It was a show like nothing we’d seen before, a young boy on the edge of adolescence struggling with love, life, and parents as told through the eyes of his adult self.
‘The Wonder Years’ aired between 1988 to 1993 in the U.S. and soon became a hit around the world; it was ahead of its time being one of the first comedies without a laugh track.
Starring Fred Savage as the understated and funny Kevin Arnold growing up in a suburban middle-class family in the 1960s and 70s with his best friend and girlfriend by his side as he battles his bully older brother and the trials of adolescence.
Even the signature soundtrack of Joe Cocker’s Beatles’ cover “With a Little Help from my Friends” was perfect, helping to cement the nostalgia we all felt watching the show; Cocker’s gravely vocals were still in our heads hours after an episode had ended.
After just six episodes, the show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1988. The brilliant Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series at 13 years old.
”I would never have done this to be competitive, to be popular or have fans or anything like that. I did it for fun. I’m doing it because I enjoy it,” he told Wow! magazine in 1989.
During the height of his stardom, Fred was the most acclaimed child star on television and was praised by Clint Eastwood. At the Golden Globe Awards, the legendary actor approached Savage and his family and said:
”Hey, I like your work kid”.
The show was also awarded a Peabody Award in 1989 for “pushing the boundaries of the sitcom format and using new modes of storytelling”.
In total, the series won 22 awards and was nominated for 54 more.
When the show ended in 1993, during which Savage had also appeared in movies such as Vice Versa and Little Monsters, the then 17-year-old returned to school to finish his high school studies and went on to study English at Stanford University.
He did return to the glamor of Hollywood but this time as a director where his credits include Boy Meets World, Drake & Josh as well as prime-time network sitcoms including Modern Family and 2 Broke Girls.
Savage was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1976. At the age of 9, he made his screen debut on the television show Morningstar/Eveningstar.
”I don’t know how I learned to act. I think that everyone acts. When you’re sarcastic, you’re acting. When you’re acting funny for people, you’re acting. I do it on television,” he said in 1989.
Today at 46 years old, he’s still recognizable as the wide-eyed Kevin Arnold but has climbed the Hollywood ladder to work on some of the most exciting American comedies as director and producer.
Savage married his childhood friend Jennifer Lynn Stone in August 2004, after proposing to her on a trip to Italy the year before.
The two had lost contact after Savage moved to Los Angeles from Chicago to focus on his career but later reconnected at his 22nd birthday party.
The couple has three kids sons Oliver Phillip, 15, and August Maxwell, 8; and daughter Lily Aerin, 13.
“While we’ve lived in Los Angeles for a long time, it’s very important to us to instill in our children a sense of that Chicago spirit — and we keep it alive in our house all the time,” he said.
Savage even joked that his kids were “lazy” for not achieving what he had achieved at their ages.
Talking to Jimmy Kimmel he was asked about his eldest son’s achievements.
“He’s done nothing! I’m glad you brought that up because I look at him and I’m like ‘I had fired three agents by the time I was your age,’” he joked.
Savage has also revealed that his kids have discovered their dad’s previous work on screen:
“They love The Wonder Years right now. They love it. Whenever we are preempted or there’s a rerun, they call me just heartbroken that Wednesday night at 8:30 is not [airing] The Wonder Years. So they really love that,” Fred told Us Weekly.
His latest project involved a role as executive producer of a reboot of the acclaimed “The Wonder Years” show, which will again take place in the 1960s but will focus on a Black family living in Montgomery, Alabama.
The show is still influencing comedy dramas today and Fred Savage has had a hand in most of them. However, Savage was fired in 2022 and lost his job as executive producer and director of The Wonder Years reboot following an investigation into alleged misconduct.
In August 2022, the former child star released a statement:
“Since I was 6 years old, I have worked on hundreds of sets with thousands of people, and have always strived to contribute to an inclusive, safe and supportive work environment,” he said and continued:
“It is devastating to learn that there are coworkers who feel I have fallen short of these goals. While there are some incidents being reported that absolutely did not and could not have happened, any one person who feels hurt or offended by my actions is one person too many. I will work to address and change any behavior that has negatively affected anyone, as nothing in this world is more important to me than being a supportive co-worker, friend, husband, father and person.”
Watch some of Savage’s most memorable moments on this beloved show in the clip below.
Pleas with all those that also loved this show and help brighten their day.
