"Wonder Years" reboot starring Don Cheadle

[Andrew NDB]

Don Cheadle will play the adult version of the lead character, Dean, in the pilot for ABC’s “Wonder Years” reboot. The new take centers on a Black family in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1968.

https://www.darkhorizons.com/cheadle-narrates-wonder-years-reboot/

Basically, let's hope there's lots of racism and hatred, demonizing the majority of Americans through the lens of hindsight, just like the original. Wait...

[Galactus]

Well I imagine the African American experience in the 60s and 70s to be very different to that of a white family. It would be pointless if it didn't address racism.

That being said I'm not really interested in a reboot of this. The original was fine but nothing I've ever felt like rewatching.

[Leo656]

What's sad is, there really are tons of people in this generation who probably can't wait to sit down and be outraged on a weekly basis about things that happened decades before any of them were ever born.

Reminds me of that one Thanksgiving episode of "King of the Hill", where the kids had a teacher who force-fed them all a bunch of White Liberal Guilt stuff.

Bobby: "We have to pick off the scab so the wound can heal!"
Hank: "That's crazy! If a wound has a scab, it's already healing! And besides, none of that stuff had ANYTHING to do with you!"

I'm glad there's apparently serious talk about a King of the Hill revival. We need it now more than ever.

[Wildcat]

Wow Fred Savage is gonna direct it. That makes it even more interesting.

I really liked the original. Watched it all the time on Nick at Nite back in the 90s.

I was going to get the complete DVD series but they came around so late I thought they’d do a Blu Ray set. Maybe they will now.

[Leo656]

Danica McKellar grew up to be one of those people who always looks like she's naked even when she's wearing clothes.

Just, like, ungodly sexy. Like, "That's not even f*cking FAIR" sexy.

[Coola Yagami]

What's sad is, there really are tons of people in this generation who probably can't wait to sit down and be outraged on a weekly basis about things that happened decades before any of them were ever born.


*sighs* just more fuel for the fire.

I'm curious though, exactly when will people let this go and move on with their lives? We're at a point now where there should be 1 or 2 generations of black people in which their family tree already started in the states out of the slave era. Likewise with 1 or 2 generations of white people that don't have slave owners in their lineage.

Like, during WWII was Japan not the enemy? How come it's ok for people to have Japanese-American friends and co-workers without raising a stink about WWII every day? I assume we still have Russian-Americans and German-Americans here too, do they still get picked on because they were 'the enemy' years ago? Like do kids call Russian-American classmates Ivan and German-American kids Adolf in the playground or something?

[IMJ]

Basically, let's hope there's lots of racism and hatred, demonizing the majority of Americans through the lens of hindsight, just like the original. Wait...

When I read the thread title I had a molecule of excitement. I've really like Don Cheadle since watching Hotel Rwanda in a college Sociology class and I love his War Machine. I also loved the Wonder Years. There was a molecule that got excited inside of me somewhere.

And then as I clicked on the thread, modern zeitgeist poured into my head, and then I read this and.... yeah. Gone. Don't care, let it fail. The same people who would praise this announcement and "stunning and brave!" would then scream "cultural appropriation!" if someone remade Sandford & Son with white junkyard owners.

Well I imagine the African American experience in the 60s and 70s to be very different to that of a white family. It would be pointless if it didn't address racism.

Exactly true.

What's sad is, there really are tons of people in this generation who probably can't wait to sit down and be outraged on a weekly basis about things that happened decades before any of them were ever born.

It was originally called "The Wonder Years" because it was about the combination of witnessing and growing-up in the overall positive change of social upheaval in society while it touched on the highs and lows of life along the way. I imagine this show will claim it's going for that, but will actually just make whitey a hate-trope with the occasional token amicable white family. And then the show can inform people like Indigo even more about "the world outside their window".

Because it's better for T.V. to do that through the Hollywood lens rather than books like "The Scarlett Letter", "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "The Mismeasure of Man". You know.

*sighs* just more fuel for the fire.

I'm curious though, exactly when will people let this go and move on with their lives?

This generation won't do that. You see these people never experienced anything beyond their own being picked on in school or some nonsense that the rest of just got over in life. And these movements give these people meaning, gives them a sense of self-importance, and then points them at an "enemy". It's all phony and it's embraced by people who use the phony to make themselves superheroes in their own minds. It's onboarding for narcissism and for outrage that's more likely personal than it is actually social. These people are full of $#!( and they won't let it go because it empowers them.

