TV series
Obladi, oblada, life goes on, brah, lala, how the life goes on.
Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989, to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thatcher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky. Life Goes On was the first television series to have a major character with Down syndrome.
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Checked Jul 22, 2026
Life Goes On premiered September 12, 1989. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989, to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thatcher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky. Life Goes On was the first television series to have a major character with Down syndrome.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
The Thatcher's toast a third season by reopening their renovated grill, but their dreams go up in smoke. Corky is given more responsibility at the grill, specifically, cooking french fries. When they close one evening, he turns the fryers off, or so he thinkd, but in actuality, he turned the fryers up as high as they go, which was the cause of the fire. He finally tells Drew that he was the cause of the fire at the end of the episode.
Directed by Michael Lange
Episode 2
The Thatcher's rise from the ashes of the restaurant: exchange student Becca prepares to take wings for Paris; Paige and Corky go hunting for jobs.
Where to watch Life Goes OnEpisode 3
Corky is nearly swamped when he tries to help Tyler's younger brother, who also has Down Syndrome, mainstream at Marshall High.
Where to watch Life Goes OnEpisode 4
New roles with Libby as the primary bread-winner and Drew as the homemaker, create new friction in their marriage.
Directed by Michael LangeGuest stars Judith Marie-Bergan, Rusty Schwimmer, Alan Blumenfeld
Episode 5
At 16, Becca retains her innocence-but maybe not for long. Throughout this episode Becca records herself and her birthday party on camcorder for Maxi, who is in Paris. When Corky buys Becca a great looking jacket for her birthday, it is with the new-found power of a checking account. Unfortunately, some bad kids at school find out that Corky has checks and fool him into giving them a $100 check to join the fictitional ""Plebian Club"". At the end, Becca is in front of the camcorder again with a robe on, then opens it to reveal her negligee ( which Maxi sent her as a birthday gift), asking, ""Is this hot or what?""
Directed by Michael LangeGuest stars Terri Ivens
Episode 6
Becca is devastated to learn that Jesse has tested HIV-positive, and during a scuffle between him and Tyler, she blurts out in front of everyone that he has AIDS.
Directed by Larry ShawGuest stars Emily Kuroda, Terri Ivens, Lin Shaye
Episode 7
Libby's vivacious cousin Gaby ( also played by Patti Lupone) breezes in from Sicily like a whirlwind, touching everyone's lives-and turning Libby green with envy.
Where to watch Life Goes OnEpisode 8
Corky imagines that his family is turning into Venusians after seeing a B-movie called ""Body Snatchers From Venus"". At this time, Paige is learning to be a welder (in Corky's nightmare, she builds a spaceship.)Paige and Becca have a falling out over a malfunctioning answering machine ( in his nightmare, this machine is a LONG- distance communicator).Drew is trying to go on a new diet-and-exercise regimen (when he says to a friend that some new exercise machine ""will make you a new man"", Corky freaks). Becca is appling for college ( the Illinois State University representative calls and says he wants to make Becca ""one of us"", which Corky overhears). After noting that Venusians don't like dairy products or other abnt-acidic material, Corky attacks the family with baking soda and milk.
Directed by Michael NankinGuest stars Jeffrey Combs
Episode 9
The thatcher household is burglarized. Suspicions center on an Africa-American welder named Marquis ( another aquaintance of Paige's, he taught her how to weld.) Drew and Libby debate over whether having a gun is the best thing to do. Corky and Arnold are alone watching (what else, a cop show) when Corky hears sounds from outside. He gets the gun, goes outside in that sneaky cop fashion (emulating the show) and fires. Turns out Marquis was returning something, and the family realizes how much they overreacted.
Directed by David CarsonGuest stars Steve Rankin
Episode 10
Corky takes a tumble for the new assistant manager; Becca is torn between Tyler and Jesse: Tyler says that he isn't over her; Becca can't break the news to him because deep inside, she wants to commit to Jesse. Becca helps Jesse search for the girl who infected him with HIV; when they come to the house where she lived, Becca learns that the girl has already died. Becca reveals how she feels about Jesse to him during a very low point in the cemetary.
Guest stars Megan Gallivan
Episode 11
Christmas brings anxieties to all, but most of all to Becca, who fears the worst when Jesse is hospitalized with pneumocystis pneumonia.
Directed by Michael LangeGuest stars Andy Berman
Episode 12
The thatcher house is struck by lightening. As a result, Corky predicts the future, Arnold the semi-wonder dog runs away, Becca gets a major static problem in her hair, Drew becomes attracted to another woman, and Paige enchants the boss's son, Kenny Stollmark Jr. Nothing returns to normal until lightening strikes the house again.
Directed by Larry ShawGuest stars Alan Blumenfeld
Episode 13
Jerry's dad shows up at the ad agency, and starts pushing Jerry around, so Jerry quits and starts to help ""run"" the grill, much to Drew's annoyance. Drew has decided that Corky and he should be closer and that Corky should inherit the grill, so he asks him to work with him at the grill. Corky quits his job at the theatre and helps his dad out. During a converstion with Jerry, Jerry tells him to lead his own life and stop letting his dad make his decisions, a reflection on Jerry's own situation. Corky quits the grill, but finds that his job at the theatre has been given to another guy (a real jerk). Drew persuades the theatre owner to let Corky be the apprentice projectionist. Meanwhile, Jerry's dad dies and Jerry and Corky go to the funeral. Jerry loses his keys in the snow and breaks down in tears. Corky comforts him.
