Easily one of my favorite shows during its run, Growing Pains was the sort of semi-zany, easy to digest fare that I think serves a great purpose in the television industry. A lot of people grew up with the Seavers, with semi-rebellious Mike and cohort Boner driving the majority of the antic-fueled plotlines.
The mad mix of family dynamic that made the Seaver household operate at varying degrees of chaos was a staple of the late-80s diet, and while the brain, academically-challenged, and cute kid mix was a bit close to the already popular Family Ties, there was clearly room for the somewhat wilder incarnation.
For all that the Seavers were largely a vehicle of nonsense (but, acceptable, sitcom nonsense), there was a certainly reality to the family that kept viewers coming back, and gave the show what it needed for an impressive run.
Of course, the mid-80s made for a vastly different world of television, and that had a lot to do with the success (or at least long-term run) of a lot of shows. I wouldn’t normally refer to other articles in my own review of a DVD release (much less defer to them), but Jeff Giles has a great piece on this release over at PopDose, and I encourage you to check it out (link at botttom).
Basically, it was a time in TV history when Growing Pains could pull in some 20 million viewers and still be 8th in the rankings. That number would put you at the top today, but Growing Pains was on against Matlock, and there were only so many choices for you to make. That kind of market can explain a lot of shows that have you scratching your head today.
But, as Mr. Giles goes on, Growing Pains holds up rather well, and while the world at large might explain a lot of things during the time, I think there’s more than just limited choice at play with this one.
As I say, there was a certain reality to the mix that added to the overall experience. Mom and Dad were realistically at each other to a certain degree over the odd issue, and flat out disagreed about how to handle certain situations. Mike had odd ideas about making his way through the world, but from the perspective of people who know the odd ideas teenagers really have about life, the universe, and everything. Well, not always, of course, but in general.
The show also makes for a great example of how those were better times for the production of shows, because here’s one that didn’t really get its feet under it until the second season. The better part of the first season overplayed the shticky angles of the show. Mike was screwier than he needed to be. Dad was too far foil, and not enough legitimate character in his own right. Brainy Carol was mostly punchline caricature. In today’s world, the show probably wouldn’t live long enough to come into its own.
Sure, it’s not Shakespeare, but it’s a solid show, and one that is worth owning. Oddly enough, I don’t actually think a lot of shows are worth owning. Renting, definitely, but to go back through more than once? Not really. This one is though. It’s not going to make you laugh out loud a lot, but it’s a nice piece of family-friendly entertainment, and it really does have a lot going for it.
The DVD set has all 22 episodes, but sadly, not a bonus to be found.
Own it on DVD today!
Catch a couple of clips below.
Congratulations…you’re fired. Mike (Kirk Cameron) receives a car from his pleased parents after he’s named Employee of the Month. (So how’s he going to tell them he’s been canned?) Mike’s not the only one with secrets. Brainy Carol (Tracey Gold) wants everyone to think she has a romantic extracurricular life with a hunky football hero. And what’s up with 10-year-old Ben (Jeremy Miller) and those 67 calls to a sex line? (No, it’s not what you might think.) These events don’t all happen at the same time, but they do all happen at the same place: the Season 2 home-sweet-ho-ho-home of the Seavers – dad Jason (Alan Thicke), mom Maggie (Joanna Kerns), three on-the-grow kids. Jason works as a psychiatrist. You think maybe it’s time to add some family appointments to his calendar?
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Related articles
- TV on DVD: “Growing Pains: The Complete Second Season” (popdose.com)
