A Question of Age

[lin212]

I was wondering... We all know that Cybill is 5 years older than Bruce, but do you think that Maddie was older than David? David refers to Maddie's age several times during the first 3 seasons, but the writers are silent on David's age.

I guess we could make some assumptions based on David's past with Tess. He says he was 18 when Tess got pregnant. They lived in Philly for a while and then moved to NY where he tended bar which means he would have been at least 21 at that point, I assume. But then, I didn't get the impression that the marriage lasted very long after they moved to NY. We know from David and Tess that they last saw each other 9 years ago. All in all, it seems that he would be closer to 31-32 than 35-36. Any thoughts?

[adyjdy]

I could be just making this up in my own head, but I could have sworn there is somewhere that makes it clear that David is 32-ish, 3rd season-ish. The only reason I think that is because I turned 32 this year and thinking about being the same age as David was when I was 13 freaked! Me! Out! Can anybody verify?

[diane]

I always thought the age difference was shown to be the same as between Cybill and Bruce in real life. I remember being struck by it because I was dating a guy 5 years younger than me at the time, and I thought it was funny!

I never really analyzed the years. I wonder if the drinking age in New York was ever eighteen? David could have started his bartending years earleir if that was the case.

[bluemoongirl]

This is just from memory...but I do recall several times - especially during the Big Bang that David makes reference to Maddie's age. And earlier in the show he makes reference to it. And from what I remember, he states the same age both times. 35
Back then, this just struck me funny that they were trying to keep Maddie from aging - when 3 years had past. I believe Cybill was 38 when she had the twins.
And one other thing...Cyb was quoted as saying that she didn't want to look like his mother - hence the soft filters etc. So...my guess is that it was a very conscious choice by everyone to keep David's age ambiguous, and not have Maddie age - at least in script reference.
Just my two cents....

[funkycat]

I remember in To Heiress is Human, David says something like:

"I just figured out why you're 36 years old and still by yourself."

[bluemooner]

adyjdy said:

The only reason I think that is because I turned 32 this year and thinking about being the same age as David was when I was 13 freaked! Me! Out! Can anybody verify?

OMG, I can't verify, but I think the same thing all the time. I'll be watching an episode and I'll say to myself, whoa, I'm the same age as David/Bruce in the pilot. It freaks!me!out!too!! The first time I saw the pilot, I was 8. I remember watching it w/ my mom.

BTW, the drinking age in NY was 18 at one point. I remember my Aunt being able to drink for a week and then they raised it. I forget the exact year, but it was the early 80's.

[lin212]

Maddie did age between Seasons 2 and 3. In Witness, David makes reference to her age "at the ripe old age of 35..." And then, you are right, funkycat, David does refer to her as 36 in To Heiress Human. That was just slightly off from Cybill's real age because she turned 37 in February.

I just remembered that when David talks about his time in NY with Tess, he says that it was "the early 70s, a wild time". I guess the question is how early 70s. If Big Man on Mulberry Street played in Nov 1986, then early 70s could have been 13-15 years before. Now what does that do his age?