Make It Stop: “Growing Pains” May Be Next To Get A Reboot
Despite the fact that Alan Thicke is dead, fan-favorite Boner is dead, and Kirk Cameron is also dead (to me), Us Weekly is reporting that a reboot of Growing Pains, which ran for 7(!) seasons from 1985-1992, is in the works. Yes, technically Leonardo Di Caprio is still alive, but the chances of him reprising his role as a homeless pre-teen are slim. From the sounds of things, the GP reboot is still in the early stages and so far, only Mike Seaver (Kirk whose real life sister Candace is on Fuller House), sister Carole (Tracey Gold whose real life sister Missy was on Benson), and kid brother Ben (Jeremy Miller, a part-time caterer) have managed to clear their extremely busy schedules. And you can’t have a GP reboot without mom Maggie Seaver! And Judith Light lite actress Joanna Kerns has yet to sign on.
According to Us Weekly, Jeremy said:
“We’re still in talks right now. We’re actually doing story creation and brainstorming right now. Kirk [Cameron], Tracey [Gold] and I are in constant contact about it and are trying to put together a workable storyline that will be respectful to Alan and the cast and the history and everything,” Miller, 42, said at the opening of the Reel: Portrayals and Perceptions of LGBTs in Hollywood exhibit at The Hollywood Museum on Thursday, June 6. “So it’s challenging, it is. But between the three of us, I think we may be able to knock something out.”
I can’t tell if that’s some Grade A Us Weekly shade directed towards Kirk’s history of anti-gay remarks or if the mention that Jeremy (who is married to a woman) was at an LGBT exhibit was purely incidental. I wouldn’t be surprised if they used Kirk’s Christianity to address political divides within the American family unit. And we know how well that’s worked out in the past. But hey, maybe they’ll throw us a curve ball and make it about the Seaver kids all fighting over dearly departed Dr. Jason’s pot farm!
Jeremy added “Once we put together a good starting point, then we’ll start talking to the production companies” so I’m not holding my breath on this one. I swear, of all the mediocre sitcoms to get the reboot treatment, GP has got to be the mediocre-est of them all. At least Punky Brewster rocked an iconic look and Full House secretly harbored a shameless scammer. That said, if they can get former HSOTD, mid-season hail Mary magic growing baby sister Chrissy Seaver, they just might have something special. Just kidding, this will be awful if it ever sees the light of day.
Pic: ABC via Wenn.com