ABC has given an official series order to the reboot of The Wonder Years. The series will join the drama series Queens and comedies Maggie and Abbott Elementary as new shows on the 2021-22 broadcast schedule at ABC.
The reboot of The Wonder Years is a coming of age story set in the late 1960s that takes a nostalgic look back at a black middle class-family in Montgomery, Alabama. Told through the point-of-view of imaginative 12-year-old Dean (Elisha "EJ" Williams), we see his recollections of how his family found their "wonder years" through Dean's wisdom as an adult as he reminiscences about his childhood during a very turbulent time in history. Along with Willimas, the series also stars Dule Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Laura Kariuki, Julian Lerner, Amari O'Neil, and Milan Kay. Don Cheadle will also narrate the series as the adult version of Dean.
The original series ran for six seasons and a total of 115 episodes. The show, which takes place from 1968 to 1973, followed Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), a teenager growing up in a suburban middle-class family. The series also starred Dan Lauria as his father Jack, Alley Mills as his mother Normas, Jason Harvey as his brother Wayne, Olivia d'Abo as his sister Karen, Josh Saviano as his best friend Paul Pfeiffer, and Danica McKellar as his girlfriend Winnie Cooper. Daniel Stern also classically narrated the series as an adult version of Kevin Arnold.
The Wonder Years was a hit with audiences and critics alike. The series earned a spot in the Nielsen Top 30 during its first four seasons and, after airing only six episodes, the show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding comedy series in 1988. Fred Savage also became the youngest person ever nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the age of 13. Savage is returning as an executive producer for the reboot and he directed the pilot episode as well. In addition to Savage, Saladin Patterson serves as an executive producer and writer while Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniel Entertainment are also a part of the series as executive producers.
As for the other drama series joining ABC, Queens follows four women in their 40s who reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had as the Nasty Bitches, their '90s group that made legends in the hip-hop world. The series stars Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez, Taylor Sele, Pepi Sonuga, and Brandy.
On the comedy front, Abbott Elementary follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers, and a slightly tone-deaf principal, that are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do, even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children. The series stars Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Lastly, there's the comedy Maggie, which is based on the short film of the same name by Tim Curcio. The series follows a young woman (Rebecca Rittenhouse) trying to cope with life as a psychic. Maggie regularly sees the fate of her friends, parents, clients, and random strangers on the street, but when she suddenly sees a glimpse of her own future, Maggie is forced to start living in her own present. Along with Rittenhouse, Maggie stars David Del Rio, Nichole Sakura, Angelique Cabral, Leonardo Nam, Ray Ford, Chloe Bridges, Kerri Kenney, and Chris Elliott.
Will YOU be watching the reboot of The Wonder Years? Do the other new ABC pick-ups sound like shows YOU would watch?