Alia Shawkat is killing it on “Search Party,” the new dramedy on TBS. The series centers on a confused twentysomething, Dory (Shawkat), and her obsession with a missing acquaintance from college. The former Maeby Fünke is wonderful: at once clueless and empathic, rude and warm, determined and depressed. But Shawkat’s performance isn’t really a surprise; her chops are not specific to “Search Party” or even “Arrested Development.” Shawkat originally proved her mettle as an actor on “State of Grace.”
“State of Grace” ran for two seasons — one on Fox Family and, after the channel was sold to Disney, one on ABC Family (now Freeform). Shawkat and her future “Arrested Development” co-star Mae Whitman (“Parenthood”) portrayed best friends Hannah Rayburn and Grace McKee, respectively. Part fish-out-of-water narrative, part coming of age story, and part “Odd Couple” comedy, “State of Grace” took place in the mid-sixties and presented the decade’s change and culture clash through the eyes of the precocious 12-year-olds.
The series kicks off when the Rayburns relocate to North Carolina. Shy, reserved Hannah, who is Jewish, enrolls in a Catholic girls’ school and meets the bold, free-spirited Grace. The two are opposites in many ways but immediately form a close bond, and their families eventually become friendly not-quite-friends. Their story is narrated by present-day Hannah (portrayed by none other than Frances frickin’ McDormand).
Created by Brenda Lilly and Hollis Rich, “State of Grace” is in many ways a feel-good family sitcom, albeit one that is firmly rooted in reality. Hannah’s father is a Holocaust survivor and her family is cautious and constrained; they are still reeling from the recent genocide and are all too aware that discrimination and hatred are present everywhere. In contrast, Grace comes from a well-to-do family of gentile socialites. But her life isn’t perfect: Her father is dead and her mother is at turns emotionally and physically absent. She has plenty of money but no stability.
At ATX Festival earlier this year, co-creator Lilly explained how she and Rich came up with the central premise: “Hollis was really the one who said, ‘You know, you don’t see shows about girls who have adventures. You don’t see shows about girls that have curiosity and excitement in their lives.’ And we wanted to represent that because that’s who we were.”
Hannah and Grace dealt with the everyday struggles of adolescent girls — crushes, clothes, family conflict — while witnessing the trials and events specific to the time period. Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, class conflict, and bigotry were just a few of the topics the series explored. “State of Grace” was unapologetic in its interest in the lives of young women — Hannah and Grace’s problems were taken just as seriously as the adults’ — and unafraid to explore the light and dark aspects of what it meant to be a young woman in 1965. “State of Grace” is an amazing series for burgeoning feminists.
So why the hell can you not find this show anywhere?
Its opening credits and a few random clips are available on YouTube. Otherwise, the show is completely absent from the above-the-board streaming services and isn’t even available on DVD. If not for the show’s creators and fans, it would be all but forgotten. And that’s a damn shame.
By all accounts, the short-lived experience of working on “State of Grace” was a positive one. Leading up to the ATX reunion, Shawkat told Buzzfeed, “‘State of Grace’ was such an important time in my life. The name itself defines my experience…” Whitman agreed: “[It] was probably the most important experience of my whole adolescence,” she said. “I love every single episode of it and everything related to it.” McDormand was also enthusiastic about the work. According to Rich, she was “playing adult Hannah for scale because she liked the script.”
Obviously, we’re not the only ones with a soft spot for this deeply overlooked series — the ATX panel proves that. And to be fair, “State of Grace” is far from the only series to be lost in no-DVD/no-streaming limbo. The series’ authentic 60’s music is probably a major roadblock (not that that stopped “Mad Men” or “Freaks and Geeks”). We can’t help but suspect that, had “State of Grace” focused on the adventures of two 12-year-old boys and their families, a second life via streaming would be a much greater possibility.
We do live in a world that threatened to bring back “Coach,” so hope is not all lost. You can use the #StreamStateofGrace hashtag to promote the show. Harass Fox, Disney, Freeform, Netflix, Hulu, and whatever other companies you think actually give a shit. And maybe, just maybe this incredible series will see the light of day once more.
Until then, the “State of Grace” ATX panel will have to suffice.
