Remembering "Brooklyn Bridge" (1991)

Of all the great TV shows set in NYC, one of the best but most forgotten is the early 1990s show Brooklyn Bridge. It was one of those shows with smart writing, great acting but little seen -- yet those who did see it, loved it.

Set in the mid-1950s in Brooklyn, the show concerns a Jewish family trying to make their way up the socio-economic ladder in post-war NYC. It was a show about strivers, about trying to grow beyond your roots, about trying to "make it" while also not forgetting where you came from and who helped you along the way. 

The show was created by Gary David Goldberg who, in the 1980s, had great success with the show Family Ties that made Michael J. Fox a big star. Brooklyn Bridge was based on Goldberg's childhood, and it received great reviews and award nominations -- and also low ratings. 

The show had a short run, from 1991 to 1993, but it was remembered long afterwards for its quality. One of its episodes, "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", was rated as one of the best episodes of television ever made. 

I remember when this show was on the air but I didn't watch it every week. I do recall one episode when the the teenage boy on the show, named Alvin, gets accepted by Bronx Science. He wants to go but his parents are worried about the very long subway ride he'd have every day from Brooklyn if he went. I remember thinking that this was a show that really got NYC -- the legnth of the commute is the kind of thing that makes people in this city think hard about what schools they want to send their kids too. My mom's dad didn't want her going to a prestigious school in Manhattan because of the commute -- a decision she always regretted.

Anyway, you can find a lot of episodes of Brooklyn Bridge on YouTube. I strongly suggest watching this nostalgic show that is itself a piece of nostalgia.

Sidenote: Alvin was played by a kid named Danny Gerard. A couple of years before Brooklyn Bridge I remember seeing him on stage in Les Miserables as Gavoroch. He was really talented and I don't know why he didn't go on to a big career as an adult. But he's really good in Brooklyn Bridge.