The Wonder Years (2021–2023) User Reviews

A Charming, Deep Show

[AnimatedCritic · 8/10 · 23 September 2021]

I was a little skeptical about this reboot, but I actually found it to be pretty good. It's a charming show about a 12 year old boy discovering his path in life. It's a charming premise, and it's handled well. The show can also be deep and emotional, with the death of Martin Luther King affecting everyone. Some issues is that a little to much happens in this episode, and there could be a little less of Don Cheadle's narrating. Not that he does a bad job, he does a great job, be he sometimes talked over scenes that shouldn't have needed narration.

But besides that, it a charming take on the Wonder Years, that's also deep and emotional.

Narrator Don Cheadle asks "Why do songs about oppression have to be sooooooo long?" I always asked the same question too!

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 30 September 2021]

That is the question the main character Dean Williams (Elisha Williams) shouts out in church at Sunday mass much to the dismay of his parents. Little do they know that their young son Dean just got his heart broken by witnessing his two best friends kissing in the pilot episode. A-List actor Don Cheadle narrates each episode through the eyes of the series young star Dean Williams.

For those negative IMDB reviewers who just couldn't wait to knock the series on the first day the series was aired, you better be prepared to eat your words as I see a very, very bright future for this re-boot 1960's TV series as seen through the eyes of the narrator Don Cheadle, an African American who lives with his middle class family in a middle class neighborhood.

This families stories, episode after episode, will gradually reflect back on any middle aged viewers who also lived through this period (as I did) whether you are black, brown, white or yellow skinned.

As the late great John Lennon wrote, "all we are saying is give peace a chance". All I am saying, is give this 1960's re-boot TV series as seen through the eyes of a middle class African American family a chance too!

I give the series an 8 out of 10 IMDB rating. Just one last comment, I love Dean's bicycle with the high handle bars and banana seat. Now those were the "Wonder Years".

Great 1st episode.

[moesizlak81 · 8/10 · 23 September 2021]

Pretty funny and set the tone and atmosphere really well. The actors were charming and endearing. Looking forward to where it goes in future episodes.

Who is the target?

[amexspam · 24 September 2021]

Nostalgia TV shows use timeframes targeting an audience when they were children. The original Wonder Years came out in the '80s and showed the 60s - going after 30 somethings; the same target as Happy Days (70s/50s) and The 70s Show (90s/70s). The furthest afield was the Waltons (70s/30s) that went after 50-ishes. The new "The Wonder Years" takes place over 50 years ago. The series writer was not yet born. The name implies a nostalgia show, but the target market would be septuagenarians. The more likely answer is the show is not nostalgia, but creative fiction using a spot in time - which is common in storytelling. If so, they could have picked a better name.

It's not woke or political. This is how it was.

[kgsouth · 10/10 · 24 September 2021]

It's absolutely pathetic to see people judge this without seeing it or because the cast is black. You can call it political or close your eyes to it but this is how it was in 1960. It's not "woke" it's real life.

The characters are just getting fleshed out the story is just beginning and I am looking forward to seeing what stories unfold. It's 2021 and people act like these stories should just be buried... Or the infamous "get over it". Stop it. Stop it now.. to quote another closed minded reviewer here.

The original story has not been destroyed because this one exists. Regardless Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) himself is involved with the making of this show.

I love this series

[stormyweather_keeps_raining · 9/10 · 2 December 2021]

I sure hope it gets renewed. I can't fathom why anyone would give this show a low rating. It's entertaining, the actors are great, the themes are great, the settings are well done. I just love everything. I have laughed more watching this than I have for a long time. I am in my 60s though so I remember the era well. I look forward to each episode.

So far, so great!

[and_shove_it_up_your_butt · 7/10 · 23 September 2021]

Usually I am adamantly against remakes. So much so that I refuse to watch them. What's the point honestly? Have you seen what they've done to shows like He-Man. Knight Rider or the movie Nightmare on Elm Street? If they remake Three's Company, The Golden Girls or The Wiz (yes, it's a remake but it doesn't count) I'm jumping off the edge of the planet.

Initially I rolled my eyes over Wonder Years 2.0 but when I saw Don Cheadle in the credits I took a chance. I'm glad that I did. The Wonder Years 2.0 makes sense because it's not re-telling the same story about the same family. We are now on the other side of the city with a Black family and this changes everything. I love what they've done so far and I can't wait for them to really dig into this decade from our perspective.

Misses the point

[JaeBianca · 4/10 · 2 October 2021]

As a black female who watched the original Wonder Years at the age of 10, I feel like whoever greenlighted this series misunderstood why it worked when it did. In the 80s there was a a great deal of 60s nostalgia, especially with music. The Beach Boys we're back on the charts and Frankie & Annette were once again movie stars. Young people nowadays feel the same kind of nostalgia about the 90s, if not later. And quite frankly, 35 years later, I find the characters somewhat unrelatable. In the reboot, I find them downright unlikable. There isn't even a soundtrack so good that I can ignore the unremarkable casting.

