The Wonder Years Being Rebooted With A Black Family By ABC

Published on July 9, 2020.

Everett Collection

The Wonder Years is making a comeback!

ABC is creating a pilot for an updated version of The Wonder Years – the 1988 coming-of-age series that ran for six seasons. The Wonder Years starred Fred Savage, a middle-class teenager growing up during the late 1960s and early ’70s.

ABC is rebooting the show with a new creative change, however, that could give the show an entirely new perspective. The revival will be set during the same time period, except it will focus on a Black family in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Wonder Years reboot will be executive produced by Empire co-creator Lee Daniels and the showrunner will be Saladin K. Patterson of The Big Bang Theory. The original series co-creator Neal Marlens will be used as a consultant. Actor Fred Savage is on board to offer input as well and will be a director and executive producer on the show.

The official description for the show describes the plot: “How a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960’s, the same era as the original series, made sure it was The Wonder Years for them too.” Alabama was an area of many significant events during the American civil rights movement, which will likely be touched upon in the show.

The original Wonder Years had 115 episodes and ran from 1988 to 1993. It’s cast included Savage as Kevin Arnold, Alley Mills as his mother, Dan Lauria as Kevin’s father, Olivia d’Abo as his older sister, Jason Hervey as Kevin’s older brother, Josh Saviano as his best friend, and Danica McKellar as his girl-next-door love interest.