ABC Cancels “The Wonder Years” Reboot After Two Seasons: Controversy and Declining Viewership Seal Its Fate

ABC Cancels The Wonder Years: ABC has officially canceled “The Wonder Years” after just two seasons, as confirmed by Variety. This reimagined series, based on the 1988 show of the same name, offered a fresh perspective by following a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, during the late 1960s through the eyes of imaginative 12-year-old Dean.

Don Cheadle narrated the series as adult Dean Williams, and the cast included Elisha “EJ” Williams as Dean Williams, Dulé Hill as Bill Williams, Saycon Sengbloh as Lillian Williams, Laura Kariuki as Kim Williams, Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long, and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons.

This cancellation adds “The Wonder Years” to the list of scripted series canceled by ABC this year, alongside “Big Sky,” “Alaska Daily,” and “The Company You Keep,” the latter three being canceled during the WGA strike in May. You may aslo read NSYNC Reunites with Justin Timberlake.

ABC Cancels “The Wonder Years” Reboot After Two Seasons

The network has yet to announce the fate of “The Rookie: Feds” and “Home Economics,” while they have ordered a pilot for “The Good Doctor” spinoff, “The Good Lawyer,” featuring Felicity Huffman and Kennedy McMann. ABC renewed “The Good Doctor” for Season 7 in April.

The series was executive produced by Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment, along with the original star of the show, Fred Savage, who also worked as a director and executive producer on the reinvented version.

Saladin Patterson served as the writer and executive producer. “The Wonder Years” was produced by 20th Television, a division of Disney Television Studios. Notably, the original star, Fred Savage, was fired the previous year following a misconduct investigation.

The cancellation of “The Wonder Years” came amid ongoing strikes by writers and actors, leading ABC to launch its fall lineup with no new scripted shows and a focus on unscripted offerings.

The network is set to air series like “Dancing With the Stars,” “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” “Press Your Luck,” and Bachelor franchise spinoffs, including “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Golden Bachelor.”

While “The Wonder Years” received positive reviews upon its debut in 2021, it struggled to maintain a substantial audience, particularly in its second season. Deadline reported that it was ABC’s least-watched show for both the summer and the entire 2022-2023 season.

Season 2 departed from the traditional September-to-May time slot, premiering in June and featuring only 10 episodes, in contrast to Season 1’s 22-episode run.

These scheduling changes contributed to a decline in viewership and support for the series. Unfortunately, it appears that “The Wonder Years” will not return for a third season unless another network decides to pick it up.

The controversy surrounding Fred Savage’s alleged misconduct also negatively affected the show’s trajectory. You should also check Kevin Costner’s Western Career.

The show’s struggles, coupled with the controversy, made its cancellation seem inevitable. The Season 2 premiere was delayed to a summer release, featuring guest star Patti LaBelle as Shirley Williams, Bill Williams’ mother and the church choir director.

The cast also included Laura Kariuki as Kim Williams, Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long, and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons. Produced by 20th Television, a Disney Television Studios division, the executive producers for the series included Lee Daniels, Saladin K. Patterson, Bob Daily, and Jacque Edmonds Cofer.