Goonies Rule!

One of my favorite new shows of this past year has been The Goldbergs on ABC. The first few episodes were promising, if not overly hilarious, and it has really gained momentum as the season progresses. One of the things that really appeals to me is that main character, Adam, is in the same age range that I was in the 80's when the show takes place, and in a similar Philly suburb setting like the one I grew up in. There was a great episode about him trying to outgrow his toys, which included a collection of Transformers and G.I.Joe figures that resembled my own. Another caught the experience of going to a video store to perfection.

Last week's episode paid homage to one of my favorite movies from my childhood, The Goonies. As I should have suspected, it is also one of Adam's favorites as well. It was a great tribute not only to the movie, but to the way we all would act out our favorite movies or TV shows as children. It was incredibly fun, and that's one of the things that's enjoyable about the show, the way it doesn't take itself too seriously and allows the story to simply be fun.

Though the spirit of the show is quite different, it reminds of The Wonder Years in some ways. It's told by the main character looking back on his childhood, but definitely focuses more on the comical side. Also, one of the things of The Wonder Years that really grabbed me when it aired was that Kevin was always in the same grade as me. When it debuted, I was the same age as him, and so it was always relevant to my life. The Goldbergs is the similar in that Adam is the age I was when it takes place. I can't help but wonder if the show has the same appeal to someone much older or younger, but in the end, I'm just glad it speaks to me.