The Wonder Years Trailer: The Classic TV Series Is Back With A New Perspective

"The Wonder Years" was a formative series for a lot of Gen-Xers and (man, I hate this term) Elder Millennials. The show followed a suburban kid going through the seemingly insurmountable mountain that is coming of age at a time when the world was changing all around them. ABC is relaunching the show from a different perspective and the trailer for this reboot just dropped.

The Song Is Still The Same

This new series stars Elisha Williams as Dean Williams and is set in the same time period as the original show. Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) didn't have an easy go of things with a butt-head big brother and the most angsty crush on his best friend that has ever befallen a tween, but Dean Williams will surely have even more stuff to deal with.

The late '60s was a time of change for everyone, but particularly for people of color. This show is set just a few years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the perspective of a Black family in this time period is certainly going to be different than a white one.

It does look like this new "Wonder Years" is hitting some familiar notes, though, and I'm not just talking about the title song. Poor Dean's got it bad for a girl in his neighborhood, too, and if they play that up even half as good as the original show did there's going to be a whole new generation madly in love with a fictional character. There is not a person born between 1976 and 1986 who isn't still, to some degree, in love with Winnie Cooper. I firmly believe this.

The updated "Wonder Years" looks to be tackling a lot more tough material as well, but done in the good-hearted, wholesome tone that permeated the original series, at least if the trailer is any indication. It's certainly got a great pedigree behind it.

Kevin Arnold Returns ... Sort Of

Don Cheadle is the narrator this time, and the cast includes Dule Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, Milan Ray and Nakia Dillard. Lee Daniels is an executive producer on this thing along with the original Kevin Arnold himself, Mr. Fred Savage.

Also of note: Savage turned to directing after his child star days and has been busting his butt in film and television over the years, racking up the credits on shows like "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Party Down," "Two Broke Girls," and "Modern Family." Wouldn't you know it, he's also credited as directing some episodes of this reboot. I always love a good full circle moment and the fact that Savage is back on "Wonder Years", just on the other side of the camera this time, brings a big, goofy smile to my face.

"The Wonder Years" premieres on ABC on September 22, 2021.

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