Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Secret Lives Of Men: Cast Photo

The Secret Lives of Men aired from September until November 1998 on ABC.

Three recently divorced Manhattan guys decided to deal with bachelorhood by doing a little serious male bonding in this sitcom. Phil ( Brad Whitford) was a sports manager, hard driving, sarcastic, and disdainful of "feelings"-or so he claimed; Michael ( Peter Gallagher) was a straight arrow who renovated brownstones but was constantly trying to live down the reputation of his shady contractor-father; and Andy ( Mitch Rouse) was a rather dense, neurotic manufacturer of artificial fruits , a muscular black belt in martial arts who was deathly afraid of germs. On the golf course or at their favorite small midtown restaurant run by understanding Maria ( Sofia Milos), they whined about the unfairness of it all, the unreliability of women, how bad last night's date was, and how only guys understood. Yea, yea, said Maria.

An Article from The New York Times

TV NOTES; The Sitcom Siren Song

By BILL CARTER
Published: September 30, 1998

Susan Harris, one of television's most successful and prolific comedy writers, has told the world for five years that she was permanently retired after a career in which she wrote the first 70 episodes of the 1970's hit ''Soap'' and created other hits like ''Golden Girls,'' ''Benson'' and ''Empty Nest.''

''But Hollywood is kind of a hard town to stay retired in; they keep looking for you,'' Ms. Harris said.

So after saying no to numerous network entreaties, Ms. Harris has created a new comedy for ABC, ''The Secret Lives of Men,'' which begins tonight at 9:30.

''I was feeling fine about not writing,'' she said. She quit shortly after she and her husband and production partner, Paul Junger Witt, had a baby 10 years ago.

But suddenly the men around her, including the couple's partner, Tony Thomas, started getting divorced and ''this show popped into my head -- a show about divorced guys in their 30's,'' Ms Harris said. ''It was full of funny, rich stuff. It sort of wrote itself.''

She said she discovered by listening in on men's conversations that contrary to their image, ''men do talk to each other.'' The critical reaction to the show has been mixed, which she said surprised her. ''Maybe it's a Clinton backlash -- a touchy-feely guy who can almost cry on cue. Maybe some people don't want to see those kind of guys on TV.''

ABC certainly had a positive reaction; the network gave the show its best spot for a new comedy, after ''The Drew Carey Show.''

Ms. Harris has written the first 10 episodes, and she admits to being ''near tears'' over the weekly production grind. ''When I was sitting home writing, I was happy. When it all starts in production, I regret ever having done this.''

She does not regret the time period or the chance to build another hit. If the show goes well, she said, she will probably write a couple more episodes this season and two or three to start next season. ''Then,'' she said, ''it will be time to back off and get my life back.'' BILL CARTER

A Review from The New York Times

New TV Season in Review
By ANITA GATES
Published: September 30, 1998

It's come to this: one of series television's wittiest writers (Susan Harris) and possibly its finest director (James Burrows) doing masturbation, scatology and spitting humor. ''The Secret Lives of Men'' is about three unhappily divorced wretches in their 30's (Peter Gallagher, Bradley Whitford and Mitch Rouse) who spend most of their time playing golf or drinking at their favorite Italian restaurant. At least the laugh track seems to be having a good time, even after comments like this expression of concern about carcinogens at the golf course: ''Well, don't you get, like, a strange metallic taste in your mouth when we play here?'' Still, it's good to see male characters played as vulnerable and insecure. ANITA GATES

For a Website dedicated to Bradley Whitford go to http://www.bradley-whitford.net/

For the Official Bradley Whitford Fanlisting go to http://www.ktnb.net/brad/

For the Official Website of Peter Gallagher go to http://www.petergallagher.com/

For another Peter Gallagher Website go to http://www.petergallagher.org/

For the Official Website of Sofia Milos go to http://www.sofiamilos.com/

For more on The Secret Lives of Men go to http://www.wchstv.com/abc/secretlives/