Each week, we will be taking an in depth look at some of the best sitcoms and comedy shows from both the UK and the USA.

Today we will be looking at a comedy that starred Robin Thickes father and also created a lot of criticism from TV Critics for ripping off the Crosby Show in certain areas. Today we look at Growing Pains.

Opening title Sequence / Theme Tune

About the Show

Summary of Plot

The misadventures of a family with a home business father and a journalist mother.. – IMDb

Number of Seasons / Episodes

7 Seasons

Characters:

Alan Thicke – Dr Jason Seaver

Joanna Kerns – Maggie Malone Seaver

Kirk Cameron – Mike Seaver

Jeremy Miller – Ben Seaver

Tracey Gold – Carol Seaver

Trivia

+Julie McCullough was unaware of her firing as she was handed the script just moments after showing up on-set. She found it difficult to do a follow-up episode a year later, as her character makes good with Mike, when in real-life she resented Cameron for having her fired.

+In one episode Mike talks about confusion over the Russian Playwright Chekhov, saying he thought Chekov was “The Russian guy on Star Trek.” Andrew Koenig, who played Mike’s best friend Boner on the series, was the son of Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on Star Trek.

+ Robin Thicke (Alan Thicke’s son) appeared in a couple of episodes as the boy in the classroom.

+ Many TV Viewers and Critics felt the show’s depiction of a father who was a doctor whose office was in the home and a mother who was a working professional was ripped off from The Cosby Show (1984). Creator ‘Neil Marlens (I)’ has said that Jason and Maggie’s occupations and related dynamics were based on those of his own parents while growing up and that the similarities were coincidental. The family attends a live taping of “The Cosby Show” in the opening scene of an episode in Season 2; this is especially odd since the two shows aired on different networks.

+Alan Thicke was predominantly known as a Canadian talk show host before the role of Jason on the show. Most involved with the production did not want him, but when no one reading for the part fit the bill, Thicke was auditioned and hired

+ In 1990, the producers chose to “leap” the character of Chrissy five years, and she suddenly became seven years-old.

Classic Clips

Tough Room

Difficult Dinner Guest