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35 reviews in total

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19 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
A solid, family sitcom that has faded with time, 7 September 2003
Author: steve-575 from pa

Like many series from the 80s, "Growing Pain" was one of those long-running shows that was immensely popular at the time but has kind of fizzled out 25 years later. It is rarely seen in syndication and has only released two seasons on DVD.

The show originally centered around upper class parents Maggie and Jason Seaver and their pains raising three kids: Mike, Carol, and Ben. The show had the unenviable task of being aired at around the same time as two highly-rated and similar-themed family sitcoms: "Family Ties" and "The Cosby Show". While it was never as critically acclaimed as "Family Ties" nor as groundbreaking as "The Cosby Show", "Growing Pains" built up a loyal fan following that allowed it to run for 7 seasons.

In some ways, the show was both exactly similar and exactly opposite to "Family Ties". Maggie and Jason were similar to Steven and Elyse in their methods of parenting. Mike was basically the anti-Alex Keaton. While Alex was a habitual overachiever, Mike was the chronic underachiever who was always trying to talk his way out of trouble. Carol was the anti-Mallory Keaton. While Mallory was shallow, ditzy and popular, Carol was brainy, deep and struggled to fit in. Ben was similar to Jennifer Keaton. He was cute as a youngster but as he got older, he never really did anything to stand out. He wasn't as outgoing and charming as Mike and wasn't as smart as Carol. The similarities don't end there. Both shows added babies late in their runs and both babies mysteriously aged like 3 years during the summer hiatuses. Both Mike and Alex had strange best friends with weird names (Boner and Skippy). Both Carol and Mallory had weird, spacey boyfriends (Dwight and Nick). Both shows started with the parents being the focus and then shifted to the children with Michael J. Fox and Kirk Cameron becoming the faces of their respective shows.

As the shows ratings began to fall, the producers began to bring new characters to try and breathe new life into the show. Maggie gave birth to Chrissy in the third season. Between seasons 5 and 6, she showed "remarkable maturity". They also brought in Luke (Leonardo DiCaprio) as a homeless kid that the Seavers adopt for a season and Dwight as Carol's weirdo boyfriend.

In the later years, the show lost some of the dynamics that made it a top-rated sitcom but was still very entertaining nonetheless. The ongoing conflict between Mike and his parents had run its course. Mike had gone from being an irresponsible teen to a very responsible adult who was in charge of Luke. Carol was seen less during the final season as Tracy Gold had temporarily left the show. The producers had almost tried too hard to make Ben into a younger version of Mike. I think they eventually realized that it was not working and brought in Luke.

While the show dealt with many serious subjects, it never really took itself too seriously and found different ways to be creative. There was a show where Ben dreams that he was actually Jeremy Miller (the actor who played him) and everyone began to act as if they were not their respective characters but the actors playing them who were part of a show called "Meet The Seavers". There were also several variations on the opening song. On one episode, Mike was in an acting class where they reenacted the opening song. On another episode, Maggie went into labor at the end of the opening credits.

While this show has lost steam since it went off the air in 1992, it was one of the last truly traditional family sitcoms to grace the airwaves. With most sitcoms today being adult-themed, it is refreshing to go back in time and watch a well-meaning family show like "Growing Pains".

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17 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
only love`n it!, 11 December 2003
Author: yuxu (yuxuyeah@yahoo.com.cn) from nanjing CHINA

In china,it played every summer vocation,I have seen it twice in this and last summer.In fact,the first time I saw it is about in early 90s`,when I was over ten years old,that made me happy. Today I am 20 years old and I still love it,even more!I think it`s the great example of America family,great love in family,love each other. I wish when I have my own children,I can sit down with them and my wife,in front of the TV,watch it!

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14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Best Sitcom Ever., 26 August 2001
Author: Liz H from Ontario, Canada

Growing Pains was definitely the show to watch during the dreaded 80's. Kirk Cameron (Mike) was the heart-throb of the show, and it seriously got funnier every episode. There was not ONE THING wrong with this show, (although I did really want to see something FINALLY happen with Boner & Carol), but that's a whole other story. Best Show Ever. You know you want to admit it.

