The first three+ seasons were superb for this thinking-person's soap opera. There were little touches and broad character strokes that really saved the rest of the show from turning into so much superficial pap. John's singing career was hysterical. The whole Teddy/Simon/Falconer love triangle was pretty good too, better than most that I've seen. Plus, the duo of Ashley Judd and Heather McAdam as daughters was just devastating.
Sadly, this show fell victim to poor dialogue that became as overwritten as many commercials, and to ridiculous plotlines that had less and less to do with the characters and more to do with what the writers thought would make good soapbox topics. Overall, it has a mixed legacy, but it didn't leave a good impression when it left. And that's a shame, because for a while it was one of the best dramas on TV. It was clearly the torchbearer for "thirtysomething" until "Once and Again" came along, but it was soapier and more fun. Unfortunately, it just didn't go anywhere interesting.
