ABC has announced that they're flipping the script on a beloved television series after giving a pilot production order to The Wonder Years, a new take on the network's 1980s family comedy-drama. The new version of ABC's coming-of-age comedy hails from DAVE executive producer Saladin K. Patterson, EMPIRE co-creator Lee Daniels, the star of the original series, Fred Savage, and 20th Century Fox TV.
Written by Patterson, the new series will focus on a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama during the heightened times of the late 1960’s — the same era as the original series. For now, ABC has granted the project a pilot commitment, with Savage looking to direct. Should the pilot script be approved, ABC plans to establish a small writers' room for a possible series order. In terms of production, Patterson will executive produce alongside Daniels, Savage, and Marc Velez, via Lee Daniels Entertainment. Neal Marlens, the co-creator of the original series, will serve as a consultant.
The original Wonder Years aired from 1988 to 1993 on ABC for six seasons and over 100 episodes. It revolved around the Arnold family, with Savage starring as the youngest child Kevin. As a part of the show's unique way of presenting its story, Daniel Stern provided the voice of Kevin as an adult, with the show serving as a look back on his childhood growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The show tackled many of the issues that plague the mind of a young man looking to survive adolescence, such as first loves, difficult lessons learned, and how to remain hopeful in times that are harsh and unpredictable. Throughout its time on the air, The Wonder Years had been awarded a Peabody Award, multiple Humanitas Prizes, four Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe for its comedic excellence and desire to deliver a timely series with a lot of heart.