The dumbest among them would read what I'm saying here and the best way their pea brains could put it together would be by saying "all this hate in the thread just because of the Wonder Years". LMAO! That's what we are dealing with.

[Coola Yagami]

The dumbest among them would read what I'm saying here and the best way their pea brains could put it together would be by saying "all this hate in the thread just because of the Wonder Years". LMAO! That's what we are dealing with.

The biggest irony is 'let the past stay in the past' isn't about hatred but rather letting go of that hatred.

[IMJ]

The biggest irony is 'let the past stay in the past' isn't about hatred but rather letting go of that hatred.

Exactly, man. Brilliant observation of the truth. Major props for that post. It might seem like common sense to many of us, but to the uninformed, uneducated, malicious, self-angry, or narcissists that's a completely foreign concept.

[Cure]

You people are ****ing experts at jumping to conclusions and getting yourselves angry over **** that isn't even confirmed. Hey, kinda like the people at which you all seem to be so angry. Funny.

[Andrew NDB]

You people are ****ing experts at jumping to conclusions and getting yourselves angry over **** that isn't even confirmed.

You mean like all of the people who decided the 1/6 "insurrection at the capitol" was some kind of pre-planned extravaganza?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/prosecutors-struggle-with-consistent-story-in-jan-6-cases/ar-BB1f1Rda?li=BBnb7Kz

Oops.

[Cure]

Right, right. I thought you people were talking about a Wonder Years reboot. My mistake, I should know better from you retards.

Like, for real, isn't it exhausting to see everything through such a political lens, then turning around and being mad at people for supposedly doing the same thing? Even before there's ANYTHING TO BE MAD ABOUT?

[oldmanwinters]

What's sad is, there really are tons of people in this generation who probably can't wait to sit down and be outraged on a weekly basis about things that happened decades before any of them were ever born.

Reminds me of that one Thanksgiving episode of "King of the Hill", where the kids had a teacher who force-fed them all a bunch of White Liberal Guilt stuff.

Bobby: "We have to pick off the scab so the wound can heal!"
Hank: "That's crazy! If a wound has a scab, it's already healing! And besides, none of that stuff had ANYTHING to do with you!"

I'm glad there's apparently serious talk about a King of the Hill revival. We need it now more than ever.

King of the Hill was and is gold.

[Leo656]

I like how Cure tries hard to take a strong moral stance and be Thread Police all the time despite the fact that he's so f*cking short. Nobody listens to short people! :lol:

Also, apropos of nothing, but I noticed that someone mentioned Sandford & Son, and I just wanted to say that the theme song to that show is incredibly whistle-able. I'm whistling it right now!

King of the Hill was and is gold.

T'was!

[IMJ]

You people are ****ing experts at jumping to conclusions and getting yourselves angry over **** that isn't even confirmed. Hey, kinda like the people at which you all seem to be so angry. Funny.

That's not exactly a valid comparison or assessment (or if I had to guess, genuine). I mean, cmon man it's not like the last several years haven't exactly set this precedent for assumptions. "Jumping to conclusions" is normally used correctly in situations where there's no reason to go that far. There's years of precedent for the thoughts in this thread.

I like how Cure tries hard to take a strong moral stance and be Thread Police all the time despite the fact that he's so f*cking short. Nobody listens to short people! :lol:

Also, apropos of nothing, but I noticed that someone mentioned Sandford & Son, and I just wanted to say that the theme song to that show is incredibly whistle-able. I'm whistling it right now!



T'was!

Love that theme song!

[ssjup81]

This is surprising to hear. So it's going to take place in the same time frame as the original show did? I think that took place from 1967 - 1974, or maybe it did start from1968. Doing the math (back then) I figured that Kevin, Winnie, and their friend with the glasses whose name is escaping for some reason, characters were the same age as my parents during that time. You know, I forgot where the show took place too since it's been so long since I've seen it.

So this time, it will be in Alabama. That sounds scary already, but it may be interesting with Fred Savage directing it. Still surprised that this of all shows is getting a reboot, but seeing the show from a different perspective might be an interesting watch.

