Rolling Stone:
Though it’s been off the air for more than 20 years, The Wonder Years is one of those shows whose legacy has remained untarnished; you don’t hear many people looking back and saying it doesn’t hold up.
Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous late Sixties, the ABC show focused on a suburban family — in particular, the growing pains of youngest son Kevin, played by Fred Savage. It may be the story’s universality that’s accounted for its ability to stand the test of time, or simply that, because the show only ran for six seasons and faded away before it burned out, the series retained a level of consistent quality throughout.
I haven’t watched it since it was originally on but I remember it with great fondness.
Self indulgent and sanctimonious crap.
I blame this single show for the plethora of modern “reality” idiocy.
Then you’re conflating two entirely different categories of television for the sake of having something to complain about.
Modern “reality” tv is indeed idiocy, but its origins aren’t found in this relatively inoffensive, light-hearted network family drama product that was created to appeal to a specific generation of viewers.
Reality programs are grounded in media companies’ MBA-driven desire to cut costs associated with hiring professional actors, writers, and designers, thereby avoiding the relative complexity of producing shows like “The Wonder Years.”