[HarleyRandom]

I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, but if I was wondering if there would be problems between whites and Blacks, well, it was frequently mentioned throughout the episode, but except for some brief black and white footage the serious problems in Alabama weren't mentioned. Things seemed to be getting better and while they certainly weren't going to be anywhere near ideal, it didn't seem like Alabama. It could have been anywhere in the country where people weren't being treated equally. And the white people and the Black people got along better than I expected, especially at the end. That was nice how they handled Dr. King and we even got to see Walter Cronkite, who of course is on the wrong network.

Nice photo of the brother in the military. They never put Kevin's brother in the army. Or did they?

They're not in the "hood". It's a nice neighborhood. Chris Rock was not exactly in the nice section of the city in his show, and his father wasn't middle class. He worked several jobs. And his mom kept quitting jobs.

Fred Savage directed! He was the star of the original series.

That is a beautiful school the kids are going to. I liked the design of the old one too. I wish Dean hadn't thrown something at it. Kids hanging out at the closed school was something they did in the town where I lived when I was Dean's age. I would hear the school mentioned as a place where kids going to my school could get on the bus. I think that's right. After I found this mysterious school on the map, I walked there one day and realized it was in the Black section of town, and kids were going there like it was a recreation center or something. I personally have never gone to a segregated public school. And they didn't close the Black school when I was younger than Dean. They sent me there. I don't remember there being any problems even though it may have been the first year white kids went to that school.

 

[TonyD79]

It was meh for me. But I was not a big fan of the original. Watched it occasionally but not consistently.

 

[Regina]

No, Kevin's brother was never in the military. In the pilot, Winnie Cooper's brother died in Vietnam. I was wondering if they were going to kill off Dean's brother, who is off in Vietnam. Relieved when they didn't do it at the end of the first episode.
Loved it for the most part. Cute kids, good actors...not cloying. Dule Hill can do no wrong in my eyes. And Don Cheadle is perfect as the narrator. Definitely will keep watching.

 

[mlsnyc]

Dule Hill can do no wrong in my eyes.

"Be cool."

I'm a big Dule Hill fan, too. I liked the pilot. And would expect it'll get better as it finds its legs.

 

[Steveknj]

I liked it, and I kind of thought I wouldn't. I feel that it kept the feel of the original and I found myself "comparing" the characters to the original. I do feel that there will be more discussion over race relations, but I have always wondered how "kids" handled the changing race relations in the south and if kids were more tolerant of the change (and that's kind of what this shows). They are showing these kids as, well, kids. Not black kids, not white kids, just kids, with kid problem and kid issues. I'm definitely in.

 

[Grasshopper AZ]

I liked it, and I kind of thought I wouldn't. I feel that it kept the feel of the original and I found myself "comparing" the characters to the original. I do feel that there will be more discussion over race relations, but I have always wondered how "kids" handled the changing race relations in the south and if kids were more tolerant of the change (and that's kind of what this shows). They are showing these kids as, well, kids. Not black kids, not white kids, just kids, with kid problem and kid issues. I'm definitely in.

This is us as well. I wasn't sure but by the end I liked it. It will be interesting seeing a a show I grew up with from a different perspective. In the end I think it showed what most of us knew already. Kids just see themselves as kids and want to hang out together.

 

[cheesesteak]

The name of the school actually made me laugh.

 

[DancnDude]

Caught up on all the episodes and thought it was good. A bit more serious than I was expected but that's fine. I remember watching the original but I was a kid. I suspect this show lands differently as an adult.

"I never understood why folding that laundry was so important"

 

[HarleyRandom]

I'm still a week behind but I did enjoy seeing Dean and other Black kids get benefits from white people who felt bad about Dr. King. Dean did a great job with his presentation but the others didn't deserve anything.

It was nice Dean and his father went fishing. I remember now Kevin's sister was also a hippie, if you can call Dean's sister that. She sort of dresses and acts the same. But it was nice to see them together, even if the situation was kind of scary.

And I was pleased Dean and his best friend made up.

We need to get away from the protests and such and start having normal lives on the show again.

I see Fred Savage remains very involved.

 

[HarleyRandom]

I saw two episodes because I had lost track of how many aired. If you go to the I don't want to stand in front of the TV | TiVoCommunity Forum thread you'll see what happened with my first attempt to watch, but using an antenna is a precaution and not usually needed.

