The Wonder Years is a coming-of-age dramedy that follows 12-year-old Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) as he grows up in the suburbs in 1968. Kevin’s family consists of father Jack (Dan Lauria), mother Norma (Alley Mills), hippie older sister Karen (Olivia d’Abo) and jock/slacker older brother Wayne (Jason Hervey). Kevin’s best friend is Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano), a nerdy kid who seems to be allergic to everything. And living next door is Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar), a childhood friend of Kevin’s who has now developed into a crush. The series is narrated by an older Kevin Arnold (Daniel Stern) who is reflecting upon these informative years and events in his life.
I originally watched this series when it aired in the late ’80s, and seeing it again for the first time 25 years later, it still holds up really well. Fred Savage is perfectly cast as Kevin Arnold—the actor gives an excellent performance that is both vulnerable and confident. Each episode evokes a feeling of nostalgia while also exploring timeless coming-of-age topics and drama. The relationships between the family members feel very real—I can definitely relate to Kevin fighting with/getting picked on by his older brother.
There is also a lot of humor spread throughout the episodes, even when dealing with more serious topics. Episodes also occasionally break into a fantasy sequence where, in his mind, Kevin Arnold does something heroic that he is too timid to actually do in reality. This aspect reminded me a bit of A Christmas Story, especially with the narration as well.
This 2-disc DVD collection contains all 6 episodes of the short first season of the series. Each episode runs about 24 minutes:
- “Pilot” (Original Air Date: January 31, 1988)
Summer is ending and Kevin, Paul and Winnie start their first year of junior high, when the realities of war strike close to home. - “Swingers” (Original Air Date: March 22, 1988)
After attending a sex education class in school, Kevin and Paul become obsessed with learning more about the opposite sex. Meanwhile, Kevin struggles with how to make the next move with Winnie. - “My Father’s Office” (Original Air Date: March 29, 1988)
Kevin is curious to know what his father does all day long, and why he’s always grumpy when he returns home. So Kevin spends the day with his dad at the office. - “Angel” (Original Air Date: April 5, 1988)
Kevin doesn’t like Karen’s new boyfriend (John Corbett) who is cheating on his sister, and tries to get the rest of the family on board. - “The Phone Call” (Original Air Date: April 12, 1988)
Kevin is terrified to call his new crush Lisa Berlini (Kathy Wagner), and an attempt to find out if she likes him leads to the Great Intermediary Fiasco. - “Dance with Me” (Original Air Date: April 19, 1988)
Kevin debates whether to go to the Fall dance since both Lisa and Winnie already have other dates.
I really enjoyed these episodes, particularly “My Father’s Office” as it’s something you wouldn’t expect to see so early on in the series. It helps inform the characters, and gives viewers (and Kevin) a better understanding and appreciation of Jack Arnold and the sacrifices he makes for his family.
This DVD release includes all of the original broadcast music for the episodes—over 20 songs, with classics by The Byrds, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, Smokey Robinson, and Joe Cocker’s rendition of “With a Little Help from My Friends” that serves as the show’s unforgettable theme song. The music is so well-integrated into the series that it’s great that they were able to include it all. For example, during Kevin’s first kiss we get Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman”, and when Kevin is passing notes with a girl in class, we hear Joe Cocker’s “The Letter”.
As for the DVD presentation itself, I would say it’s probably the best the show is going to look given its age, but being used to watching HD television these days, I found the picture quite washed out and a bit hazy/cloudy at times. In the pilot there is some home video footage that looks even worse. That said, I got used to the picture as I marathoned the episodes—it wasn’t until I watched the bonus features afterwards that I realized how clear an SD picture could look. As for the audio presentation, I found the stereo audio track unremarkable, but more than sufficient—all of the dialogue and music is clear.
The DVD set also contains almost two and half hours of interviews with the cast, which provide an interesting and entertaining look back at the series.
What’s Included:
Episodes: (2:23:18)
- All 6 episodes of the first season:
“Pilot”, “Swingers”, “My Father’s Office”, “Angel”, “The Phone Call”, “Dance With Me” - Standard Definition / 1.33:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
- Closed Captions
Extras:
All bonus features are presented in 4:3 format like the rest of the series, but with a much crisper picture.
