Life Goes On

1 9 8 9 – 1 9 9 3 (USA)
83 x 60 minute episodes

Chicago restaurant owner Drew Thacher (Bill Smitrovich), his wife former singer Libby (Patti LuPone), daughter Becca (Kellie Martin), and Drew’s daughter Paige (Monique Lanier) all coped with life with Corky (Christopher Burke) – a Down syndrome son.

Corky experienced all the same problems so-called ‘normal’ male adolescents faced, such as problems at school, trouble with girls, and self-esteem issues.

Corky’s father was a former construction worker who had opened a restaurant, and his mother was a former advertising executive who had given birth to Corky at the age of 40.

Her son was born with Down syndrome and Libby always felt guilty about having a child at such an advanced age.

After years of special education classes, Corky finally made it to high school at the age of 18 and found himself in the same ninth grade class as his gifted (but socially awkward) younger sister Becca. Corky eventually got a job as an usher at a local cinema.

He later found a girlfriend, Amanda Swanson (Andrea Friedman), who also had Down syndrome. The couple eloped and had married by the series’ end.

The show’s theme song, The Beatles‘ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, was sung by the cast during the opening credits.

The Thatchers’ family dog was called Arnold – “the Semi-Wonder Dog”.

Andrew ‘Drew’ Thatcher
Bill Smitrovich
Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Thatcher
Patti LuPone
Charles ‘Corky’ Thatcher
Chris Burke
Rebecca ‘Becca’ Thatcher
Kellie Martin
Paige Thatcher
Monique Lanier (1)
Tracey Needham (2)
Jesse McKenna
Chad Lowe
Tyler Benchfield
Tommy Puett
Amanda Swanson
Andrea Friedman