Wonder years, another reboot nobody wanted.

ABC is doing a wonder years reboot.

This is likely just another attempt to grab some cash from a well known franchise.
I haven't watched an actual network program for years. To clarify, it's not for any reason other than commercials suck and I prefer to binge watch instead of wait a week between episodes.

I think the reason most of these reboots fail is that the writers and or actors fail to recapture the magic from the original. Mostly because they don't understand what caused the magic.

The wonder Years had great casting and great writing that made you connect to the characters.
From winnie's brother dying in Vietnam to Kevin's first kiss under the tree.
We saw a depth in the jerk brother.
We saw a fragile dad hidden behind a stern exterior.

I really doubt the reboot will come anywhere close to the original. Especially when you take a show that used to anxiety of the time. It was filmed in the 80s but felt like the 60s making me believe that the writers lived in the time they were creating on screen. This reboot will be in the same time period of the 60s but will be written by people that didn't live at that time.

This one will probably add to the long list of failed television and movie reboots.

www.hollywoodreporter.com...

a reply to: Bluntone22

I agree. A lot of movie sequels fail for the same reason-- they can't recapture the magic.
I see Fred Savage is directing the pilot. At least he was part of the original and experienced that magic first hand. But you're right... ultimately it's down to the writing and acting.

I also hope they don't take away the wholesomeness of the brand. Hollyweird has a way of pushing the envelope with topics, characterization of children, language, and innuendo. Either to be edgy or for some nefarious purpose, who can say?

a reply to: new_here

You are correct.
Part of the magic was having Kevin lose his innocence over the run of the show.
With Hollywood today, I believe they will try it insert modern sensibilities and culture into 60s storylines.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I still remember the episode where Kevin watched his dad get yelled at by his boss.
It was the realization that there is always a bigger bully.

No plans on watching the reboot...

It might be good. Who knows? Fred Savage is directing the pilot. There is no mention in the article if or who will be doing the present day narration.

It will never be better than the original. Wonder Years is in my top three all time television series. I was roughly the same age as Fred Savage when the show was on. Even though it was set in the late 60's, I could identify with his character and all of the things he dealt with growing up.

I'll also add, the soundtrack to the original airing of the show was one of the best. Sad that they could not get the rights for the same music when it was available for streaming. I believe that's why the series was never released on bluray. Personally I think they would make more than enough to cover the costs of music if they released it today.

a reply to: Bluntone22

What's the point? What's the target audience?

Set in the 60s makes no sense. Those of us who grew up with the original series won't watch it. The younger generations can't relate to it, unless they intend to address more modern themes. Some social issues transcend the years and are always prescient, so maybe they hope to "educate" the youth of today who have diminishing moral standards. But why a reboot? They could have just created something new. I guess there has been a long drought of creativity and there's no rain on the horizon.

I think what made all the old shows so special is that we actually "lived" those experiences with the characters as if they were our own. There were less distractions (internet, cell phones, etc.), so we absorbed the deeper messages they contained. Today, attention spans are in short supply, not to mention, the myriad of crap content that makes up so-called entertainment.

I believe it will just get lost in the noisy mire of TV and will die in sad solitude.

Will all the lead roles be replaced by minorities and transitioning hermaphrodites?

a reply to: Encia22

The point is to stand on the shoulders of an established show and milk as much money as possible.
As for the target audience... Don't know.
Fans of the original probably won't care and young kids probably won't either.

The idea of a black kid growing up in the 60s lends to some powerful storylines but it's nothing we haven't seen before.

There have been so many great shows canceled after the first year like "freaks and geeks" and "My so called life" that had powerful writing and acting.
Why those never fought on is hard to understand sometimes.

a reply to: Mark08

Minorities...yes.
No doubt there will be at least one LBGQ character.

I don't see how it all works out.

I can sure see them tackling modern issues in the '60s though, through a '60s lens. OMG, people were gay back then! This time, on a very special Wonder Years, Kevin tackles his bi-curiosity! Winnie wonders if she's really a boy trapped in a girl's body. Oh noes! The local Christians try to burn Winnie at the stake for confessing her gender confusion ...

