Thirtysomething

Thirtysomething is a television drama series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991. It details the lives of seven friends in their 30s - former Sixties counterculture types turned Bourgeois Bohemians - living in suburban Philadelphia.

The main characters are:

 * Michael Steadman - An advertising executive.
 * Hope Steadman - Michael's wife, a freelance journalist raising their newborn daughter, Janey.
 * Elliot Weston - Michael's advertising partner, who, at the beginning of hte series, is having marital problems after an affair with a co-worker.
 * Nancy Weston - Elliot's wife, an aspiring artist raising their two children, Ethan and Brittany. Nancy battled ovarian cancer during the last two seasons.
 * Melissa Steadman - Michael's photographer cousin.
 * Gary Shepherd - An English professor who was Michael's best friend. Gary tragically dies in a car accident a few episodes into the final season.
 * Ellyn Warren - Hope's girlhood friend, a career woman.
 * Miles Drentell - Michael and Elliot's Bad Boss, who employed them once their ad agency went bankrupt.
 * Susannah Hart - Gary's girlfriend and later wife, who eventually bore him a daughter, Emma.

Not to be confused with the Hugh Laurie Britcom Fortysomething.

This show provides one or more examples of:

 * All Lowercase Letters: Officially, the show's title is thirtysomething.
 * Directed by Cast Member: Arguably the biggest example of this trope without Star Trek in the title (just about the only non-child regulars who didn't direct episodes were Polly Draper and Patricia Wettig) - there were so many episodes that one episode was even about Elliot's directing debut! Well, they say you should write about what you know...
 * Loads and Loads of Characters