2020 Paley Archive Elements 3840x1536 Banner2
Continue searching the Collection

WONDER YEARS, THE: PILOT {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)

Summary

The first in this series about Kevin Arnold, a young boy growing up in the suburbs during the late 1960s, whose experiences, thoughts, and reactions are recalled by the adult Kevin, who narrates and makes wry observations throughout. Kevin Arnold narrates this premiere in his adult voice: it is 1968; he is 12 years old; he lives in the suburbs with his family; and this was the golden age for kids. Footage of events taking place in 1968 flash across the screen. The image quickly changes to show Kevin, his older brother Wayne, and some neighborhood kids playing football in the street. The girl on whom has a Kevin crush, Winnie, watches the game. When Wayne begins to beat Kevin up, Winnie's older brother Brian steps in. The adult Kevin tells viewers that Brian is now in Vietnam. At the dinner table, all the Arnold kids are quiet as their dad, Jack, arrives home. Norma, their mother, instructs them not to make their father tense during dinner. It is the summer before Kevin goes to junior high, and "home-movie" images of Kevin's vacation depict his last days of real childhood. The scene skips to Kevin's first day of junior high, which offers him some surprises but mostly challenges. Winnie appears at the bus stop, having traded braids and baseball hat for long, straight hair and go-go boots. At school, Kevin faces up to teachers, who think he is a trouble maker like his brother Wayne, and a greaser, who appropriates his locker to store a knife and drugs. When Kevin's brother begins to tease him about Winnie in the cafeteria, he copes by pulling a stunt that lands him in the principal's office. Worried about his punishment, Kevin arrives home with his parents to find that Winnie's brother Brian has been killed in Vietnam. The program closes as Winnie and Kevin experience a tender moment at Harper's Rock. Commercials deleted. This program is closed-captioned.

Details

  • NETWORK: ABC
  • DATE: January 31, 1988 Sunday 10:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:24:40
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:16959
  • GENRE: Comedy; Drama
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama; Most Popular (Top 100)
  • SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1988-1993
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Carol Black … Executive Producer, Created by , Writer
  • Neal Marlens … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
  • Jeffrey Silver … Producer
  • Caroline Baron … Associate Producer
  • Steve Miner … Director
  • Stewart Levin … Music by
  • W.G. Snuffy Walden … Music by
  • John Lennon … Theme Music by, Theme song "With a Little Help From My Friends" written by
  • Paul McCartney … Theme Music by, Theme song "With a Little Help From My Friends" written by
  • Joe Cocker … Theme Music by, Theme song "With a Little Help From My Friends" performed by
  • Fred Savage … Cast, Kevin Arnold
  • Dan Lauria … Cast, Jack Arnold
  • Alley Mills … Cast, Norma Arnold
  • Olivia D'Abo … Cast, Karen Arnold
  • Jason Hervey … Cast, Wayne Arnold
  • Danica McKellar … Cast, Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper
  • Josh Saviano … Cast, Paul Pfeiffer
  • Robert Picardo … Cast, Coach Ed Cutlip
  • Raye Birk … Cast, Mr. Diperna
  • Linda Hoy … Cast, Mrs. Ritvo
  • Sean Faro … Cast, Greaser
  • Bentley Mitchum … Cast, Brian Cooper
  • Daniel Stern … Cast, Kevin (as adult), Voice
Continue searching the Collection