That's Life (2000 TV series)

Last updated
That's Life
Genre Comedy drama
Created by Diane Ruggiero
Starring
Composer Jay Gruska
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes36 (4 unaired)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Peter Dunne
  • W. Mark McNair
  • Peter Woronov
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseOctober 1, 2000 (2000-10-01) 
January 26, 2002 (2002-01-26)

That's Life is an American comedy-drama television series created by Diane Ruggiero, that was broadcast on CBS from October 1, 2000 to January 26, 2002.

Contents

Synopsis

The hour-long series follows the life of a young Italian-American woman (Lydia DeLucca, played by Heather Paige Kent), loosely based on Ms. Ruggiero's life, and her family in suburban New Jersey. The show was set in fictional Bellefield, ostensibly a play on the combination of Belleville and Bloomfield, two adjacent older working class suburbs on the north side of Newark, New Jersey.

In the first season, Frank DeLucca works as a toll collector on the New Jersey Turnpike, while Dolly is a housewife. In the second season, Frank retires after suffering a heart attack on the job, and he and Dolly open a restaurant. Kevin Dillon played Paulie, Lydia's younger brother who was a young officer on the Bellefield Police Department who still lived at home. Debi Mazar played Jackie, Lydia's wise-cracking friend who owned a hair salon. The show mixed family situations with situations focusing on Lydia's life as a young single woman looking for both love and stable career, and for more out of life than simply raising children.

The first season revolved around the fallout from Lydia's breaking off her engagement to Lou (Sonny Marinelli, who was written out after a few episodes), enrolling at a local university somewhat resembling nearby Montclair State University, and moving away from home for the first time. Most of the situations were light-hearted, but plots occasionally delved into darker subjects, including Paulie's struggle to resist the temptation to fall into corruption as a police officer. In the second season, Lydia finally selects a major to pursue a career in sports medicine. Her mother Dolly successfully ran for city council of Bellefield. Paulie started dating Plum (Danielle Harris), a classmate whom Lydia befriends in the first season, and marries her.

The show developed a small fan base and received generally positive critical response, but languished in the ratings, despite the presence of well-known names in its cast, in part because it aired during the Friday night death slot for much of its run. It was cancelled at the end of the second season with numerous unresolved plot lines, including the budding romance between Lydia and one of her professors.

Cast

Episodes

Season 1 (2000–01)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Pilot"Mick Jackson Diane Ruggiero October 1, 2000 (2000-10-01)
22"The Screw-Up"Jim FrawleyDiane RuggieroOctober 7, 2000 (2000-10-07)
33"Whadda You Want from Life"UnknownUnknownOctober 14, 2000 (2000-10-14)
44"He's Very Heavy, He's My Brother"Rob ThompsonStory by: Anne McGrail
Teleplay by: Bill Grundfest & Diane Ruggiero
October 21, 2000 (2000-10-21)
55"Bad Hair Week"Jack BenderAnne McGrailOctober 28, 2000 (2000-10-28)
66"The Tell-Tale Uterus"David SemelAnne McGrailNovember 4, 2000 (2000-11-04)
77"Lydia and the Professor"Christopher MongerBill GrundfestNovember 11, 2000 (2000-11-11)
88"The Tutor"UnknownUnknownNovember 18, 2000 (2000-11-18)
99"Saint Bernadette"UnknownUnknownNovember 25, 2000 (2000-11-25)
1010"When Good Ideas Go Bad"UnknownUnknownDecember 16, 2000 (2000-12-16)
1111"Photographs"Paul SorvinoDiane RuggieroJanuary 6, 2001 (2001-01-06)
1212"Nomads"UnknownUnknownJanuary 13, 2001 (2001-01-13)
1313"Heart Problems"UnknownUnknownJanuary 20, 2001 (2001-01-20)
1414"Touched by a Biker"UnknownUnknownFebruary 3, 2001 (2001-02-03)
1515"Mr. Wrong"UnknownUnknownFebruary 10, 2001 (2001-02-10)
1616"Or What's a Heaven For?"UnknownUnknownFebruary 17, 2001 (2001-02-17)
1717"Banister Head"UnknownUnknownFebruary 24, 2001 (2001-02-24)
1818"Miracle at the Cucina"UnknownUnknownMarch 10, 2001 (2001-03-10)
1919"No Good Deed"UnknownUnknownApril 7, 2001 (2001-04-07)

Season 2 (2001–02)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
201"Larva"Michael Switzer Diane Ruggiero September 28, 2001 (2001-09-28)
212"Something Battered, Something Blue"Joanna KernsJames StanleyOctober 5, 2001 (2001-10-05)
223"The Devil and Miss DeLucca"Michael SwitzerAnne McGrailOctober 12, 2001 (2001-10-12)
234"M.Y.O.B."UnknownUnknownOctober 19, 2001 (2001-10-19)
245"Bad Chemistry"UnknownUnknownOctober 26, 2001 (2001-10-26)
256"Boo!"UnknownUnknownNovember 2, 2001 (2001-11-02)
267"Plus One"UnknownUnknownNovember 9, 2001 (2001-11-09)
278"Idiots"UnknownUnknownNovember 16, 2001 (2001-11-16)
289"Oh, Baby"UnknownUnknownDecember 7, 2001 (2001-12-07)
2910"Sex in the Suburbs"UnknownUnknownDecember 21, 2001 (2001-12-21)
3011"All About Lydia"UnknownUnknownJanuary 11, 2002 (2002-01-11)
3112"What's Family Got to Do With It?"UnknownUnknownJanuary 12, 2002 (2002-01-12)
3213"Momento"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 2002 (2002-01-26)
3314"Behind Closed Doors"TBDTBDUNAIRED
3415"Love's Labor"TBDTBDUNAIRED
3516"Baum's Thesis"TBDTBDUNAIRED
3617"Gutterball"TBDTBDUNAIRED