The first one was "Take your son to work". Wait, they couldn't have had that in 1968, could they? "Take your daughter to work" is a recent phenomenon and they added taking your son. Anyway, it was fun. And I had no idea Dean's mom was so educated or that she knew so much and they depended so much on her. But then it became clear it's still 1968 and she's still Black in the South. She was more accepting of her situation than I would expect.

Still, it's a very different show from the one with Kevin. I don't even recall what his father did but I don't think his mother had a paying job.

After I deleted it I saw that I still had another. I'm still trying to figure out the Edge.

And then there was the episode with the dirty magazines. Very good. Very surprising. Dean's parents aren't the prudes I would have expected.

 

[Test]

I think it's mind boggling that the original series aired in 88 and took place 20 years prior! If they followed the same formula, this new one would take place around 2001!

 

[Steveknj]

I thought it was a decent episode. I like that they are having Dean be just a kid and do kid things rather than him just being a "black kid" and hammering that over our head constantly. They do enough of it in subtle and not so subtle ways that that work real well. The episode where Dean goes with him mom to work was done very well. While all the co-workers respected her in many ways, she was still an outsider because of her race. She accepted it as "it's how things are", but you can tell she didn't like it. I think that's much more realistic about how it actually was as the South started to develop after the Civil Rights Act.

One thing annoys me about this series. How come nobody speaks with any semblance of a southern accent? It's suppose to be Alabama, right?

 

[mattack]

Have only seen the first ep so far. I actually think it was somewhat better than I expected, but definitely way more serious/less fun/happy.. Didn't Kevin & Winnie kiss in the first ep of the original show?

 

[mattack]

I think it's mind boggling that the original series aired in 88 and took place 20 years prior! If they followed the same formula, this new one would take place around 2001!

Yes, that's why I think it's weird that they're still doing it in the 60s.. (As I and a million others have pointed out, they usually do the ~20 year prior thing.. happy days, that 70s show, the wonder years.. wait, the goldbergs is the 80s right so that one doesn't fit..)

 

[Steveknj]

Have only seen the first ep so far. I actually think it was somewhat better than I expected, but definitely way more serious/less fun/happy.. Didn't Kevin & Winnie kiss in the first ep of the original show?

Yes they kissed. Kevin goes to console Winnie after she found out her brother died in Vietnam. They talked for a bit and then kissed. They were both tweens and it was their first kiss and it was sweet and poignant and well done. I think the original Wonder Years was often very serious as well. Three episodes in, I don't think this is any more or less serious than the original. Heck, if you want serious, watch the series finale of the original. Maybe one of the best series finales that I have ever seen. Wish it was easier to find these!

 

[HarleyRandom]

This seems about as funny as the original. Once they stopped talking about Dr. King things seemed normal enough.

 

[HarleyRandom]

I didn't realize I was two episodes behind or that last week's "Conners" was a rerun, so I watched two last night. Nothing wrong with watching one out of order, but once I saw there was one I missed I watched it too.

I enjoyed seeing Dean in the woods with his father. Sort of. His father couldn't seem to do anything right and the coach took over. He should really be in charge of the troop. The father refused to use the term "master" and yet he had to learn how by reading a book that used that term.

And I liked the music they listened to at the end.

The other episode was about church. I'm surprised Dean would find that boring. Now white churches are boring. And that's how I like it.

I'm surprised there was water in the baptismal pool. Why would it need to be there? If it's there all the time, wouldn't it get disgusting? And in my church, we fill the font only when there is an actual baptism. And our pastors sprinkle. Anyway, those children were very naughty. I was hoping Dean would get to be with the girl he wanted.

 

[betts4]

Not quite caught up, but just popping in to say that I am enjoying the show. Dule' / Charlie from TWW - great as a dad. Reminds me very much of how my dad was, sort of grumpy but also very into making sure the kids grew up right. LOVE the mom and the whole episode on Sex. Woohoo for her!
Anyway, I know I am a couple episodes behind and will catch up this weekend.

 

[HarleyRandom]

Last night's was a very good episode. Who knew Dean's grandfather would end up being cool?

But it took him a while and it was very funny the way he criticized everyone and everything.

A 1955 Oldsmobile wouldn't have seat belts but they were very lucky. It's always good to see cars that look like cars.

 

[Regina]

Loved the kids' reactions to "Rosemary's Baby!"