Based on Pilot...Loved it

[marymcfarland-01866 · 8/10 · 23 September 2021]

This is how to properly reboot a classic. Totally fresh take, great casting, loved the beginning narration showing that 50 years later, everything is pretty much the same. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ignore the low rating. Definitely worth the watch.

Gentle comedy about family life in the 60's from a different than usual perspective !

[johnalewis-45894 · 7/10 · 23 September 2021]

As usual any show showing life in the good ol' US of A from anything but a Lilly-white perspective is immediately called "too political"!

I remember watching the original series whilst still at school and wondering where all the diversity in America is? I was getting into rock, blues and jazz music and Jimi Hendrix was my hero.

This seems to a gentle comedy show about late 1960's era family life in a black middle class neighborhood in the south. But it will not shy away from showing a black perspective.

Good start, hope the characters and story live up to the premise. We shall see.

stop making reboots of our classics

[pinico · 1/10 · 19 June 2022]

Nonsense reboot, and far inferior of the original classic series. Writers are becoming lazy, predictable, woke and unoriginal. It is pathetic when shows like this push agendas instead or focusing in a good story.

Superb!

[kbrabant · 9/10 · 23 September 2021]

I found this episode to be well written and wonderfully acted. I can't wait to enjoy the rest of the series.

Not a Remake, a New Chapter

[NosCustodimus · 7/10 · 23 September 2021]

I enjoyed the pilot. The adult cast is excellent with familiar faces (and voices!). The acting, writing, etc. Wasn't stellar in the pilot (which is normal), but I think it'll all improve as the series progresses. They nailed the look (as far as I can tell) and there were a few things that really hit close to home for me, positively and negatively, but always poignantly.

I laughed out loud a couple times, as I'm sure did others who remember being told to "stay out of grown folks business" and that being the last word on the subject. I have had at least three teachers/ coaches (just the ones I can remember off the top of my head) who, as the show puts it, "[weren't] prejudiced" and clearly were. I might've also laughed a bit too hard at the baseball scene as I flashed back to similar situations. I think, like any period piece, The Wonder Years (2021) will be enjoyed by everyone in the target demographic and maybe sway a few others if they're open-minded enough to learn another chapter of the Wonder Years story. Give it a watch. You'll enjoy it.

-----

And it's on that note that this review diverges to address the larger discussion: Nostalgia vs Revisionist History. First and foremost, as someone who once wrote a paper on The Wonder Years (true story, 7th grade English), anyone saying this show is "too political, unlike the original" has not seen the original and should have their review deleted. Imagery in the first 10 secs of the original pilot disproves this. 1x04 includes a dinner table political debate wherein a draftee alludes to the possibility of fleeing to Canada. These aren't the only time "politics" were addressed in the original series, as anyone would tell you who actually watched the show and understood it.

It's disappointing (though painfully predictable) that people who clearly know nothing about the show, the time, or the culture would make such a concerted, vitriolic effort to downvote a show simply for daring to tell the second chapter of a story from a non-White perspective. This anger on their part actually proves the larger point: that shows like this are necessary. People need to see and learn different perspectives and experiences and they need to see them in the mainstream, not tucked away on a niche streaming service or channel that can be dismissed and ignored by those hoping to maintain the status quo while silencing diverse voices.

Southerners with Northern Accents...hmmm

[labenji-12163 · 2/10 · 27 December 2022]

1968 Montgomery, Alabama and no one has a southern accent. I can't get beyond that. Additionally, I have to agree with another viewer that asks the question about who is the target audience. I was born in 1968, therefore I really don't remember life before the 80s, when i turned 12 in 1980 and graduated elementary school, life prior to this date I clearly recall my childhood, but no what was going on in the world...so today at 54, I can't relate to this show. Considering we are 20+ years into a new millennia perhaps Hollywood should consider the Wonder Years to be the 1980s or 90s, as anyone born in the late 1950s early 60s is probably not up at 9 pm watching TV.

Love it so far!!!

[Expat-in-America · 10/10 · 23 September 2021]

After just the first episode I know I want to keep recording and continue watching! Usually it takes me a few episodes to warm up to a new show, but this one is really funny and totally entertaining.

I was a HUGE fan of the original series, as I was born in the 70s and was a kid in the 80s, the same age as the cast. I am very glad this new version seems to get it, what the original show was about, being that age in an era of important changes but more worried about getting the girl/boy of your dreams because most of it went over your head. Nice to see a reboot that has heart.