[Storm Eagle]

This is surprising to hear. So it's going to take place in the same time frame as the original show did? I think that took place from 1967 - 1974, or maybe it did start from1968. Doing the math (back then) I figured that Kevin, Winnie, and their friend with the glasses whose name is escaping for some reason, characters were the same age as my parents during that time. You know, I forgot where the show took place too since it's been so long since I've seen it.



The other one was Paul Pfeiffer.

[Zulithe]

I used to love the Wonder Years back when it was airing. I'll always be fond of it. That said, I doubt this new version will be for me, because I just don't watch a lot of commercial tv dramas anymore, can't remember the last time I did. I only have time for prestige TV anymore.

[Storm Eagle]

I used to love the Wonder Years back when it was airing. I'll always be fond of it. That said, I doubt this new version will be for me, because I just don't watch a lot of commercial tv dramas anymore, can't remember the last time I did. I only have time for prestige TV anymore.

What do you consider to be prestige TV?

[ZariusTwo]

Fred Savage has been let go from the production following an investigation into misconduct

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/05/06/fred-savage-fired-wonder-years-after-misconduct-investigation/9683498002/

[Coola Yagami]

Second season? So they actually went ahead and released this crap?

[Leo656]

I'd totally forgotten that the original show was cancelled because of sexual harassment complaints against him and Hervey. Pretty wild.

I guess since he's rarely worked in front of the camera since then people don't make as much fuss. That said, one can only wonder what supposedly happened This Time.

[Andrew NDB]

Fred Savage has been let go from the production following an investigation into misconduct

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/05/06/fred-savage-fired-wonder-years-after-misconduct-investigation/9683498002/

Huh. I didn't even realize (or I'd forgotten) that he was a part of it.

[superstaff]

I'd totally forgotten that the original show was cancelled because of sexual harassment complaints against him and Hervey. Pretty wild.


Oh? What happened there?

On a more nerdy note, I loved the original series. Just the entire thing was basically a work of art, to me. Yes, I even enjoyed the 'raw and real' ending it had. I didn't grow up in the 60s, yet it was super relatable to me.

I watched the pilot and another episode of the remake. Hated it. It lacks everything the original had: charm, maturity, good writing and direction, likable characters (yes, I thought Kevin was likable for a bratty teen kid, rofl), etc.

[drgon78]

Never even heard about that, so what happened?

[Wildcat]

I did not realize he’s had complaints against him before. I thought it was cool he was part of this.

I honestly love this new version. It’s well written, has the right tone and humor. The characters are likable. Dean and his parents imo and they linked it to the original in a clever way...which I expected somehow.

Yes I watched the original in it’s entirety and this has done a great job being it’s own story in the same format. I’ve seen more praise than negativity so it’s not just me defending it. It’s a legitimately good show that deserves another season.

[Leo656]

Never even heard about that, so what happened?

During what turned out to be the show's final Season, a costume designer filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Savage and Jason Hervey. It was later settled out of court but there was a lot of bad publicity for a brief period.

There were other factors, such as an escalating budget (due to more location shooting) and the fact that the cast was getting older and yet they could not write realistically "mature" storylines for them due to the show's younger audience and its 8pm time slot.

So there were already concerns about whether or not to call it quits, and supposedly the lawsuit and resultant scandalous headlines were the final straw. Looking back, I remember reading about the incident in the tabloids and them saying that the show was going to be cancelled over it. But I honestly never watched it that much and it was so long ago that I'd long since forgotten about it.

The actress who played the Mom called the allegations "ridiculous" and Savage claimed to have been exonerated, but there was always some uncertainty. Common speculation was, it may have been Hervey who was the instigator and Savage, being younger and more impressionable, may have simply played along. Assuming anything actually happened, of course. But that seems somewhat plausible. Harvey had sort of a reputation as being a bit of a womanizer, or tried to be anyway. He banged Missy Hyatt for a while back when that meant something. So I could see him copping a feel or making suggestive comments, "all in fun", and like Savage just parroting the stuff he was saying to try and be "cool".

I've always been inclined to believe that if anything happened it was probably just "boys will be boys" stuff, not like serious stuff. But regardless, they got sued over it and that was the last straw for the network.

[superstaff]

Yeah, I looked into the story myself after your comment on it, Leo. It's a bit telling that it was the person involved in costumes who made the complaints in the cases against him. This seems to imply a pattern, like he does this with people who do this job for some reason. What a shame since I enjoyed his work, including those he did as a director like on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.