80s-set Dysfunctional Family Comedy Gets Production Commitment At ABC

There haven't been many shows like The Wonder Years since the series wrapped up nearly two decades ago. The family dramedy premiered in the late 80s, but was set in the late 60s, and followed a typical American suburban kid named Kevin Arnold and his family. Freaks and Geeks is probably the closest thing we've seen to that premise, but unfortunately the Paul Feig-created dramedy didn't last beyond a season. Perhaps Adam F. Goldberg's 80s-set family comedy will have better luck.

Last year, Adam F. Goldberg pitched a project, titled How The F--- Am I Normal, which is described as "as a dysfunctional Wonder Years set in simpler times." It landed at Fox, but with Goldberg busy retooling his comedy Breaking In for the network, the 80s comedy was shelved. According to Deadline, the comedy was released by Fox and ABC has since it a production commitment.

ABC sounds like a great fit for a comedy like this, and I can see How The F--- Am I Normal fitting in nicely among the other family-focused comedies on Wednesday nights. But that's thinking far ahead. On the subject of the Wonder Years mention, and the title of the show, I'm wondering if the concept involves a retrospective narrator - assuming the title refers to a character looking back on their life and wondering how on earth they turned out ok, based on what they went through growing up.

I was a kid in the 80s (and more recently, a fan of Breaking In), so this one ranks high on my list of projects I'd love to see make it to series. I remember the adults who enjoyed The Wonder Years for nostalgic reasons. Regardless of whether or not the idea of a Wonder Years-like show set in the 80s makes feel old, I'd still love to see it happen.

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.