‘The Wonder Years’ Reboot With Black Family in the Works at ABC

Lee Daniels Fred Savage Saladin K Patterson
Paul Smith / Featureflash; Dominik Bindl/Getty Images; Andy Drew 2

Following earlier rumblings about The Wonder Years returning with a new iteration for today’s viewers, ABC is giving fans hope with a pilot production commitment for the reboot series.

Billed as a half-hour comedy, The Wonder Years puts a spin on the late ’80s TV classic by following a Black middle class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960s, the same era in which the original series was set.

The new iteration sees how the family made sure it was The Wonder Years for them as well. Adding a dose of nostalgia is original series star Fred Savage’s involvement. Savage, who portrayed Kevin Arnold from 1988-1993, will serve as director and executive producer on the project.

Savage joins writer Saladin K. Patterson (Psych, The Big Bang Theory) and Oscar-nominated storyteller Lee Daniels (Empire, Star), with all three executive producing alongside Marc Velez. Neal Marlens, the original series’ co-creator, will lend his insight as a consultant. A mini writers room will be triggered upon script approval by the network on this 20th Century Fox Television produced project.

The Wonder Years

(Credit: New World Television/courtesy Everett Collection)

Prepare to re-enter The Wonder Years with a new perspective. The original series ran for six seasons on ABC and starred Savage, Danica McKellar, Alley Mills, Dan Lauria, Jason Hervey, and Josh Saviano, among others.

Stay tuned for details about the pilot as announcements are made.