''A Year in the Life'' is an American dramatic series that ran on

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from September 16, 1987 to April 13, 1988, during the 1987–1988 television season, created by Joshua Brand and

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. The series began as a three-part miniseries which was first broadcast in December 1986. As suggested by the title, the miniseries followed the various members of the Gardner family of

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during the course of one year. The major event of that year was the sudden and unexpected death of wife and mother Ruth Gardner (

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). Following the success of the miniseries, NBC decided to launch a one-hour drama series the following fall.

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played Joe Gardner, owner of a successful plastics business and father of four adult children. The children were twice-divorced daughter Anne (

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), who had returned home with her two teenaged children; daughter Lindley (

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) and husband Jim (

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), 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).

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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. 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.

Cast

as Joe Gardner *

as Ruth Gardner (although the family matriarch, she only appears in the first episode of the miniseries) *

as Anne Gardner Maxwell *

as Lindley Gardner Eisenberg *

as Jim Eisenberg * Morgan Stevens as Jack Gardner * David Oliver as Sam Gardner * Sarah Jessica Parker as Kay Ericson Gardner *

as Dr. Alice Foley * Amanda Peterson as Sunny Sisk * Trey Ames as David Sisk

Episodes

Miniseries (1986)

Series

References

External links

* * 1987 American television series debuts 1988 American television series endings 1980s American television miniseries 1980s American drama television series NBC original programming Television shows set in Seattle Television series by Universal Television Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries winners English-language television shows Television series created by Joshua Brand Television series created by John Falsey {{US-drama-tv-prog-stub