dependency on her, depressed Hope decides to go back to work.
09
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Michael and Hope argue about whether their infant's first holiday should be Christmas or Hanukkah. A famous photographer shows interest in Melissa's work.
10
South by Southeast
It's a Hitchcockian nightmare as Gary falls in love; as the romance progresses, he begins receiving a series of threats against his life.
11
Therapy
Elliot and Nancy seek professional help for their troubled marriage; Michael finds it hard to keep it a secret.
12
Competition
Michael's jealousy is aroused when an important client make it clear he prefers Elliot. Meanwhile, Hope and Nancy try to come to terms with computers.
13
Separation
Elliot temporarily moves in with Michael and Hope after separating from Nancy.
14
I'm in Love, I'm in Love, I'm in Love with a Wonderful Gynecologist
Competing for the attention of the same man jeopardizes the new found friendship between Ellyn and Melissa.
15
Business as Usual
Michael's hopes for a joyous reunion with his father are destroyed when he discovers the real reason for the visit.
16
Accounts Receivable
A rocky relationship between Michael and his brother Brad is further strained when Michael learns the family business is almost bankrupt.
17
Whose Forest Is This?
Nancy and Elliot's separation takes its toll on their son; Elliot prepares for a blind date with a chiropractor.
18
Nancy's First Date
Melissa's burgeoning romance slows when she learns he doesn't want any more kids. Nancy has her first date since the separation.
19
Undone
Michael's old girlfriend from college pays a visit.
20
Tenure
Gary evaluates the fate of his academic career as he undergoes tenure review at the college. Ellyn learns her building is going co-op, leaving her…
21
Born to Be Mild
Ellyn and Woodman's weekend is ruined when they are forced to babysit Janey.
SEASON 2
01
We'll Meet Again
As she and Michael argue about her working and having another child, Hope learns about some previous tenants of their house. Hope is making tentative…
02
In Re: the Marriage of Weston
Things get complicated between Elliot and Nancy as they moved toward finalizing their divorce. They both try to establish new relationships. Scenes of Elliot and…
03
The Mike Van Dyke Show
As Christmas and Hanukkah near, Hope suffers a minor injury and an unknown illness. Michael has a crisis of faith and imagines his life as…
04
Trust Me
Melissa and Gary consider having a child together. Gary volunteers his time at a social services center, where he is irritated by and attracted to…
05
No Promises
Ellyn tries to deal with the shock of her parents' divorce and her growing estrangement from Woodman. Ellyn is shocked to receive a call from…
06
Politics
CAPSULE: Michael takes on a client that he, his wife and his friends find repugnant. Gary and Susannah's odd relationship continues to grow. At a…
07
Success
Melissa gets a job working with Carly Simon. Michael and Elliot face losing their business. Melissa is excited--Russell has shown some of her work around…
08
First Day / Last Day
Flashback scenes of Michael and Elliot meeting, working together, and forming their own company are interspersed with the present-day dissolution of the Michael and Elliot…
09
About Last Night
Gary and Susannah try to figure out what to do when they finds out that she's pregnant. Nancy misses a publishing deadline for her book.
10
Elliot's Dad
CAPSULE: Elliot gets involved with his wayward father. Ethan suffers an injury. Elliot goes to see his divorced father Charlie who is in town. Charlie…
11
Payment Due
CAPSULE: Ellyn's work and personal life take a great toll on her, both physically and emotionally. Ellyn has been suffering from an unknown stomach ailment…
12
Deliverance
CAPSULE: Ellyn, Nancy, Hope and Melissa go on a cathartic camping trip. Melissa gets some camping equipment as a payoff for a photo shoot and…
13
Michael Writes a Story
