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

• Richard Kiley as Joe Gardner
• Eva Marie Saint as Ruth Gardner (although the family matriarch, she only appears in the first episode of the miniseries)
• Wendy Phillips as Anne Gardner Maxwell
• Jayne Atkinson as Lindley Gardner Eisenberg
• Adam Arkin as Jim Eisenberg
• Morgan Stevens as Jack Gardner
• David Oliver as Sam Gardner
• Sarah Jessica Parker as Kay Ericson Gardner
• Diana Muldaur as Dr. Alice Foley
• Amanda Peterson as Sunny Sisk
• Trey Ames as David Sisk

Episodes

Miniseries (1986)

Series