Susan is a "somewhat sheltered" magazine writer who has dumped her rich fiance at the altar and must now cope with being suddenly single - complicated by the fact that her boss at hip San Francisco magazine The Gate is her ex's brother Jack. He has promoted her from copy editor to writer of a column on being single in the '90s, thus irritating her co-workers: caustic lifestyle columnist Vicki, Cuban playboy. Susan's main support is her loving grandmother Nana. In highly publicized trouble before it ever aired, Suddenly Susan had to switch formats from a bookstore to a magazine workplace setting - sort of Mary Richards going to work for Lou Grant at the Trib.