Michael takes a creative writing class, as does Nancy. Michael incurs Nancy's wrath when he writes about something he heard about her in confidence from…
14
New Job
CAPSULE: Hope suffers a miscarriage just as Michael and Elliot begin work for Miles Drentell at DAA. Elliot and Michael are in Miles Drentell's office…
15
Be a Good Girl
CAPSULE: Melissa must deal with her aging grandmother who wants her to take over her business. Melissa is preparing to go to her parents for…
16
Courting Nancy
CAPSULE: Nancy pursues her relationship with Matt, but Elliot makes a concerted effort to win her back. Elliot returns the kids to Nancy and has…
17
Best of Enemies
CAPSULE: Hope is writing an article that could affect Susannah's Race St. Project, driving a wedge between her and Gary. Gary and Susannah are proceeding…
SEASON 3
01
Nancy's Mom
CAPSULE: Nancy's and Elliot move closer to a reconciliation, to the disapproval of her visiting mother Eleanor. Elliot and Nancy are spending an evening at…
02
Love and Sex
CAPSULE: While she and Michael are having problems of their own, Hope gets involved in the love life of her teenaged babysitter. Hope and Michael…
03
Mr. Right
CAPSULE: Ellyn and Melissa try using a video dating service. Melissa is unexpectedly attracted to a younger man she meets. Ethan must kiss a girl…
04
New Baby
CAPSULE: Susannah and Gary become new parents after a difficult delivery. Melissa has a hard time accepting Gary's new status. In a story told in…
05
Legacy
Elliot and Michael have a close encounter with disaster on an airplane. Hope's employer, the magazine Synergy, is being taken over and will curtain its…
06
Strangers
CAPSULE: Melissa must come to terms with the problems she has over the age difference with Lee. Their relationship is paralleled by a new one…
07
Pilgrims
CAPSULE: Elliot reunites with his family, but Ethan is still full of anxiety which manifests itself as fear for his safety. Elliot moves back in…
08
The Burning Bush
CAPSULE: Ellyn takes steps toward starting an affair with Jeffrey Milgrom. Hope begins work on an environmental project. Ellyn and Hope's present-day relationship is compared…
09
New Parents
CAPSULE: Gary's decision to quit teaching and stay at home with his new baby causes a conflict between him and his mother. Gary and Susannah's…
10
Michael's Campaign
CAPSULE: Michael crosses swords with the creative director at DAA. Hope gets more involved with her environmental project. At DAA, Michael and Elliot attend a…
11
Pulling Away
CAPSULE: Michael is given more responsibility at DAA, causing friction between him and Elliot. Hope also has to take some responsibility with the anti-incinerator campaign.…
12
Another Country
CAPSULE: Just as her children's book is published, Nancy is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. On a typical madhouse morning at the Weston house, Nancy is…
13
Post-Op
CAPSULE: Nancy, family and friends deal with the aftermath of her cancer surgery. Nancy has come out of surgery and Elliot calls the Steadman house…
14
Once a Mermaid
CAPSULE: Ellyn restarts her affair with Richard, this time in earnest. Ellyn seems to be putting her flirtation with Jeffrey behind her, as she talks…
15
Fathers and Lovers
CAPSULE: Melissa has conflicts with Lee over finding him a new job and with her father over his plans to buy her building. At a…
16
Her Cup Runneth Over
CAPSULE: Richard leaves his wife and takes his daughter and moves in with Ellyn. This new instant family experiences some rough times right away. Richard…
17
Good Sex, Bad Sex, What Sex, No Sex
CAPSULE: Against the background of an examination of the characters' sex lives, Melissa and Lee break up. Melissa and Lee's sex life is going great…
18
The Other Shoe
CAPSULE: Nancy finds new support from another cancer patient, but their relationship threatens her closeness with her own family. Nancy has been receiving chemotherapy and…
19
The Three Year Itch
CAPSULE: While in Washington, DC about a possible job, Hope almost cheats on Michael with John Dunaway. While Michael has gotten a big raise almost…
20
I'm Nobody, Who Are You?