- A Wonderful Day: Highlights From The Cast Reunion (20:24)
On May 28, 2014, Time Life got the cast back together in Los Angeles, California to record a series of interviews for the DVD releases. This fun and entertaining special is broken down into two segments. In the first, cast members Olivia d’Abo (“Karen Arnold”), Danica McKellar (“Winnie Cooper”), Fred Savage (“Kevin Arnold”), Alley Mills (“Norma Arnold”), Jason Hervey (“Wayne Arnold”) and Josh Saviano (“Paul Pfeiffer”) take the stage and reminisce about what it was like working on the series. They talk about accents, the first kiss, as well as a lot of behind-the-scenes tidbits. In the second half, Dan Lauria (“Jack Arnold”) joins the rest of the Arnold family around a recreation of the dinner table set as they discuss the “My Father’s Office” episode, the food, some of their favorite family moments, show business careers and more. Also includes a live performance by composer W.G. “Snuffy” Walden. - Featurette: With a Little Help from My Friends – The Early Days of The Wonder Years (24:36)
The cast and creators talk about the the genesis of the series, the locations, the casting process, and the characters and themes of the show. Includes interviews with co-creator Neal Marlens & Carol Black, narrator Daniel Stern, location manager Alicia Alexander, composer W.G. “Snuffy” Walden, and actors Fred Savage, Crystal McKellar (“Becky Slater”), Danica McKellar, Mahaila McKellar (Danica & Crystal’s Mom), Jason Hervey, Josh Saviano, Olivia d’Abo, Alley Mills, Dan Lauria, and Robert Picardo (“Coach Cutlip”). - Interviews with…
A collection of 4 extensive and informative interviews. Select from:- Co-Creators Neal Marlens & Carol Black (33:55)
Interview segments include “Bringing The Wonder Years Into Being”, “The Narration”, “The Inspiration”, “The Location”, “The Cast & Crew”, “Jack & Karen”, “‘My Father’s Office'”, “‘Our Miss White'”, “Pottery Will Get You Nowhere”, “Premiering After The Super Bowl” and “The Reception”. - Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold) (29:26)
Interview segments include “Starting Out”, “Getting The Job”, “Moving To Los Angeles”, “The Wonder Years’ Moms”, “Learning The Character”, “Jason Hervey As Wayne Arnold”, “Karen & Kevin”, “Josh Saviano As Paul Pfeiffer”, “Dan Lauria & Alley Mills”, “Norma’s Evolution”, “Daniel Stern”, “Guest Stars”, “Working With Crystal McKellar”, “Kevin & Winnie’s Love Interests”, “The First Kiss”, “‘My Father’s Office'”, “Watching The Finished Shows”, “The Music”, “Acting With… A Piece Of Tape?”, “Winnie’s Point Of View” and “Being A Kid In The ’60s”. - Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper) (12:18)
Interview segments include “Getting The Job”, “Getting Educated”, “Acting With ‘Fred'”, “Becoming Famous”, “Just Being A Kid”, “Winnie Cooper”, “Kevin Arnold”, “The Music”, “Neal Marlens & Carol Black”, “The Working Week”, “Art Imitating Life”, “Working With Josh Saviano”, “Awkward Pauses”, “‘Swingers'” and “Understanding The ’60s” - Josh Saviano (Paul Pfeiffer) (21:35)
Interview segments include “Getting Started”, “Auditioning For The Wonder Years“, “The Premiere”, “The Show Getting Picked Up”, “Getting Recognized”, “Moving To Los Angeles”, “Playing A Kid From The ’60s”, “Cast & Crew”, “Skip Cook Key Grip”, “Fred Savage”, “Kevin Arnold”, “Winnie Cooper” and “Paul Pfeiffer”.
- Co-Creators Neal Marlens & Carol Black (33:55)
- 10-page full-color booklet
Final Thoughts:
While the first season of The Wonder Years is quite short, the 6 episodes included on this set provide a solid two and a half hours of entertainment. There is also an additional two and a half hours of entertaining and informative interviews with the cast and creators of the series. While the picture quality is a bit sub-par, the DVD set comes recommended based on quality and merits of the show itself, as well as the bonus material.
