Growing Pains

Growing Pains
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Neal Marlens
Directed by	John Tracy (seasons 1–6)
Starring	Alan Thicke Joanna Kerns Kirk Cameron Tracey Gold Jeremy Miller Ashley Johnson Leonardo DiCaprio
Composer(s)	Steve Dorff
Opening Theme	"As Long As We Got Each Other" performed by B. J. Thomas (season 1 solo) and with Jennifer Warnes (seasons 2, 3, 5 and most of 7) and Dusty Springfield (season 4); Joe Chemay, Jim Haas, Jon Joyce and George Merrill (seasons 6, part of 7 and the series finale)
Production
Producer(s)	David Lerner (season 1) Arnold Margolin Bruce Ferber
Running time	22–30 minutes
Production company(s)	Guntzelman/Sullivan/Marshall Productions (seasons 5–6) Warner Bros. Television
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Growing Pains is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes.

Premise

The Seaver family resides at 15 Robin Hood Lane in Huntington, Long Island, New York.

Dr. Jason Seaver (portrayed by Alan Thicke), a psychiatrist, works from home because his wife, Maggie (Joanna Kerns), has gone back to work as a reporter. Jason has to take care of the kids: ladies' man and rebellious troublemaker Mike (Kirk Cameron), bookish honors student Carol (Tracey Gold), and rambunctious Ben (Jeremy Miller) who follows Mike as his role model and becomes a troublemaker too.

A fourth child, Chrissy Seaver (twins Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring; Ashley Johnson), is born at the beginning of season 4, a day after Ben's 12th birthday. She was played in her newborn/infant stage by two uncredited sets of twin sisters, who remained in the role until season four (1988–89) ended. By season five (1989–90), she was played in her toddler stage by alternating twins Kirsten and Kelsey Dohring. In seasons six and seven (1990–92), Chrissy's age was advanced to five years old.

A new cast member was added for the seventh and final season (1991–92) when homeless teen Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brought into the Seaver family to live with them until nearly the end of season seven.

Often mentioned but rarely seen are the Seavers' next-door neighbors, the Koosmans – a reference to the 1969 Miracle Mets.

Cast and characters

main

• Alan Thicke as Dr. Jason Roland Seaver
• Joanna Kerns as Margaret Katherine "Maggie" (née Malone) Seaver
• Kirk Cameron as Michael Aaron "Mike" Seaver
• Tracey Gold as Carol Anne Seaver
• Jeremy Miller as Benjamin Hubert Horatio Humphrey "Ben" Seaver
• Ashley Johnson as Christine Ellen "Chrissy" Seaver (seasons 6–7)
  • Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring as Christine Ellen "Chrissy" Seaver (toddler) (season 5, alternating)
• Leonardo DiCaprio as Luke Brower (season 7)

Recurring

• Andrew Koenig as Richard Milhous "Boner" Stabone (seasons 1–4, 25 episodes), Mike's friend; left to join the United States Marine Corps
• Chelsea Noble as Kate MacDonald (seasons 5–7, 22 episodes), Mike's girlfriend
• Jamie Abbott as Stinky Sullivan (seasons 2–6, 19 episodes), Ben's friend
• K. C. Martel as Eddie Ziff (seasons 1–7, 19 episodes), Mike's friend
• Sam Anderson as Principal Willis DeWitt (seasons 1–7, 13 episodes), Mike's history teacher in season one, and principal from season two onward
• Betty McGuire as Kate Malone (seasons 1–7, 12 episodes); Maggie's mother
• Lisa Capps as Debbie (seasons 2–4, 12 episodes), Carol's friend
• Rachel Jacobs as Shelley (seasons 2–4, 12 episodes), Carol's friend
• Gordon Jump as Ed Malone (seasons 1–7, 11 episodes); Maggie's father
• Julie McCullough as Julie Costello (seasons 4–5, 11 episodes), Mike's former girlfriend
• Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Lubbock (seasons 2–3; starred in spin-off Just the Ten of Us), gym teacher
• Jane Powell as Irma Seaver (seasons 4–6, 8 episodes), Jason's mother
• Jodi Peterson as Laura Lynn (seasons 4–6, 6 episodes), Ben's girlfriend/love interest
• Kevin Wixted as Bobby Wynette (seasons 2–3, 6 episodes), Carol's former boyfriend
• Christopher Burgard as Dwight Halliburton (seasons 7, 6 episodes), Carol's love interest
• Evan Arnold as Richie Flanscopper (seasons 1–3, 6 episodes), Carol's school classmate who has a crush on her
• Fred Applegate as Mr. Fred Tedesco (season 7, 4 episodes), principal of the learning annex where Mike teaches

