This four-disc set offers two welcome opportunities to be reunited with the Seaver family. The first is all 22 episodes of this 1985 sitcom's inaugural season, which resurrected the career of failed talk-show host Alan Thicke, and catapulted Kirk Cameron to teen-idol status. The second is a near-half-hour present-day campfire chat with all the cast members, including Joanna Kerns (conflicted working mom Maggie), a hearty and seemingly healthy Tracey Gold (brainy daughter Carol), and Jeremy Miller (precocious younger son Ben). Joined by writer Tim O'Donnell, they share memories of how each was cast, their fond memories of the show and dealing with fan adulation. Growing Pains did not really suffer any. It cracked the Top Ten in its first season, and while the cast members are not the most natural comic actors, by season's end their bond is palpable and the characters really do seem like family. Thicke's Dr. Jason Seaver is a sitcom anomaly: a work-at-home dad. He has moved his psychiatric practice into the den after Maggie takes a job as a journalist. His belief system is put to the supreme test by his three children, especially 15-year-old Mike (Cameron), whom Maggie calls "a hormone with feet." In the pilot episode, no sooner does Jason agree to give Mike more independence, then Mike is jailed for joyriding in his older friend's car.
Growing Pains does have a tendency to go for the
easy laugh by having the kids--especially 9-year-old
Ben--spout age-inappropriate jokes ("It was all so
clinical," he complains at one point to Maggie after Jason
bandages a scrape). But the series did admirably touch on
some hot button family issues. In "The Seavers vs. the
Cleavers," Annette Funicello guest stars in a rare mean role
as a parent who disapproves of Maggie choosing to work "just
when her children need her the most" (a nifty little retro
joke: "Ward, I'm worried about the Seavers"). In "Superdad!,"
Maggie is upset that Carol turns to the ever-present Jason
and not to her for advice. Refreshingly, not all problems
are solved by episode's end. In the same episode, a boy the
esteem-challenged Carol has an unrequited crush on does not
miraculously materialize to ask her to the dance. In
addition to the cast reunion, this set contains an
interesting extra: the unaired version of the pilot with a
less telegenic (but perhaps more in character) Elizabeth
Ward in the role of Carol. For those who grew up with the
Seavers, and in need of a retro blast of '80s nostalgia,
Growing Pains will still, to quote the theme song, show
you that smile again. --Donald Liebenson
Product Description
Meet the Seavers in this hilariously successful late
eighties sit-com about a family of five living out on Long
Island. Maggie has recently rejoined the workforce as a
journalist, leaving Jason, a psychiatrist, to juggle his
responsibilities to his patients and his three kids by
working from home. Mike's the oldest and possibly the most
difficult to handle! Whether it's for girls, dirt bikes or
The Boss, Mike uses his charming smile to finagle his way
into trouble. The youngest, Ben, tries to tag along with his
big brother learning to be a little con-artist in his own
right. And amid the chaos, Carol, the middle child, tries to
keep her head on straight and maintain her straight-A status
at school. Join the Seavers as they experience the growing
pains of family life, including a few disputes sprinkled in
among lots of love and laughter.
Season 1: 1985-1986
| Episode Number | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Pilot" | September 24, 1985 |
| 02 | "Springsteen" | October 1, 1985 |
| 03 | "Jealousy" | October 8, 1985 |
| 04 | "Carol's Article" | October 15, 1985 |
| 05 | "Superdad!" | October 29, 1985 |
| 06 | "Mike's Madonna Story" | November 5, 1985 |
| 07 | "Weekend Fantasy" | November 12, 1985 |
| 08 | "Slice of Life" | November 19, 1985 |
| 09 | "Carol's Crush" | November 26, 1985 |
| 10 | "Dirt Bike" | December 3, 1985 |
| 11 | "Standardized Test" | December 5, 1985 |
| 12 | "A Christmas Story" | December 10, 1985 |
| 13 | "The Love Song of M. Aaron Seaver" | January 7, 1986 |
| 14 | "First Blood" | January 14, 1986 |
| 15 | "Slice of Life II" | January 21, 1986 |
| 16 | "The Seavers vs. the Cleavers" | January 28, 1986 |
| 17 | "Charity Begins at Home" | February 18, 1986 |
| 18 | "Reputation" | February 25, 1986 |
| 19 | "The Anniversary that Never Was" | March 4, 1986 |
| 20 | "Be a Man" | March 11, 1986 |
| 21 | "Career Decision" | May 6, 1986 |
| 22 | "Extra Lap" | May 13, 1986 |
