I’m a sucker for nostalgia. That’s why I got so hooked on the television show “The Wonder Years” back in the late ’80’s. It was a collage of laughter and bittersweet Americana. The characters were familiar and so were their stories. I loved it.
The show ran for six years, but as the main character Kevin Arnold began to grow up, I eventually lost interest. When I noticed this summer that reruns of “The Wonders Years” had been showing on channel 26 here in Dallas, I wondered how the story had ended. In particular, I wondered how the central piece of the plot was resolved. Did Kevin and Winnie ever get together—for good?
That’s when I discovered that A&E did an episode of Biography covering the life of the series. To hear the whole story of “The Wonder Years” from beginning to end, you have to watch this one. The whole thing is on YouTube, and I link it here for my fellow suckers for nostalgia. What could be more nostalgic than being nostalgic about nostalgia?
A&E’s Biography of “The Wonder Years” (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 4), (Part 5)
My wife got me hooked on the wonder years – we’ve been watching them at the rate of a couple per week. It’s an amazing show – the word nostalgia doesn’t do it justice. I am constantly impressed by the richness and depth of the messages of these shows – particularly with regard to the relationships of fathers and sons.
Hey Denny
Yep I remember watching that from when we were at DHS until I left for the Navy. I tried to keep up with it afterwards, but basic training and then the other training I had to do left me unable to follow it. I did catch the final episode and was choked up a bit. I assume you know what happened in the end and I think that was when I realized you can never go “home” again, you can visit but home for me now is where my wife and son are.
Jon
Alright, show of hands here…who used to think Winnie was all that?
Me too.
how did it end??
mike, you don’t want to know…
One other question: Is Paul really the lead singer of the band Marilyn Manson? If not, how did that rumor ever get started?
Barry
Barry,
To question number one: No, Manson’s name is Brian Warner – not Fred Savage (Paul).
To question number two: I don’t know, and Manson makes no mention of it in his autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, other than to list it as one of many rumors about him echoed by fans. Other rumors included him being Winnie as well as various tales of sexually explicit and violent stage antics. Actually, when I saw him perform at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas I remember being pretty disappointed with the stage show – I was expecting it to be much more provocative.
Ack, I meant Joshua Saviano, not Fred Savage.