I’ll watch it. But only if they make every last character BIPOC and LGBTQ+. That way it’ll really capture the essence of the original.......

originally posted by: slatesteam
I’ll watch it. But only if they make every last character BIPOC and LGBTQ+. That way it’ll really capture the essence of the original.......

Being black, Muslim, and LBGT+BBQ in the '60s while growing up, the struggle was real. Welcome to "The Wonder Years".

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: slatesteam
I’ll watch it. But only if they make every last character BIPOC and LGBTQ+. That way it’ll really capture the essence of the original.......

Being black, Muslim, and LBGT+BBQ in the '60s while growing up, the struggle was real. Welcome to "The Wonder Years".

Again that comes back to the magic of the original.
Kevin facing the realities of the world.
Pieces of the puzzle click into place but today there is no subtlety, it's a brick to the head.

originally posted by: Bluntone22

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: slatesteam
I’ll watch it. But only if they make every last character BIPOC and LGBTQ+. That way it’ll really capture the essence of the original.......

Being black, Muslim, and LBGT+BBQ in the '60s while growing up, the struggle was real. Welcome to "The Wonder Years".

Again that comes back to the magic of the original.
Kevin facing the realities of the world.
Pieces of the puzzle click into place but today there is no subtlety, it's a brick to the head.

Is that the episode where Kevin will find his political voice and happens upon a pallet of bricks and other like-minded protestors, I mean friends?

a reply to: slatesteam

He'll likely realize he's been perpetuating a woke, white supremacist ideology just by breathing all these years and then go live on the streets in an effort to thwart his white privilege.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I have still not seen the new Magnum and will not be watching the new Equalizer. Really funny because there were more black shows and minority shows in the 80's than today. What's Happening, Sanford and Son, Jeffersons, Good Times, 227, Erkel show....now next to nothing. There are no real black shows anymore. We were more woke in the 80's than now. The shows were also very well made. Today all crap for a quick ratings boost then it fades and on to the next re-boot and they always fail. ALWAYS.

We stopped watching TV about a year ago. Rarely turn it on and never legacy networks when we do. After work we exercise in my gym, cook, work on remodeling projects. Building a pool right now and outdoor kitchen. Project is a lot of fun. I actually feel horrible watching TV because I'm not getting things done.

a reply to: Stupidsecrets

There are all kinds of black based tv shows.

Dear white people.
Atlanta.
The chi.
Grown-ish.

I've never seen one myself.
Ads were all over Netflix and Hulu on these shows but I didn't see anything of interest for me.

originally posted by: Stupidsecrets
a reply to: Bluntone22

I have still not seen the new Magnum and will not be watching the new Equalizer.

I haven't seen either one of those myself, and won't be watching them. Even though I don't get HBO or actually any TV signal of any kind, they had a reboot of "Perry Mason" recently where instead of being a lawyer, Perry was a down on his luck private eye. What the heck? Of course I'm not going to watch that. I'm used to the original popular Perry Mason TV show where he was just like the character in the popular books. Just who was their target audience? People like me who were familiar with the original show wouldn't watch it, so it must have been a younger generation who don't know anything about Perry Mason to begin with. So, why not just create another private eye show with a new name? It seems like they're trying to ride the coattails of the original Perry Mason, but that can't work. Just like when the reboot of Hawaii Five-O came out. I watched the very first episode and when Danno punched out McGarrett, I said to myself, that's not Hawaii Five-O, and never watched another episode. So, I don't know why it lasted for so many seasons. The people that must have watched it had no clue why the original lasted for 12 seasons. The only thing the two shows had in common was the names of the characters (but not necessarily the correct genders), and the setting of Hawaii.

What is this world coming to?


TCB

It would make more sense if they did the Wonder Years reboot along the same timeline as the original. The original took place exactly 20 years before the airing of the first episode, 1988. If the reboot were to take place exactly 20 years before now, the first episode would take place in 2001.

Actually that would be more interesting to me. It could start just after 9/11, changing the world forever.

Maybe I wasn't old enough but I found that show really creepy when I was a kid.
Not sure.
Maybe that kid's voice and demeanour.

a reply to: Bluntone22