DVD Review: Growing Pains Season 1

I grew up watching Growing Pains… I think I’m the same age as Jeremy Miller who played Ben Seaver, so I saw the show from his eyes a lot. Actually, watching it the first time around, it definitely wasn’t my favourite for the first couple or last couple seasons, but I really got hooked during the middle couple years of its run, particularly during the Julie and then early Kate storylines. The first season of Growing Pains was definitely not the greatest by any means. It was really a feeler season, trying to establish the characters. Jason (Alan Thicke), the Psychiatrist stay-at-home Dad, and Maggie (Joanna Kearns), the reporter Mom who just went back to work, are the heads of the household. Kirk Cameron played Mike, who was the troublemaker, while Carol (Tracey Gold) was the classic nerd. The more memorable episodes in this season were Mike & Jason going to a rock concert, Mike getting caught trying to cheat – but not really (writing his answers on his sneakers), and the one where Uncle Bob (the father from Charles in Charge) dies, but comes back as a ghost to haunt Mike. I remember that episode freaking me out when I was a kid… Carol was pretty much an afterthought in this season. It was good to see Mike’s friend Boner Stabone too (played by the son of Star Trek’s Pavel Chekov)… The most interesting part of this DVD was seeing the Pilot with the original Carol in it. They had filmed the pilot with a completely different actress in the role of Carol… it’s quite interesting how she was edited out of some scenes, and seeing other scenes redone with Tracey Gold. The DVD also includes the reunion special from a couple years back.

Really, the best part was hearing the theme song again… it’s such a good theme song!

Show me that smile again. (Show me that smile)Don’t waste another minute on your cryin’.We're nowhere near the end (nowhere near)The best is ready to begin.Oooohhh. As long as we got each otherWe got the world spinnin right in our hands.Baby you and me, we gotta beThe luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin’.As long as we keep on givin’we can take anything that comes our wayBaby, rain or shine, all the timeWe got each other Sharin’ the laughter and love.

(from: disney.lyrics-songs.com)

Anyways, it was a boring season overall, but the rating goes up for the song (4/10).