21
Arizona
CAPSULE: Michael and Hope's relationship is deteriorating as they gather to attend her parents' anniversary celebration. Hope informs Michael they need to attend her parents'…
22
Going Limp
CAPSULE: Elliot gets a chance to direct a public service announcement, but is he capable of doing the job? Ellyn comes to DAA with a…
23
Towers of Zenith Part 1: The Go-Between
CAPSULE: As Elliot grows more dissatisfied with DAA, Michael finds out something that could change everything about the company. Miles plans to take Michael to…
24
Towers of Zenith Part 2: Samurai Adman
CAPSULE: Michael's career is on the line as the hostile takeover attempt of DAA heats up. As Minnesota Brands plots its hostile takeover of DAA,…
SEASON 4
01
Prelude to a Bris
CAPSULE: The decision whether or not to circumcise the newborn Leo brings up larger questions: is he Jewish and what does that mean? Hope gives…
02
Life Class
CAPSULE: Nancy feels that the hysterectomy has adversely affected her sex drive. Shots of Nancy teaching a class at the art center are intercut with…
03
Control
CAPSULE: Melissa starts a fledgling relationship with Miles. Ellyn and Jeffrey look for a new apartment. Melissa gets a job photographing five notable Philadelphians for…
04
The Distance
CAPSULE: An offer of a new job for Susannah leads to her and Gary taking a bold and unexpected step in their relationship. Ellyn finds…
05
The Haunting of DAA
CAPSULE: Amidst a big company layoff, Michael is visited by a mystery man. It's Halloween time and Ethan is fighting with his mother. He wants…
06
The Guilty Party
CAPSULE: Hope tries to do it all, including throwing a surprise birthday party for Michael. Her relentless perfectionism might be rubbing off on Janey. Contractors…
07
Photo Opportunity
CAPSULE: Melissa gets a big photo assignment at the same time that her mother breaks her leg. Melissa is ecstatic about a job she's up…
08
Never Better
CAPSULE: The ""friends of friends"" Gary and Ellyn become closer, but it's Billy Sidel that Ellyn is really interested in. Ellyn haltingly tells her therapist…
09
Guns & Roses
CAPSULE: Nancy's continuing treatment for her cancer places more and more of a strain on her and her family. Nancy gets a phone call one…
10
Happy New Year
CAPSULE: Everyone gathers at the Steadman house for a New Year celebration. Gary and Melissa help Hope prepare for the night's New Year's Eve party.…
11
Melissa and Men
As she prepare for a gallery exhibit devoted to her work, Melissa examines her past relationships with the men in her life and wonders why…
12
Advanced Beginners
While Ellyn and Billy are living together temporarily, an old girlfriend of Billy's arrives upon the scene, causing some problems.
13
Sifting the Ashes
On a business trip to Baltimore, Elliot confronts issues with his mother and with his religious faith. Ethan too is wondering if religious faith can…
14
A Second Look
Amidst the celebration over the success of Nancy's cancer surgery, a terrible and unexpected tragedy strikes another member of the group.
15
Fighting the Cold
Susannah returns for Gary's funeral. Melissa is an emotional wreck in the aftermath. She and Susannah come to terms with each other.
16
The Difference Between Men and Women
Bachelor and bachelorette parties for Billy and Ellyn provide the backdrop for a look at the various couples' relationships with each other and their fideliity.
17
The Wedding
Ellyn and Billy get married. Predictably, all does not go smoothly, as Ellyn gets a bad case of pre-wedding jitters.
18
Closing the Circle
Michael tries to come to terms with Gary's passing. Among the living, he has problems with Susannah and with Miles and Peter at work.
19
Out the Door
Michael's fortunes seem to be rising at DAA, but Elliot is more dissatisfied than ever and is ready to quit the job, leading to conflict…
20
Hopeless
Hopr volunteers at a shelter for the homeless and gets personally involved in the life of a woman and her daughter there. She accuses Michael…
21
A Stop at Willoughby
The stress of working at DAA becomes too much for Michael.
22
Melissa in Wonderland
Melissa goes to Hollywood to photograph a sitcom star who comes to rely on her advice.
23
California
Michael gets a job offer in California. While out there, he runs into Elliot and they talk about forming another partnership. But Hope is adamantly…
SERIES INFO
4
Seasons
85
Episodes
60 min/ep
Per Episode
Ended
Status
CREW
Creator
Edward Zwick
Creator
Marshall Herskovitz
NETWORKS (1)
ABC
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is thirtysomething about?
Thirtysomething is an American television drama about a group of baby boomers in their late thirties. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for MGM/UA Television Group and The Bedford Falls Company, and aired on ABC. It premiered in the U.S. on September 29, 1987. It lasted four seasons, with the last of its 85 episodes airing on May 28, 1991.
The title of the show was designed as thirtysomething by Kathie Broyles, who combined the words of the original title, Thirty Something.
In 1997, "The Go Between" and "Samurai Ad Man" were ranked #22 on TV Guide′s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
In 2002, Thirtysomething was ranked #19 on TV Guide′s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #10 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.
Where can I watch thirtysomething?
thirtysomething is available on Rakuten TV, Hulu, Prime Video. Availability varies by region.
How many seasons does thirtysomething have?
thirtysomething has 4 seasons with 85 episodes total.
Who created thirtysomething?
thirtysomething was created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz.
Who stars in thirtysomething?
The cast of thirtysomething includes Ken Olin, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield, Patricia Wettig, Peter Horton.
What is the rating of thirtysomething?
thirtysomething has a rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 29 votes on TMDB.
Is thirtysomething still running?
thirtysomething has ended. The final episode aired on .
GENRES (1)
Drama
