In 1988, ABC aired the first episode of The Wonder Years immediately after the network’s coverage of Super Bowl XXII. Little did anyone know, the touching drama would span over six series, run for nearly five years, and entertain fans through 115 incredible episodes. The series had everything going for it but the most important was the very relatable Arnold family which closely resembled many American families at the time. The quintessential family with a white-collar father, feuding but loving brothers, an unselfish mother, and one daughter going against the grain.

It had just enough realism and relatability to establish an emotional connection with every one of us. The show was perfectly crafted to subtly touch on many controversial topics without force-feeding the viewer preconceived notions. Each episode was unique whether humorous, insightful, or deeply distressing. Many left the viewer grappling with their ideologies, existence, and other deep moral issues. When the inspired recreation was announced in July 2020, we all hoped for the best.

A show like The Wonder Years could unite despite today’s chaos and strife. We all could’ve used an emotionally charged drama that could’ve brought people together as Americans and humans. As for the new Wonder Years, it follows a young African American boy, Dean Williams, growing up in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1960s. While Dean has a sister, Kim, there is no bully older brother. Dean’s father is a musician and music professor. Lillian is the loving mother and Don Cheadle narrates as an older Dean.

Dean has a cool friend Cory, a Jewish friend Brad, and a young love interest Kesia. While there are many similarities to the hit classic, everything that made the original great doesn’t translate to the new adaptation. Having watched the first episode several hours ago and having time to analyze everything, I think I can fairly review the pilot and potentially the remaining episodes if they stick with an identical formula. We’ll start with the good. The narration was good although a bit overdone, the dynamic family was compelling, and the characters grappling with history was interesting.

Unfortunately, the good elements end there. The Wonder Years hasn’t convinced me it’ll live up to the highest standards established by its infallible predecessor. The father’s career as a musician was a sore spot. While a minor annoyance, viewers may struggle to connect with something they simply cannot relate to. The family members were strong in their own respective ways, but the family unit itself was weak. The dialogue and actions of the main characters never felt like a truthful family dynamic, nor did the characters ever have any real emotional connection to one another.

Perhaps the biggest issues were the pacing and camera work. Due to the amateurish combination, The Wonder Years feels a bit like being strapped to a carousel rapidly spinning out of control while your stomach churns. With the camera and story jumping all over the place, any value the hasty storylines had was lost midway through. Finally, the writing was less than ideal. The controversial topics could’ve been more emotional and powerful if the viewer wasn’t bashed over the head with them repeatedly.

With clever, thoughtful writing and a slower pace, these hard-hitting subjects might’ve meant something, but they were emotionless thanks to the halfhearted, inept application. The writers shamefully blew an opportunity to effectively portray these subjects which obviously mean a great deal to everyone involved. Perhaps without The Wonder Years name, the show could’ve stood on its own and became something unique. Thanks to its predecessor’s success and legacy, The Wonder Years had big shoes to fill but also a clear path for success. The modernization of The Wonder Years will not be successful, but it should serve as a lesson to stick with the proven formula when imitating classics.

We needed The Wonder Years and we needed it to be highly effective and gut-wrenching. That and the fact it has taken the classic branding makes the show an even bigger disappointment. Many viewers will likely drop out before the second episode. Nobody would blame them. A lot of improvements could make the show equal to its predecessor, but it’ll likely never get the chance to patch up its many holes.