Winner 1988

thirtysomething

ABC Television, Bedford Falls Company, in association with MGM/UA Television

Two or three times each decade, series television transcends formula and routine and enters the realm of real dramatic art. Previous Peabody Award winners that fit this description include L.A. Law, St. Elsewhere and Hill Street Blues. This year, the Peabody Board is pleased to add to the list the engaging and thought-provoking thirty something. Blessed with an outstanding ensemble cast, including Ken Olin, Polly Draper, Patricia Wettig, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield, Peter Horton and Melanie Mayron, executive producers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick have created a series in which excellence seems almost routine. thirtysomething reveals the joy and anxiety of contemporary life without being maudlin, preachy or, worst of all, obvious. Each frame, scene and episode is imbued with integrity and naturalism. For capturing contemporary social life in intelligent and inventive ways, and for doing so on a weekly basis, a Peabody Award to thirty something.