TV ratings

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult
2001 Artios Award Best Casting for TV, Dramatic PilotMary V. Buck and Susan EdelmanNominated
2002 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television – Music, Episodic Live ActionLisa A. Arpino
(for episode "Touched by a Biker")
Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debi Mazar</span> American actress

Deborah Anne Mazar Corcos is an American actress and television personality who plays sharp-tongued women. She began her career with supporting roles in Goodfellas (1990), Little Man Tate (1991) and Singles (1992), followed by lead roles on the legal drama series Civil Wars and L.A. Law. She portrayed press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage. She also starred as Maggie Amato on TV Land's longest running original series, Younger, and alongside her husband Gabriele Corcos in the Cooking Channel series Extra Virgin.

<i>Jungle Fever</i> 1991 film by Spike Lee

Jungle Fever is a 1991 American romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee. Starring Lee, Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro, Frank Vincent, Tim Robbins, Brad Dourif, Giancarlo Esposito, Debi Mazar, Michael Imperioli, Anthony Quinn, and Halle Berry and Queen Latifah in their film debuts, Jungle Fever explores the beginning and end of an extramarital interracial relationship against the urban backdrop of the streets of New York City in the early 1990s. The film received positive reviews, with particular praise for Samuel L. Jackson's performance, and was also commercially successful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Soprano</span> Fictional character on television series The Sopranos

Anthony John Soprano Sr. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO crime drama television series The Sopranos, and portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the Italian-American Mafia and, especially later in the series, acts as the boss of the fictional North Jersey DiMeo crime family. Usually referred to as Tony, the character was conceived by Sopranos creator and showrunner David Chase, who was also largely responsible for the character's story arc throughout the show's six seasons. Gandolfini was ultimately cast in the role ahead of several other actors including Steven Van Zandt and Michael Rispoli. The character is loosely based on stories from and about an assortment of La Cosa Nostra figures and especially on real-life New Jersey mobsters Ruggerio "Richie the Boot" Boiardo, boss of the North Jersey Genovese crime family, and Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, a former caporegime and de facto boss of the DeCavalcante crime family. Bobby Boriello and Mark Damiano II portrayed Tony Soprano as a child in one episode each, Danny Petrillo played the character as a teenager in three episodes, and James Gandolfini's son Michael Gandolfini portrayed a younger version of the character in the 2021 prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvio Dante</span> Fictional character on the television series The Sopranos

Silvio Manfred Dante is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos, portrayed by Steven Van Zandt. He is the consigliere and right-hand man to Tony Soprano in the DiMeo crime family. John Magaro portrays a young Silvio Dante in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Dubrow</span> American actress and reality television star

Heather Paige Dubrow is an American actress and television personality. She is best known as a cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County, starring in seven seasons since her introduction in 2012. Her acting credits include her portrayal of Lydia DeLucca on the CBS television series That's Life from 2000 through 2002.

"Pine Barrens" is an episode of the HBO series The Sopranos; it is the 11th of the show's third season and the 37th overall. The teleplay was written by Terence Winter from a story idea by Winter and Tim Van Patten. It was the first of four episodes for the series directed by Steve Buscemi and originally aired on May 6, 2001. The episode has been widely praised.

"Unidentified Black Males" is the 61st episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the ninth of the show's fifth season. Written by Matthew Weiner and Terence Winter, and directed by Tim Van Patten, it originally aired on May 2, 2004.

"Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood" is the 27th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the first of the show's third season. It was written by David Chase and directed by Allen Coulter, and originally aired on March 4, 2001.

"In Camelot" is the 59th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the seventh of the show's fifth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Steve Buscemi, it originally aired on April 18, 2004.

"The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" is the eighth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It was written by David Chase and Frank Renzulli, directed by Tim Van Patten and originally aired on February 28, 1999.

"Fortunate Son" is the 29th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the third of the show's third season. It was written by Todd A. Kessler and directed by Henry J. Bronchtein, and originally aired on March 11, 2001.

"Army of One" is the 39th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the finale of the show's third season. It was written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner, and directed by John Patterson, and originally aired on May 20, 2001.

"Toodle-Fucking-Oo" is the sixteenth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the third of the show's second season. It was written by Frank Renzulli, directed by Lee Tamahori, and originally aired on January 30, 2000.

"I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" is the 13th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the finale of the show's first season. Written by David Chase and directed by John Patterson, it originally aired on April 4, 1999.

"No-Show" is the 41st episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos and the second episode of the show's fourth season. Written by David Chase and Terence Winter, it was directed by John Patterson and originally aired on September 22, 2002.

"Moe n' Joe" is the 75th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the 10th of the show's sixth season. Written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Steve Shill, it originally aired on May 14, 2006.

"Remember When" is the 80th episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos, the third episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, and the 15th episode of the season overall. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Phil Abraham, it originally aired on April 22, 2007, and was watched by 6.85 million viewers on its premiere.

"Kennedy and Heidi" is the 83rd episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos, the sixth episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, and the 18th episode of the season overall. Written by Matthew Weiner and series creator and showrunner David Chase and directed by Alan Taylor, it premiered in the United States on May 13, 2007.

<i>Witness to the Mob</i> American TV series or program

Witness to the Mob is a television film which premiered on Sunday, May 10, and concluded on Monday, May 11, 1998.

References

  1. "How did your favorite show rate?". USA Today. May 28, 2002.