The
Wonder Years - The Complete Series
(1988 - 1993/Time Life/Star Vista DVD Box set/Metal Locker replica)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: A Episodes: A-
WOW!
After decades of fans clamoring for the chance to own The
Wonder Years on
DVD, Time
Life/Star Vista
Home Video has finally delivered one of the most demanded series in a
stunning ultimate DVD collection.
The
Wonder Years premiered
on ABC in 1988 and ran until 1993; running for six seasons and airing
115 episodes. The series was a hit from the very beginning,
garnering both critical and popular acclaim. In its lifetime The
Wonder Years was
nominated for over 50 awards including but not limited to Golden
Globes, Emmy awards, and Peabody Awards. Writers Carol Black and
Neil Marlens set out to create a series with wide appeal to the baby
boomer generation; setting The
Wonder Years in
the late 1960s, a time of change, happiness, and strife. Whereas
they strived for success, the creative duo also toyed with
unconventional manners of storytelling; in particular using a
voiceover (inner monologue) track to add a layer of depth and insight
to the characters. Daniel Stern (Home
Alone)
providing
the voice for Kevin Arnold's inner monologue. A fine balance of
comedy and drama, The
Wonder Years managed
to capture a generation of viewers; one group pleasantly overwhelmed
with nostalgia and another experiencing the 1960s for the first time.
Now on DVD, Time Life/Star Vista is once again giving audiences
across the world the opportunity to go back to happy, though not
always simpler time.
Each
season is approximately a year, focusing mostly on the main character
Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) as he goes through life in the years 1968
to 1973. With a supporting family cast of Dab Lauria (Kevin's father
Jack Arnold), Alley Mills (Kevin's mother Norma Arnold), Olivia d'Abo
(Kevin's sister older Karen), and Jason Hervey (Kevin's older
brother) audiences were treated to the classic baby boomer family;
warts and all. To round of the cast Josh Saviano played Kevin's best
friend Paul Pfeiffer and Danica McKellar played Kevin's friend/love
interest Winnie Cooper. The chemistry between the cast was
undeniable from the very beginning, as it felt dynamic and real; only
furthering the emotional and entertainment impact of the series.
Season
One
is a strong introduction to varying group of personalities; most in
particular Kevin Arnold as he awkwardly enters his teenage years.
Kevin and friend Paul prepare for the start of Junior High, as they
quickly realize life will never be the same. Concurrently Winnie
Cooper is mourning the death of her brother (a casualty of Vietnam),
while Kevin helplessly looks on searching for the perfect words to
calm her pain; ultimately leading to the pairs first kiss. Keeping
up the pace Season
One goes
onto to having many funny and endearing moments as Kevin experiences
Sex-Ed, gains a deeper understanding of his father, plays defensive
little brother, and learns the trials and tribulations of trying to
understand women. Season
One is
only 6 episodes long (originally premiering after the 1988 Super
Bowl), but established a foundation for which the entire series would
build upon.
Season
Two is
composed of 17 episodes and is one of the most memorable of 6
seasons. Kevin is cast in a play by teacher Miss White as Senator
Robert F. Kennedy, only (awkwardly) leading him to develop a crush on
the older woman. Hormones rage onward as Paul begins to date and
Kevin gets lost in his teenage obsession with Winnie. Kevin clumsily
fights for Winnie's affection, causing him to stand up to the school
bully, scramble for the perfect Christmas gift, and much more. Other
coming of age events have Kevin struggling as he is subjected to
bullying by his big brother, color TV, learns consequences of talking
about others behind their back, and is subjected to a variety of
lessons on 'healthy competition.' The series manages to also infuse
more serious topics such as divorce, war protest, and running away
from home; keeping the topics light hearted, but impactful.
Seasons
Three and
Four
solidified
that The
Wonder Years was
not going anywhere as the 23 episodes seasons delivered some of the
best moments in television history. Pimples, French kissing,
cheating on tests, and best friend battles have Kevin pushed to the
brink; as he dredges onward through another year. By Season
Three the
actors had settled into their roles and writers were delivering
stellar scripts that finely balanced comedy, drama, and nostalgia
like no other. Unlike other sitcoms and dramas of the time The
Wonder Years had
a storyline that was constantly moving forward; growing with the
characters and expanding upon the idea of the 'American Dream,'
suggesting that it wasn't as easy as others would have us believe.
Life gets further complicated as Kevin and his pals enter their final
year of Junior High in Season
Four;
the season picking up after the 'world changing' events at the end
of Season
Three.
Girls, girls, girls; an overwhelming theme throughout the series,
but Season
Four has
Kevin at odds with a variety of temptations and unwanted advances.
Season
Four is
seemingly more lighthearted than the previous season, as comedic
elements shine through. Kevin begins to have more insight into those
around him; including his father, Coach Cutlip, his mother, and (of
course) facing his own personal demons. Whereas the season is
overall thematically fun, there are moments like those in the heart
wrenching episode 'The
Accident'
that hit close to home and again solidify the depth The
Wonder Years had.
