Travel Back to 1988 and the WONDER YEARS…
Were you there?
In 1988, I was 27 years old. WOW, it’s amazing to say that. That’s half my current age. I was working for GM for Buick Motor Division as a Marketing Analyst. Every Tuesday night, 8:00pm EST, I would be on the couch watching my favorite series, The Wonder Years. Needless to say, I was quite excited when Time-Life sent us along a copy of The Wonder Years the Complete Series for review.
The series featured the Arnold family as they struggled to live through the radical late 1960’s and into the early 70s. The target viewing market for this series was baby boomers and success for the series was immediate. As noted in Wikipedia:
The show achieved a spot in the Nielsen Top 30 for four of its six seasons.TV Guide named the show one of the 20 best of the 1980s. After only six episodes aired, The Wonder Years won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1988. In addition, at age 13, Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series.
The reason I loved the series was the format and the time setting. Kevin Arnold, a 13 year old boy, was the “star” of the show with his family and friends filling out the storyline. However, the story was fleshed out with “Kevin’s voice” as a grown-up, so the “voice” could say things that Kevin, as a 13 year old, never could. All of this was set against a compilation of 60’s music which was a new approach in TV series at the time and the music became an indelible part of the beloved series, which ran on ABC from 1988-1993.
Really the best way for you to get a idea of the series (if you haven’t ever seen it) is to watch this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGr2UJLaTKE&feature=youtu.be
The Wonder Years Complete Series DVD brings it all back
Never before released on DVD in its entirety — THE WONDER YEARS COMPLETE SERIES will be presented as a 26-disc collector’s set featuring all 115 episodes housed in a replica metal locker, along with a host of extras including 23 total hours of specially-produced bonus programming — featurettes, an incredible cast reunion 16 years in the making and never-before-seen outtakes. THE WONDER YEARS COMPLETE SERIES will be available exclusively online at for $249.95
Fans of THE WONDER YEARS will thrill to the extensive list of cleared music, which includes 285 modern day classics and instrumentals such as “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” by The Byrds, “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen, “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream, Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” The Trogg’s “Wild Thing,” “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” by The Beach Boys, “My Girl” by The Temptations and hundreds of others!
Get Social With TimeLife
Follow TimeLife on Facebook and Twitter.
Update: This post originally had a giveaway attached for The Wonder Years Complete Series DVDs. The Rafflecopter entry device has been removed and had 4321 entries. See Giveaway Winners.
I would love to have The Carol Burnett Show: The Ultimate Collection – because my grandparents watched it with me when I was little and it takes me right back to that wonderful place.
Its a toss up for me be tween The Carol Burnett Show: The Ultimate Collection & Mama’s Family – The Complete Series. Both on my list of my favorites.
Get Smart the complete season 1 and 2 they were great and my dad loved them
I would love the Yamaha Keyboard YPT-240.
the reason is b/c my daughter would love it.
Omigosh, so many awesome shows to choose from! I would really love to have the Mama’s family ones. I used to love that show!
Mama’s Family would be my pick after the Wonder Years. I love both of these shows!
Mama’s Family! I didn’t watch it when it first aired, we only had one channel growing up.. but I got into it when it would air early in the morning before the news! (in the early 2000’s) It was my new classic show. 🙂
The complete series of Mama’s Family!!!
I would choose mamas family. I used to watch that with my mom. That show cracks me up!
OMG, would love the Carol Burnett show DVD’s. I grew up with so many TV shows and the music. Carol Burnett always made me laugh.
I would like the Six Million Dollar Man Collection.
Either the Best of Ed Sullivan or the Best of Carol Burnett, would be perfect gifts for our parents. They loved both of those shoes.
Power Rangers: From Mighty Morphin to Lost Galaxy this was my brothers favorite show growing up and now it’s my son’s favorite show. This would be something they could watch together.
I would love to have The Best of The Carol Burnett Show Collection. I used to watch that when I was a teenager and I still think its great as an adult!
My favorite candies are definitely the jawbreakers!
The complete series of Mama’s Family. I loved that show when I was a kid!
I would love to have Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season One and Mama’s Family!
I would get Carol Burnett. We used to watch her as a child. I would give the collection to my brother because I know he would really love it.
I would choose China Beach – The Complete Series. I would choose it for my husband because he liked this show.
I would love to get the Mama’s Family – The Complete Series because it was hilarious