RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

benbrattlover Growing up I used to watch this show, nearly every Sunday night. I still remember trying to finish up last-minute stuff, have my shower and get ready for school the next day in time to watch "Life Goes On" (and on many occasions, "America's Funniest Home Videos" after that) Often I would be running late, and would watch "Life Goes On" in my parents bedroom, practically still dripping wet, wearing a bathrobe, with my hair wrapped up turban-style in a towel to air-dry as my dad ironed his work clothes, and I watched the show.I have LOVED "Life Goes On" for its entire run! It is a poignant and touching family drama, starring Bill Smitrovich and Patti LuPone as "Drew" (Smitrovich) and "Libby" (LuPone) Thatcher, a middle working-class couple, who are dealing with the issue of "mainstreaming" their 18 year old son, Charles "Corky" who has Downs Syndrome into a regular, public high school as a freshman, and all the challenges and trials, tribulations, and triumphs that go along with it.Drew and Libby have their hands full, raising Corky and their 2 other children, twenty-something Paige (Monique Lanier in Season 1, Tracey Needham in Season 2-4) who is Drew's child from a previous marriage, and 14 or 15 year old Rebecca "Becca" while trying to make ends meet on Drew's construction worker salary, and Libby's income as a secretary/clerical worker in an advertising agency.Towards the end of the first season, Drew buys a diner, and quits his back-breaking construction work to run the restaurant, and things start looking up for the Thatchers.Growing up I LOVED watching "Life Goes On", especially because of Kellie Martin, and Monique Lanier. Though I liked Tracey Needham, I was IMMENSELY disappointed when Monique left, and the role of Paige was recast with Tracey. Because up until then, I LOVED Paige best, and then Becca. After Monique left and Tracey assumed the role, it changed and I LOVED Becca best.This is a BEAUTIFUL series, and one of the many nostalgic highlights of my childhood and adolescence.When I think of my childhood and preteen years, I think of shows like "Punky Brewster", "Life Goes On", "Perfect Strangers", "Who's the Boss?", "Head of the Class" and many more! But "Life Goes On" (and a few very select others), had and still does have a very special place in my heart! I CAN'T WAIT until the other 3 seasons are released on DVD! BRING ON SEASONS 2, 3 & 4!!!!!!!!!

taffy Life Goes On was pretty much about just that...LIFE. Whoever cast the show did one whale of a job. The Thatchers are a blended family, which includes him (Bill Smitrovich) and her (Patti Lupone), his daughter and their son and daughter. But the Thatchers aren't Ozzie & Harriett or Father Knows Best, they live in the real world and their son, Corky (brillantly portrayed by Chris Burke) has Downs Syndrome. They are torn between protecting Corky and giving him the opportunity to mainstream and live a real life. Unfortunately, the writers weren't up to the task after the first season and started straying from what I thought was a brilliant concept. They turned a first rate series into a soap opera in prime time taking the story line into the life's tragedies (fatal car crashes and HIV), instead of keeping the focus on the day-to-day struggles of raising a family while dealing with a child who is challenged and the effects on each family member as Life Goes On.But with its shortcomings, it is still better than 99% of what is being offered viewers now. Wish it were still on the air. But, unfortunately, as has been their history, ABC can't deal with a winning series.

jakedamstra I couldn't wait to see this show every week. It was one of those things I was looking forward to every day of the week. If I had a bad day, I thought about the fact that the show would be coming on and my day would be better. A series that would make you laugh and cry, depending on the episode. Corky was my hero !!! The fact that he dealt with life the way he dealt with should be an example for everyone. You think you got a bad day ? Put yourself in Corky's shoes. Or his family's for that matter. Not too mention the fact I had a bit of a crush on Kellie Martin...... This is definitely one of those groundbreaking shows that I would watch again. We can all learn from this.

app354 "Life Goes On" focused on the daily life of the Thatcher family, particularly Corky (Chris Burke), a young man with Down's Syndrome. When the show began in 1989, 18-year-old Corky was mainstreamed into a normal high school as a freshman, which meant that he was in the same grade as his younger sister Becca (Kellie Martin). At first, Becca was embarrassed about the idea of going to school with her brother, but eventually she accepted him as a fellow high school student (and served as his primary source of emotional support during school). As a developmentally disabled person trying to function in a difficult world, Corky dealt with many struggles and hardships. The show was not all about Corky, of course: viewers also saw the other members of the Thatcher family face their own problems.In my mind, the most impressive thing about Corky was his optimistic view of life, as well as his perseverance. No matter how many obstacles or drawbacks he faced, Corky always bounced back with a positive attitude. Chris Burke was very realistic in his portrayal of Corky, of course (since Burke actually has Down's Syndrome), but he also made the character very charming and likeable. There was another young person on the show (other than Burke) who showed a lot of promise from the very beginning: Kellie Martin. Even though she was only 13 when the series began, Martin immediately displayed a natural talent for acting. As the character Becca became more confident and mature, Kellie developed into an actress seemingly capable of taking on any dramatic role. After four years, ABC canceled "Life Goes On" in 1993. The Family Channel and PAX both reran the series, but unfortunately it is not currently on cable. I would love to see reruns of this great show again, particularly on a network like ABC Family (which is the successor to the Family Channel). Also, I think the talented Kellie Martin should star on another TV series, especially since she has not done much acting over the past couple of years (since her two-year stint on "ER" ended in 2000).