One of the universal elements in a soap opera is sex. In the past they would heavily suggest it. Now day time and evening soaps are full of people ripping their clothing off and having at it. The producers of the series usually try to tell the public that it is integral to the plot and done for artistic reasons. One night time soap opera has come along with sex as a much more central part of the story ‘Swingtown’. Set in the mid seventies it is basically about wife swapping and the changes in the sexual attitudes that people in that decade went through. The setting for the series is a Chicago suburb in the year 1976. This was a turning point for this country as far as sexuality and emotional relationships. It was on the heels of the late sixties and early seventies when flower power ruled. Sex became something that was fun and free spirited. The young people created their own sub culture in our society were sexual taboos were being tossed aside. The young people of the late sixties were become the latest adult generation and some took those new views of sexuality along with them. This was also a time before the advent of AIDS; most sexually transmitted diseases where curable with a shot or some antibiotics. The birth control pill had altered the chance of unwanted pregnancy. The generation that a few years before embraced free love were now adults and some were determined to take those new viewpoints of morality with them.

Most shows of this format pander to sexual themes but at least this one is up front with it. This is an interesting and well produced series that will appeal to the millions of people in the audience who lived through that period but didn’t actually become involved in the activities depicted. There is a sense of voyeurism to the show; a peak into the bedrooms of very sexually liberated couples. Like many shows from last season it was disrupted by the infamous Writer’s Guild strike. Since there were only a few episodes ready by the time of the strike CBS waited to present the series as a summer replacement and aired thirteen uninterrupted episodes. At this writing there are serious doubts as to whether the series will return. The first season set is available on DVD through CBS Paramount. Needless to say this is not a family friendly series but the grownups will certainly respond to the honest, straightforward presentation.

The series was created by Mike Kelley. Previously he was in on the production of a couple of teen oriented sex filled night time soaps like ‘The O.C.’ and ‘One Tree Hill’. He also wrote and produced episodes of the late great series ‘Jericho’. He showed a more family friendly side by creating scripts for another CBS drama ‘Providence’. There is an inherent difficult with the production of a period piece like this. You have to make sure the cars, soda cans, music and sets are all appropriate for the time. This does add to the expense and there is always a legion of fans out there ready to post messages about every tiny mistake. The risk is usually worth it as nostalgia is always popular. We like to see that can of Tab on the counter and may even wince when we get a glimpse of the bell bottom, big hair and mustaches that we sported back in the day. A big part of the fun of this show is this blast from the past look and they pull it off very well.

The series is fundamentally a relationship drama. There are three married couples at the center of most of the story lines. Bruce Miller (Jack Davenport) works in the high pressure world of the financial markets as a futures trader. He has recently reached a stage in his career where he could move his family to a more affluent neighborhood on the North Shore. Bruce’s wife Susan (Molly Parker) holds both the home front while he is at work. She also cares for their teenaged daughter Laurie (Shanna Collins) and their younger son BJ (Aaron Howles). While moving in to their new home they meet their new neighbors, the Deckers. Tom (Grant Show) is an airline pilot. His wife Trina (Lana Parrilla) was once one of his regular stewardess (referred to today as flight attendants). Tom is prone to open shirts with wild patterns and has the period mustache. Trina dresses a bit sexier than the Millers are used to for a housewife. They soon discover that the Deckers have an open marriage and like too swing. That is to say they enjoy having sex with other people in pairs or groups. They are also into the drug scene with pot, pills and cocaine always present. We get a glimpse of this in the first scene of the pilot episode where Tom picks up a stewardess and brings her home for a three way with a more than willing Trina. She takes a break for a Tab while Tom and his latest fling continue. While having her drink Trina looks out the window and sees the new neighbors. She immediately plans a little get together party. At that party the Deckers manage to get the Millers into bed. There is a lot of angst initially felt by the Millers but it doesn’t take long before this free live style becomes attractive to them. This results in a schism between the Millers and their best friends from the old neighborhood. Roger (Josh Hopkins) and Janet Thompson (Miriam Shor) are more staid and conventional and swinging is not something that goes over well, especially with Janet. They have a teenaged son Rick (Nick Benson).

Most of the stories have to do with the diametrically opposed viewpoints of the Thompsons and the Deckers with the Millers caught in between. This is a direct extension of the generation gap that the adults of the mid seventies had with their parents a few years before. The Deckers were the extension of the ‘do what feels good’ youth while the Thompsons where trying to continue the traditional life styles that they learned from their parents. The Millers are stuck in between. They like the excitement of these free and open attitudes towards sex but they still need the stability that the Thompsons represent. Some of the story lines are about more conventional topics. Susan is trying to connect with her daughter. She is a teenaged girl who just discovered boys and wants to be treated in a more adult fashion. Susan can’t even deal with the changes in her own life and now she has to be a mother to her daughter during a difficult part of growing up.

One thing about this series is the music. It is incredible; like a best of the seventies mix disc. It sets the mood and takes you back in time. The video is an anamorphic 1.78: transfer with a Dolby 5.1 audio. There are a couple of interesting extras that start out with commentary tracks on selected episodes. There is also a featurette about the changes attitudes towards sex in this time period and how they managed to make s series about 1976. Rounding things off are some deleted scenes and a gag reel.