In 'The
Accident',
Winnie is involved in a serious car accident that has Kevin
frantically attempting to see her, while simultaneously being at a
loss for words. The last three episodes of the season are the most
powerful as the truly explore the inner workings of a variety of
characters and once again throw a life changing moment at Kevin
Arnold.
With
Seasons
Five and
Six
it is apparent that times are changing for Kevin and in turn The
Wonder Years.
The series remains as good as ever, but with Kevin getting older the
topics are maturing as well. The series begins to lean more heavily
on the comedic elements to get past the issues of maturing
relationships and sexual situations. Strife between loved ones is
almost always calmed by the lighthearted sensibilities of The
Wonder Years,
not going as far as to make a joke of the situation, but rather a
means to break the tension. The
Wonder Years was
ABC's golden child, sitting at an 8 O'clock time slot with solid
ratings; unfortunately this meant that dealing with more mature
themes as the years progressed was a no, no. Executives at ABC
unwilling to take any risks with the series essentially stagnated
growth before its untimely end at the end of Season
6.
There are many will they/won't they moments in Season
6 for
Kevin and Winnie, as the floundering couple has many ups and downs.
Kevin and his friends also have their moments as they come into their
own; dealing with such topics as teen pregnancy, disobeying parents,
and splitting off from the crowd.
Wonder
Years it
is felt by most never got a proper send off. The creators were
unsure if they would be renewed for a 7th
season (ultimately they were not) and decided to leave the season
finale open ended. In the end, Daniel Stern's voice over for Kevin
got to be the final word on how things ended up for Kevin, Winnie,
and the Arnold family.
The
Packaging:
The
Wonder Years: The Complete Series is
amazingly housed in a small, metal, replica of a Kennedy Junior High
locker. Inside the locker viewers will find a host of collectible
materials, including:
2
Note Books with detailed information on all episodes
Production
Photos
26
individual DVDs resembling vinyl records
Yearbook
containing behind the scenes photos
Custom
Wonder Years magnets
Technical
Features:
The
26-DVD set is wonderfully constructed with much time and effort put
into making a quality set for long time fans/collectors. The
picture/sound qualities are also well done; though would have been
better served on Blu-ray with a High Definition treatment. The
picture is presented in a 1.33 X 1 standard definition that gets the
job done, but remains a mixed bag as it bounces around in terms of
quality. The picture is mostly clean and clear, but retains an
element of grain with fluctuating light/dark issues. The colors for
the most part hold a bright palette, but again quality varies and at
times colors are muted. The sound is a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo that comes heavily from the front, occasionally utilizing the
sides and rears; mostly for the music. On the plus side most music
rights were acquired for this release and fans can rest easy knowing
that the series (with music) is being delivered as originally
intended. I did not have much issue with sound as the dialogue comes
through mostly crisp, clean, and clear; and for a dialogue driven
series, a heavy front track was not distracting.
Bonus
Features:
The
Wonder Years set
contains over 23 hours of bonus material, including:
Featurettes
With
a Little Help From My Friends: The Early Days of The Wonder Years
The
Times They are Changin: The Era
My
Generation: The Kids Grow Up
When
a Man Loves a Woman: Kevin and Winnie Forever
Bookends:
Kevin and Paul
A
Family Affair: At Home with the Arnolds
I
Love You for Sentimental Reasons: Fan Favorite Episodes
Will
you Love Me Tomorrow: Wonder Years Love Stories
ABC:
Teachers that Made a Difference
Both
Sides Now: Music that Made the Moments
Cast/Crew
Interviews
Fred
Savage, Danica McKellar, Josh Saviano, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills,
Olivia d'Abo, Jason Hervey, series creators Neal Marlen & Carol
Black, narrator Daniel Stern, and executive producer Bob Brush
Guest
Star interviews with Seth Green, Ben Stein, David Schwimmer, and
Bob Picardo
First
Cast Reunion in over 16 years! (2014)
Deleted
Scenes/Alternate takes
Commentary
on all 6 takes of Kevin & Winnie's first kiss (Season 1; Episode
1)
That's
a Wrap: Mark B. Perry's Farewell Set Tour Season 5 [Home Video
Footage]
From
the Vault: Alley Mills and Bob Brush Letters
One
Hour Series Finale as originally aired May 12, 1993 with deleted
scene
The
extras are as overwhelming as the series itself. As previously
stated, much passion and time was put into pulling this set together.
Wonderfully constructed, the bonus materials give that extra level
of depth that most DVD sets do not contain. Here with The
Wonder Years we
get to see how invested all those involved truly were (and still
are!) in the series. The interviews are candid and informative with
the featurettes being equally entertaining.
The
Wonder Years is
a stunning set from Star Vista/Time Life that will be a treasured
staple of any DVD collection. It excels at both style and content
from beginning to end.
You
can order this set exclusively at this link:
Timelife.com/WonderYears
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
