Thirtysomething: Strangers

"Strangers" is a 1989 episode of the television series Thirtysomething. The episode contrasts two relationships, one between Melissa Steadman (Melanie Mayron) and Lee Owens (Corey Parker) and the other between Russell Weller (David Marshall Grant) and Peter Montefiore (Peter Frechette). Melissa worries about the age difference between herself and Lee as she is several years older. Russell and Peter are in the very early stages of their relationship and are unsure whether even to attempt to build it. "Strangers" was the sixth episode of season three and originally aired on ABC on November 7, 1989. "Strangers" generated a great deal of controversy because it depicted two men, Russell and Peter, in bed together following their having sex. Even though the actors were forbidden to touch each other while in bed together, the controversy proved too much for a number of advertisers, who pulled their commercials from the episode. ABC withdrew the episode from rotation for rebroadcast. In 2005, TV Land included this episode as part of its "Top 100 Most Unexpected Moments in TV History", ranking it #27.