I'm looking forward to watching more!

[genesteve · 8/10 · 24 September 2021]

I'm a fan of the original series and made a mental note to watch this when it premiered. The pacing is quicker than the original, which reflects the change in TV production over the past 35 years (and shortened attention spans). And there was maybe a bit too much narration for the pilot. But I love that viewers get to experience the same timeframe portrayed in the original through a different cultural lens. There is so much that can be covered in this series, and I for one am looking forward to going on the journey with these characters.

Woke what!?

[rickyedington · 23 September 2021]

Now I'm usually the first to call out the woke society but the pilot was fantastic. Stop calling it a remake. Stop jumping to conclusions. Give it a chance. Things actually happen this way back then. No matter what you want to believe.

Could have been better

[xenafina-72554 · 7/10 · 8 October 2022]

I love the premise of the show. As a black American with solid roots in the South, I was disappointed that they opt'd to not have the actors speak with southern accents.

While I love Dule Hill as Burton Guster, his character was a miscast, in my opinion. It would have been better if he used his own speaking voice versus the one he chose.

I do appreciate the topics they discussed, as I found them very relevant and relatable to my life; however, I believe they should have made it about a family in the 80s vs the 60s. Would have been great to see a Cosby Show 2.0 but not trying to actually BE the Cosby Show. I believe it would have definitely been more relatable to a wider audience.

Sucks

[mustanglovr-39525 · 1/10 · 21 August 2023]

Took 1 of the greatest shows from the 80s 90s and ruined it. Seems like the people in today's age enjoying ruining shows and movie's. It's like taken Sanford and Son's making it an all white cast in today's way of making new shows. Better yet let's take Bill Cosby show and make it an all white show also. Better let's make Madea an old white lady instead of an old black lady. Let's take Black Panther and turn it into an all white cast to make it fair and equal. See what I mean here. I am not the only 1 that is very sore over this show but I am the only 1 that isn't scared to post my opinions and thoughts of reality. So if you don't like my review it shows your a weak salty Karen that hates facts.

Fresh take on a classic!

[sarahkolar-97383 · 8/10 · 23 September 2021]

Just watched the first episode and definitely going to keep tuning in! Show revolves around family, growing up and all the ups and downs of life! Most people will be able to find something to connect to with this show. Loving the fresh take and ensuring that we amplify voices of those whose stories aren't always shared!

different type of nostalgia

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 14 November 2023]

It's 1968 Montgomery, Alabama. Dean Williams (Elisha Williams) is 12, youngest of three, and the narrator (Don Cheadle) of the show. His father Bill Williams (Dulé Hill) is a working musician. The first episode ends with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.

ABC brings back one of its most beloved show. Instead of a white family, they are centering this around a black family. Oddly, they do not change the time period. That is probably its big mistake or a great idea. The idea would be showing another side of the original show. Back in the 80's, 1968 would hold great nostalgic factor for most of the Boomers. By now, it's ancient history and most of the audience were not even alive during that time. What I found is that I'm nostalgic for the 80's TV show. It's a different type of nostalgia and probably not as effective. I do like the characters and the family. It doesn't have quite the same Winnie Cooper. It lasted only two seasons.

Why?

[HorribleDrBones · 1/10 · 2 October 2021]

Just a cheap knock off of a great show. It's capitalizing off the recognition of the original series. I loved the original "Wonder Years" but after seeing the first two episodes of this version, I won't even recognize this updated show as existing.

I like these people

[bendwbl · 8/10 · 6 January 2022]

Nice group of characters to spend time with. No furious or clueless parents. No bratty kids. No screaming. The show is warm. Everyone in the family likes each other. Their friends are lovely people.

This is the kind of series I need.

Up to episode 8 and enjoying it

[JackHammer69 · 7/10 · 11 July 2023]

There is an agenda in this show, yes. But it's delivered in such a way that they're not clobbering you over the head with it. If they were to make it realistic, the show would have been another HBO style R rated (or NC-17) drama/thriller. We've already seen "Them" and we get the point. Pretty sure anybody with a heart will never be able to watch that tragedy again.

I think the people who are really upset with this show are probably hardline Christians - and Aryan fanciers...

To me, this show contains some of the spirit of the original with its lessons, Dean's overly dramatic daydreams and some of the family dynamics. However, Bill Williams is just cool - he's no terrifying Jack Arnold 😂 Just a look from Jack scared the crud out of me when I was a kid.

The original show and this one contain some filler, but life contains a LOT of filler. It's good to chill out a bit while watching things.

So Woke

[mtuller-43808 · 1/10 · 28 April 2022]

I watched 3 episodes and that was enough. Woke garbage. Disney, ABC just seems to be making shows that are trying to create a division of people in our society.