Episodes

Season		Episodes		Originally aired		Rank	Rating
				First aired	Last aired
	1	22		September 24, 1985	May 13, 1986	17	19.5
	2	22		September 30, 1986	May 19, 1987	8	22.7
	3	26		September 18, 1987	May 4, 1988	5	21.3
	4	22		October 18, 1988	May 3, 1989	13	17.6
	5	26		September 20, 1989	May 2, 1990	21	15.4
	6	24		September 19, 1990	April 24, 1991	27	14.3
	7	24		September 18, 1991	April 25, 1992	75	8.6
	Television films			November 5, 2000	October 16, 2004	TBA	TBA

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominee/episode	Result
1985	Young Artist Awards	Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Series	Kirk Cameron	Won
1985		Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series	Tracey Gold	Nominated
1985		Best Young Supporting Actor in a New Television Series	Jeremy Miller	Won
1986	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics	"As Long As We Got Each Other"	Nominated
1986		Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series	George Spiro Dibie (director of photography) / "My Brother, Myself"[citation needed]	Won
1986	Young Artist Awards	Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Starring in a Television Comedy or Drama Series	Kirk Cameron	Won
1986		Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Long-Running Series Comedy or Drama	Jeremy Miller	Nominated
1986		Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress, Guest Starring in a Television, Comedy or Drama Series	April Lerman	Nominated
1987	Young Artist Awards	Best Young Superstar in Television	Kirk Cameron	Won
1987		Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Comedy Series	Jeremy Miller	Won
1987		Best Young Actress Guest Starring in a Television Comedy Series	Candace Cameron / "The Long Goodbye"	Nominated
1987		Best Family Comedy Series	Growing Pains	Won
1988	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics	Song: "Swept Away" / episode: "Aloha"	Nominated
1988	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Actor	Kirk Cameron	Nominated
1988		Favorite TV Show	Growing Pains	Nominated
1988	Golden Globe Awards	Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical	Alan Thicke	Nominated
1988		Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV	Kirk Cameron	Nominated
1989		Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV	Kirk Cameron	Nominated
1989	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Show	Growing Pains	Nominated
1989		Favorite TV Actor	Kirk Cameron	Nominated
1989		Favorite TV Actress	Tracey Gold	Nominated
1989	Young Artist Awards	Best Family Television Series	Growing Pains	Nominated
1990		Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series	Jeremy Miller	Nominated
1990		Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series	Kenny Morrison	Nominated
1990	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Actor	Kirk Cameron	Won
1991	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series	George Spiro Dibie / "Happy Halloween"	Won
1991	Young Artist Awards	Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Nine	Ashley Johnson	Nominated
1992		Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Television Series	Leonardo DiCaprio	Nominated
1992		Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten	Ashley Johnson	Nominated
1993		Outstanding Actress Under Ten in a Television Series	Ashley Johnson	Nominated

Spin-off

Growing Pains spawned the spin-off series, Just the Ten of Us, which featured Coach Graham Lubbock, Mike and Carol's gym teacher, moving to California with his large family to teach at an all-boys Catholic school after he was fired from Thomas Dewey High School.

Reunion movies

In 2000, the cast reunited for The Growing Pains Movie, followed by Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers in 2004. Before the premiere of The Growing Pains Movie, Kirk Cameron described his regrets over how his relationship with his castmates changed after his religious conversion during the production of the series, admitting, "I definitely kind of made an about-face, going toward another aspect of my life," and "I shifted my focus from 100% on the show, to 100% on [my new life], and left 0% on the show—and even the friendships that were a part of that show. If I could go back, I think I could make decisions that were less inadvertently hurtful to the cast—like talking and explaining to them why I just wanted to have my family at my wedding."

External links

Template:Growing Pains

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