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15 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Very Underrated, 30 September 2001
Author: levonhughey2000 from Cleveland, OH

Growing Pains is one of the greatest shows of the 1980's. However, because of "The Cosby Show" and "Family Ties" and other great shows during the late 80's, the show is constantly overlooked and very underrated. The show had very good acting. It is a shame that this show is constantly overlooked when we talk about the greatest shows in the 80's

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Awesome 80's show!, 18 May 2002
Author: meggy_m (meggy_m@hotmail.com) from Pennsylvania, USA

Growing Pains is one of the greatest family sitcoms to come from the 80's. There is a certain amount of cheesiness there, but that's what makes it so good! Not to mention Kirk Cameron and all of his hotness! Try to catch the reruns on Fox Family channel!

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
really miss in todays tv!, 21 April 2003
Author: brookelyn (HipChic960@msn.com) from michigan, usa

I know most of the people who comment on this probably were teenagers in th 1980's, I however was not. I first saw "Growing Pains" in 1999 as reruns . I fell in love with the show and later learned it was canceled already, then Disney threw it out the window. Fox Family picked it up three years later but they threw it out again. I really think this show is greatly missed by thousands of fans of the show. They say oh well the kids grew up times changed but their could have been so many more episodes and there should have been. I really think that the reruns should be picked up again and this time kept for a while or something like that. Look at the Brady Bunch most people I know hate that show and its a 70's show here its reruns play all the time constantly but yet a sit-com like growing pains from the 80's with more reality and morals is left behind. What's with that?

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7 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
It's not the best but it sure beats most other shows, 26 June 2002

Author: (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States

After the family ties success on NBC, ABC developed Growing Pains to rival it about the Seavers with their 3 children in Long Island, New York. Nobody in this show has the New York accent but it still beats other shows. Kirk Cameron became a huge teen star in the eighties. Tracey Gold shined as the middle sister, Carol Seaver. Alan Thicke finally had a successful show in his lifetime and Joanna Kerns came out of her big sister Donna Devarona's shadows as the Growing Pains mom. The writing could have been better and the show could have equaled Family Ties but nowadays, a show like this would have got Emmys. Sure, it was sweet and full of saccharine but I miss it now.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Kirk Cameron, the hot-tie, 18 February 2007

Author: haygirl9 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Growing Pains is an excellent sitcom! Besides, Kirk Cameron is WAY cute! 8-)! It shows real life situations and deals with them accordingly. It's a show you can sit down and watch with your parents and not be embarrassed. Even the episode where they deal with sex is done in a classy way. I mean, sure, it is about sex, but you could still let a 10-year-old watch it. I think the cast is excellent. Maggie and Jason seem like believable parents. I really connected with Carol. She seemed a lot like me, in the fact that we are both over achievers and want to do well in college and life. I think that Ben is so cute. I especially thought is character was well developed on the episode where he reveals that when he is nervous he eats a lot. It was really funny, especially coming from a 10-year-old kid!

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Good show!, 15 December 2000
Author: Monika-5 from United States

I still love the fantastic wit Growing Pains has! Even in reruns, this show still makes me laugh--a lot. With a talented cast like this, I'm surprised none of them made it big in Hollywood (except for you-know-who from Titanic). The Seavers were one of my favorite TV families and I was sad when the show left the air. I also loved the recent reunion movie!

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A great show!, 11 November 2000
Author: Anya-fan from USA

This show is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. It's fun watching the kids grow up and change. Unlike many sitcoms, each of them has his or her own personality and that makes for some very funny and truthful episodes. I can relate to all of the characters at different points, and it's a very pleasant way to spend my afternoon.

Note Leonardo DiCaprio in around the last season. Odd that he's on there, but quite good. :)

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