It seems like only yesterday that The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar celebrated the show’s 35th anniversary with adorable throwback pics. Her sweet girl-next-door character, Winnie Cooper, is forever iconic to fans, and it's been amazing to see how the show's popularity has endured. With that, it’s hard to believe how much time has passed since it premiered. The ABC series just turned 38, and McKellar celebrated by sharing a truly sweet message.
One of the best sitcoms of all time, The Wonder Years centers around young Kevin Arnold grows up during the late 1960s/early 1970s against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement and more. The show received critical acclaim amid its six-season run between 1988 to 1993, and it also inspired a reboot that ran for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. To celebrate the OG series' 38th anniversary, Danica McKellar took to Instagram to celebrate the show’s 38th anniversary with a slideshow of stills from the show as well as a heartwarming message:
Happy 38th (!) Anniversary to The Wonder Years! 🎉 On January 31st, 1988, we premiered on ABC immediately following the Superbowl, and my life would be forever changed. I'm so grateful for the incredible memories, but even more grateful for all of you who have followed my career for so many years. I love that, unlike 38 years ago, we have opportunities to connect through social media!
The love for the show is definitely real, and I love that McKellar still connects with fans over the series even now. I also love seeing the throwback photos of young McKellar (as Winnie) in her pigtails and looking adorable alongside Fred Savage. It goes without saying that the Young Justice alum still has love for the classic sitcom that truly launched her career.
One of the best qualities of The Wonder Years is its depiction of how imperfect adolescence is and how there aren’t always happy endings. The general sense of warmth and comfort that the show evokes is also what McKellar wants to continue to deliver to audiences. She continued to talk about bringing the legacy of the Emmy-winning series to her work on the Great American Family network:
Something I hear repeatedly is that the show was so wholesome and brought so many families together. (And I feel so blessed to continue the legacy of family-friendly programming with the movies I write, produce and star in on [Great American Family] & [Great American Pure Flix]!)
After Danica McKellar left acting for years to pursue her mathematics degree, she starred in various Hallmark Channel movies. McKellar eventually made the move to Great American Family. According to McKellar she left Hallmark due to a desire to not only to star in family-oriented movies but to write and produce them as well. From 2022’s The Winter Palace to last year’s Have We Met This Christmas?, McKellar’s multi-picture deal allows her to create programming that continues to bring families together like Wonder Years once did.
38 years later, The Wonder Years is still a solid fixture within the cultural zeitgeist, and I'm loving it. It's nothing short of heartwarming that Danica McKellar still sees and appreciates the joy the show brings people, and I hope that continues. On that note, you can celebrate with McKellar by streaming the nostalgic ABC series using a Hulu subscription.
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