Adam Arkin

A Year in the Life is a 1986 Emmy Award–winning miniseries and a one-hour dramatic series that ran on NBC during the 1987–1988 television season, created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey.

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 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.

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, who had returned home with her two teenaged children; daughter Lindley and husband Jim, parents of a newborn baby daughter; black sheep son Jack; and conservative youngest son Sam, married to free-spirited Kay. Diana Muldaur was a later addition to the cast as Dr. Alice Foley, Joe Gardner’s new romantic interest. Trey Ames played Joe Gardner’s grandson, David Sisk.