The Seavers Are Back in My Living Room (40 Years Later)
Drug Parties & Teen Idols - The 80s Sitcom That’s Aging Better Than You Think
On September 24, 1985, Growing Pains premiered on NBC, and for me, and a lot of us Gen X kids, it wasn’t just another sitcom. It was a window into something we didn’t always see at home.
I grew up as a first-generation immigrant in the 80s. My family had little, and while there was love, the idea of a “perfect” American household often felt like something I only saw on TV. Shows like Growing Pains and Family Ties painted a picture of what felt like the idealized version of family life, which was a home with laughter, stability, and sophisticated parents who seemed to know how to handle every crisis with wit and wisdom. As a kid, I didn’t fully grasp how much of it was scripted fantasy. What I did know was that I wanted to grow up, build a family, and maybe one day sit around a kitchen table that felt like the Seavers’ with a dad who worked from home, a mom that balances career and home, and siblings who fought but still had each other’s backs.
That’s part of why Growing Pains always stuck with me. The setup was straightforward. Jason Seaver, played with a twinkle of dry humor by Alan Thicke, moves his psychiatry practice into the family home so Maggie (Joanna Kerns) can return to journalism. Meanwhile, their kids, Mike (Kirk Cameron), Carol (Tracey Gold), and Ben (Jeremy Miller), keep life anything but quiet. But beneath the jokes and canned laughter, the Seavers embodied a family dynamic that felt both aspirational and strangely attainable.
Kirk Cameron’s Mike was the mischievous older brother, perpetually one scheme away from disaster, yet impossible not to like. Carol was the brainy middle child, forever trying to prove herself, while Ben played the role of the youngest, eager to keep up. Later seasons even introduced us to Leonardo DiCaprio as Luke Brower, a homeless teen the Seavers take in. This was a reminder that this sitcom wasn’t afraid to tackle heavier topics.
Like many 80s shows, Growing Pains had its “very special episodes,” and one of the most unforgettable was the Season 2 drug party storyline. It hit differently than the usual preachy after school special. That episode actually made you think. Do you remember it?
For a kid like me, navigating a new culture (coming to America in 1981) and watching peers make questionable choices, it wasn’t just television to me, but also a kind of education.
Fast forward nearly 40 years, and the Seavers are back in my living room. My wife and I decided to rewatch the entire series. I’ve seen it before, but this is her first time. We’re only on Season 2, but watching her reactions has been almost as rewarding as the rewatch itself. She laughs at Mike’s antics, rolls her eyes at Jason’s exasperated patience, and gets drawn into those emotional moments that sneak up on you. For her, it’s fresh. For me, it’s a rediscovery and a reminder of why these shows mattered so much.
When I look back now, I can see how shows like Growing Pains were more than entertainment. For immigrant kids like me, they doubled as a roadmap to American life, offering glimpses of middle-class suburban stability that felt galaxies away from our own reality (I grew up off 7 Mile Rd. in Detroit, MI). Maybe that’s why I gravitated toward them so strongly. That was an ideal life that I craved.
And yet, revisiting the series today, I find that it still holds up. The humor is smart, the family dynamics feel real, and even the dated haircuts and shoulder pads add to its charm. More importantly, the themes, balancing work and family, raising kids with empathy, learning through mistakes, are timeless.
So if you’re looking for something to rewatch, skip the latest algorithm generated “must see” list for a while. Go back to the Seavers. Let Jason’s patience, Maggie’s warmth, and Mike’s ridiculous schemes remind you why 80s sitcoms weren’t disposable fluff.
Almost four decades later, Growing Pains is still teaching, still entertaining, and still worth sitting down with. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get to share it with someone seeing it for the first time, which makes the experience all the richer.
If you happen to be in Los Angeles this weekend…
I will be joining the crew of Two Dollar Late Fee on a couple of panels at the Los Angeles Comic-Con (Comic-Con LA) on Saturday!
Here’s a preview of what we are going to talk about:
I’m bringing a few books to sign at Geekscape booth, so please come by and say hello!
Brand I worked with this week
Tubbz are an interesting pop culture toy line. Summed up, it’s ducks meet your favorite movies, tv, and gaming characters. They are really high quality toys with a unique appearance and great attention to detail. And… I think they are affordable compared to a lot of other stuff out there. You can check them out here.
Popular with Gen X this week
This song is not only underrated, but you might be surprised to know that it was produced by Phil Collins. He also plays the drums and sings in the background!
Do you remember this song?
The best theme song of the 1980s, which I'll have stuck in my head the rest of the day, which is not the worst thing.
I also have this lukewarm take that most 1980s male teenage main characters were just like Mike Seaver: good looking, charming, didn't care about school, always in trouble and then getting out of trouble. And this led to wayyyyyyy too many real life dudes in the 80s trying to be just like Mike Seaver.
Boner was one of te most underestimated characters in the history of television. When he refused to go to the bathroom at that party, I shed a tear.