Where to watch Life Goes OnEpisode 14
Becca, Libby, and Paige have entered the ""man zone"". They tear down a wall in the Thatcher house to reveal another room, which is then redone (mainly by Paige) to be baby Nick's new room. Momentos from the old room lead to flashback-type scenes that reveal the changing roles of women in American society: Jesse and Becca as 60's hippies, Libby becoming a 50's Avon lady (with the Thatcher's as a 50's family), et al. Libby decides to leave Jerry's advertising firm to deal full-time with Nick. Paige discovers her true calling after finishing Nick's room-- she also wants to be a builder.
Directed by Michael Lange
Episode 15
It's just a graffiti-covered wall that the students are ordered to repaint, but it becomes a symbol of the future for Jesse, who's awaiting his medical test results. Meanwhile Corky feels that finders should be keepers when he finds an abandoned baby in the theatre.
Directed by Michael LangeGuest stars Liz Georges, Carol Locatell
Episode 16
Jesse gets hired to work as a waiter at Drew's place, but declining patronage forces Drew to let him go. They become real close because they share a love of the blues, so Jesse is upset when Drew tells him of his decision. In the end, Drew offers the job again, but Jesse declines.
Directed by Michael Nankin
Episode 17
Libby writes a fairy tale about Corky, and Corky enters it in a contest. Libby then gets an offer to get it printed as a children's book, but in a rewritten form. Libby turns down the offer, staying true to the story which has so much to do with Corky. (Becca doesn't like this because she would have wanted the money for college.) At the beginning of each act in this episode there is fancy narration and illustration which fades into the scene in "" real life"". There was also a subplot with Paige, Michael and Kenny.
Directed by Michael LangeGuest stars Wallace Langham
Episode 18
Inspired by her grandparents' upcoming 50th wedding anniversary, Becca proposes to Jesse, and he agrees! But then they think twice. Part of the problem with Jesse and Becca is that one of the guys at the hospice is about to die from AIDS. This guy doesn't want to have any thing to do with his wife- doesn't want her to see him in the pain he's in, etc. Jesse does the same thing to Becca and breaks things off completely, saying she doesn't know what she's in for, and she should live a normal life. The man dies and Jesse talks to his wife, who makes him realize that maybe Becca can handle this. Becca is also worried about handling it, but Libby tells her about finding the strength to raise Corky. They get back together, but marriage is put off. Subplot: Kenny wants Paige to marry him, but Paige isn't so sure. What's more, a remark he makes about Corky ticks her off. Michael acts as psychiatric help.
Where to watch Life Goes OnEpisode 19
Romance blossoms between Corky and a girl with Down Syndrome (palyed by Andrea Friedman who has Down's), but it's nipped in the bud by her parents. Corky and Amanda first meet when Drew runs his truck into the back of Amanda's car. Meanwhile, Jerry sponsors Becca in a need-based scholarship contest, and Becca doesn't now it's need-based until the day before a banquet she's supposed to speak at.
Where to watch Life Goes OnEpisode 20
Drew and Libby leave the kids to watch over the house. Becca and Jesse decide to have a party there. Then Tyler and some college frat buttheads crash it and take over the house. Meanwhile Michael Romanov, a suitor of Paige's ( they met at that Steelworks where Paige learned to weld) crashes a stuffy gathering at the country club where she, Kenny and Kenny's parents are. Becca kicks a drunk Tyler out, saying she cannot be friends with him anymore, and he goes to drive off. Corky tries to stop him from driving drunk, but cannot get him to hand over those car keys, so they drive off together. They crash into a tree, leaving Tyler near death and Corky mute with a broken arm. Paige returns with Kenny from the country club disaster to one at home. Kenny proposes to her, but when she hears the awful noise from the house, she goes in and helps break up the chaos. Drew and Libby return, find one last drunk who tells them where their children are, then go off to the hospital. At the hospital, Pa
Directed by Bill SmitrovichGuest stars Matthew Walker
Episode 21
Corky, somehow rendered mute by the accident, does not speak up until Becca bears her soul to him. Then Corky says that Tyler tried to swerve around a boy on a bike. Becca still feels guilty over Tyler's death as she and Jesse place flowers at Tyler's grave. Also, Paige and Michael get locked in a refrigerated room for wedding cake storage ( she was looking for a cake for her and Kenny' wedding.)
Directed by Michael LangeGuest stars Brady Bluhm
Episode 22
Paige has a great heart-to-heart with Drew about her upcoming marriage with Kenny. Drew takes matters into his own hands and convinces Michael to get Paige. Then behind both their backs, he hires Michale's band to play at the wedding. Paige and Kenny break up at the altar; Paige runs off with Michael instead. Corky proposes to Amanda. Jesse leaves for Arizona with his mom, but later comes back, saying that Becca is his family now.
Directed by Michael Nankin
Episode information updated Jul 23, 2026
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Bill SmitrovichAndrew "Drew" Thatcher
Patti LuPoneElizabeth 'Libby' Thacher
Chris BurkeCharles "Corky" Thatcher
Kellie MartinRebecca 'Becca' Thacher
Chad LoweJesse McKenna
Tracey NeedhamPaige Thatcher
Elizabeth BerkleySelena
ABCUnited States