The Wonder Years (1988-1993): Starring Fred Savage, Danica McKellar, Josh Saviano, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Olivia D'Abo, Narrator/Voice-Over By Daniel Stern, Creators Carol Black and Michael Dinner.
The Wonder Years was my first true "adult" TV program, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed as its biggest fan. If I remember correctly, it was on Fox and it started around 5 in the afternoon.It was a series that had a lot of heart and 60's/70's nostalgia. Its classic coming-of-age theme was poignant. Between '88 and '93, I was ages 8-13, and I felt I was myself growing up along with Kevin Arnold, he through the 60's and 70's, and I through the 80's and 90's. Fred Savage was still a pre-pubescent child in the pilot episode, which aired following the Superbowl in January of '88. We watched him grow during the course of the series. There is much to talk about and admire but I don't have enough time, so I'll point out the highlights of this series, which is available on DVD for those who have never experienced The Wonder Years. Kevin Arnold is the youngest son of a working-class family who live in the suburbs in California. His father Jack (Dan Lauria) works for a major construction/welding company, his mother (Alley Mills) was a sweet, unassuming housewife, his sister Karen (Olivia D'Abo) was a hippie who rebels against her parents, screws up often till she finally straightens out her life, while still being hippie-ish (she finally marries the actor from Friends David Scwhimmer!). Jason Hervey played his horrible, nasty brother Wayne who also journeys from mischievous low-life to family man. Josh Saviano was Kevin's Jewish next-door-neighbor and friend Paul Pfeiffer. Their friendship stood the test of time, despite hard times. Kevin's true love was the sweet, pretty girl next door Winnie Cooper, played by Danica McKellar. Their love was a hug attraction to the show. They had their ups and downs but they were meant for one another. It was puppy love at its most romanticized. It would later become an adolescent love wrought with difficulties. Winnie's parents divorce, her brother fights in Vietnam and returns a fragile, traumatized young man. Ultimately, Kevin and Winnie don't end up together as one would have wanted. Winnie goes off to study art in Paris and marries someone else. Kevin marries and has children. This show romanticized childhood, though presented it in real terms as well- bullies, friends, betrayals, crushes on other students and teachers, etc. Kevin's adolescence finds him desperately trying to hold on to Winnie but never getting her. In the later episodes, Kevin experiences the troubles of adolescence and undergoes rites of passage- drives his first car, works a regular job, chooses right from wrong, etc. This show was well-written, often full of realism and accurate portrayals of children, adolescents, parents, families, relationships. It was probably the most HUMAN show I've ever seen. It touched me so much that even now, I can still remember the impact the show had over me. TV shows aren't made like this anymore. It was comic and insightful and possessed a magic that is lost in today's television series. There are so many great episodes and the true strength of this series was that everything Kevin Arnold went through, everyone has gone through on a universal level as well. This was the best show on TV for its time.
The Wonder Years was my first true "adult" TV program, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed as its biggest fan. If I remember correctly, it was on Fox and it started around 5 in the afternoon.It was a series that had a lot of heart and 60's/70's nostalgia. Its classic coming-of-age theme was poignant. Between '88 and '93, I was ages 8-13, and I felt I was myself growing up along with Kevin Arnold, he through the 60's and 70's, and I through the 80's and 90's. Fred Savage was still a pre-pubescent child in the pilot episode, which aired following the Superbowl in January of '88. We watched him grow during the course of the series. There is much to talk about and admire but I don't have enough time, so I'll point out the highlights of this series, which is available on DVD for those who have never experienced The Wonder Years. Kevin Arnold is the youngest son of a working-class family who live in the suburbs in California. His father Jack (Dan Lauria) works for a major construction/welding company, his mother (Alley Mills) was a sweet, unassuming housewife, his sister Karen (Olivia D'Abo) was a hippie who rebels against her parents, screws up often till she finally straightens out her life, while still being hippie-ish (she finally marries the actor from Friends David Scwhimmer!). Jason Hervey played his horrible, nasty brother Wayne who also journeys from mischievous low-life to family man. Josh Saviano was Kevin's Jewish next-door-neighbor and friend Paul Pfeiffer. Their friendship stood the test of time, despite hard times. Kevin's true love was the sweet, pretty girl next door Winnie Cooper, played by Danica McKellar. Their love was a hug attraction to the show. They had their ups and downs but they were meant for one another. It was puppy love at its most romanticized. It would later become an adolescent love wrought with difficulties. Winnie's parents divorce, her brother fights in Vietnam and returns a fragile, traumatized young man. Ultimately, Kevin and Winnie don't end up together as one would have wanted. Winnie goes off to study art in Paris and marries someone else. Kevin marries and has children. This show romanticized childhood, though presented it in real terms as well- bullies, friends, betrayals, crushes on other students and teachers, etc. Kevin's adolescence finds him desperately trying to hold on to Winnie but never getting her. In the later episodes, Kevin experiences the troubles of adolescence and undergoes rites of passage- drives his first car, works a regular job, chooses right from wrong, etc. This show was well-written, often full of realism and accurate portrayals of children, adolescents, parents, families, relationships. It was probably the most HUMAN show I've ever seen. It touched me so much that even now, I can still remember the impact the show had over me. TV shows aren't made like this anymore. It was comic and insightful and possessed a magic that is lost in today's television series. There are so many great episodes and the true strength of this series was that everything Kevin Arnold went through, everyone has gone through on a universal level as well. This was the best show on TV for its time.