Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

A Year in the Life

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1986
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
258
YOUR RATING
A Year in the Life (1986)
Drama

Miniseries that follows a family, one year after the death of the matriarch.Miniseries that follows a family, one year after the death of the matriarch.Miniseries that follows a family, one year after the death of the matriarch.

  • Creators
    • Joshua Brand
    • John Falsey
    • Stu Krieger
  • Stars
    • Richard Kiley
    • Trey Ames
    • Adam Arkin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.4/10
    258
    YOUR RATING
    • Creators
      • Joshua Brand
      • John Falsey
      • Stu Krieger
    • Stars
      • Richard Kiley
      • Trey Ames
      • Adam Arkin
    • 20User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations total

    Episodes3

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-ratedSeason1986

    Photos13

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 6
    View Poster

    Top cast39

    Edit
    Richard Kiley
    Richard Kiley
    • Joe Gardner
    • 1986
    Trey Ames
    • David Sisk
    • 1986
    Adam Arkin
    Adam Arkin
    • Jim Eisenberg
    • 1986
    Jayne Atkinson
    Jayne Atkinson
    • Lindley Gardner Eisenberg
    • 1986
    David Oliver
    David Oliver
    • Sam Gardner
    • 1986
    Sarah Jessica Parker
    Sarah Jessica Parker
    • Kay Erickson
    • 1986
    Amanda Peterson
    Amanda Peterson
    • Sunny Sisk
    • 1986
    Wendy Phillips
    Wendy Phillips
    • Anne Gardner Maxwell
    • 1986
    Morgan Stevens
    Morgan Stevens
    • Jack Gardner
    • 1986
    Scott Paulin
    Scott Paulin
    • Glenn Maxwell
    • 1986
    Eva Marie Saint
    Eva Marie Saint
    • Ruth Gardner
    • 1986
    Jennifer Cooke
    • Debbie Nesbit
    • 1986
    Daniel McDonald
    Daniel McDonald
    • Eric Castle
    • 1986
    Karen Landry
    Karen Landry
    • Roseanne
    • 1986
    Diana Muldaur
    Diana Muldaur
    • Dr. Alice Foley
    • 1986
    Doug Mears
    • Steve
    • 1986
    Pepe Serna
    Pepe Serna
    • Carlos
    • 1986
    Sab Shimono
    Sab Shimono
    • Kwan
    • 1986
    • Creators
      • Joshua Brand
      • John Falsey
      • Stu Krieger
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    8.4258
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    caosman023

    Help me find the series

    Anyone know where I can find the series to either buy or download please anyone who knows anything your help would be appreciated. have long sought this series please ask them to help me find whether to buy or download it does not matter or if you know where I can see it online please email luis_a_sanchez23@hotmail.com Communicate to your help as I said before will be accepted please contact as soon as possible if the purchase is outside the country there is no problem because I have visa card The series is Sarah Jessica Parker and calls year in the life please help me find. The series is Sarah Jessica Parker and calls year in the life please help me find
    10graynt1

    greatest mini series ever

    I remember watching this back in December of 1986 and I couldn't believe how great this mini series was. Richard Kiley was at his absolute best as the patriarch of a typical American family and we got to see Sarah Jessica Parker in one of her early roles. The ensemble acting was first rate. I recorded it on VHS,but lost the tapes about ten years later. I did happen to come across Sell.com, where they seem to have everything ever shown on television, of course bootlegged,but lets face it, not everything you want is commercially released. I got the mini series and the episodes that comprised the shows one year run from 1987 to 1988.

    To this day, "A Year in the Life" remains one of the greatest shows ever produced. It's too bad it was only on for a year.
    10mathmaster8386

    we loved it

    this show was the best!! My wife and i loved it! Why do they cancel excellent shows like this ? We remember waiting all week for the show. I think it was a series after the initial mini- series. Maybe some time in 1987. Sarah Jessica Parker was great as a free spirited woman, opposite "sam" , her conservative husband ( or was it boyfriend). The father , Richard Kiley, did his best to keep the family together through a series of real -life (or so it seemed) situations. I remember he met a woman while bike riding and they met for coffee.. Then a romance began. It was the woman who played Roz Shays on LA LAW. The show was wholesome, sad, and funny, all at the same time.. They should bring it back as a one time movie or mini series. It seems like many people remember it fondly!!
    10nonfiction18

    Re-run or remake

    This started out as a mini-series and then ran as a regular series for a short time. I would like to see it again in either reruns, or it should be remade. As I recall, much of the music that was a part of each episode was popular at the time, so that may be one of the reasons why we do not see it in reruns. Never-the-less, the storyline was very good and the cast of characters were a good blend. Fans of Sarah Jessica Parker would enjoy seeing her in her role as a free-spirited young woman involved with a rather conservative young man. If it is being shown as a re-run somewhere, please tell me when and where. Thank you.
    10julieredcarpet

    Best Made for Television Mini Series

    I loved this movie and was thrilled when it was made into a series. It didn't last more than one season. I can remember watching the movie during Thanksgiving break from college. I was hooked. I loved Sarah Jessica Parker's "Kay" and her romance with Sam. I would LOVE a copy of this movie and any of the subsequent television episodes. Even though it's been over 20 years (I can't believe that), I can still remember some of the most minute details of this amazing show. Acting was excellent, plots were relevant to the times, and the music used was perfect. I'm sure if it were on today they'd sell, "A Year in the Life" soundtracks similar to Grey's Anatomy. I was so sad to see that David Oliver (Sam) died several years ago. I really loved his character. Trey Ames was great as young David and I liked Adam Arkin's character and his wife, Jayne Atkinson. Great, great show. Came on same year as Thirtysomething and I think was overshadowed by the hype of that show.

    More like this

    A Year in the Life
    8.4
    A Year in the Life
    The Room Upstairs
    5.6
    The Room Upstairs
    I'll Fly Away
    8.6
    I'll Fly Away
    Listen to Me
    5.3
    Listen to Me
    Going to Extremes
    8.3
    Going to Extremes
    Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story
    6.0
    Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story
    Miami Rhapsody
    5.4
    Miami Rhapsody
    Equal Justice
    6.2
    Equal Justice
    Sherwood's Travels
    6.3
    Sherwood's Travels
    My Body, My Child
    6.3
    My Body, My Child
    Somewhere, Tomorrow
    5.9
    Somewhere, Tomorrow
    Spinning Into Butter
    4.4
    Spinning Into Butter

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Troubled married couple Anne and Glenn are played by real life married couple Wendy Phillips and Scott Paulin.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 39th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1987)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ18

    • How many seasons does A Year in the Life have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 15, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ein Schicksalsjahr
    • Filming locations
      • Edmonds, Washington, USA
    • Production companies
      • Falahey/Austin Street Productions
      • Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    A Year in the Life (1986)
    Top Gap
    By what name was A Year in the Life (1986) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit pageAdd episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.