The ‘passing of the torch‘ moments that we see in entertainment are pretty important most times since it’s the acknowledgment that one actor gives to the next in order to say ‘good luck, godspeed’ and much more as they welcome another individual into the genre or even the type of role that made them famous at one time. In the case of Fred Savage and Elisha Williams, it’s to be expected since Williams has been selected as the next focal point for the reboot of The Wonder Years, which means no one other than Savage would be right to pass that particular torch. As anyone can see in the video below, Williams was overjoyed to hear the news and Savage was more than happy to make the announcement. It might have had a little more impact had the announcement taken place in person, but as of now people are still being cautious and following COVID guidelines, so Zoom is the best we’re going to get at the moment. But that definitely proves to be adequate since Williams looks and sounds thrilled to be the next star of the upcoming reboot, and it’s fair to say that the return of the show could be what people are wanting. It’s too soon to tell obviously, but The Wonder Years was a great show when it first came around, and with Fred Savage directing it could be great again.
The story is going to be taking place in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 60s, so one can reasonably assume that it’s going to be a bit different from Savage’s version since the difference in location is going to create a very different story no doubt, but Williams’ character is going to be the inquisitive type that will help to drive the story and keep things interesting as he navigates the world he knows and possibly tries to find his way through one predicament after another. Given that the original show was a mix of comedy and drama it feels as though Savage might attempt to recreate the same feeling in this version, but with some obvious cultural differences that will make the show its own vehicle for one message or another while seeking to keep the overall tone roughly the same. It does feel as though some folks are going to dive right into this idea for various reasons. Some will likely see it as the right move since telling the story of a black family will be more interesting than telling the tale of another white, suburban family that has problems that many people can’t relate to. There might be those that feel that this show will be pandering to the POC’s of the nation in an attempt at equality, and then there might be those that don’t want to see this show changed simply because the first one was good enough. Everyone has their reason for liking or disliking this idea, but what it comes down to is whether or not the show is going to be able to stand on its own without being continually beholden to the original.
Things have to change eventually, that’s the nature of life after all, and rolling with those changes is too important to remain so stubborn, as there are a lot of stories out there to be told, and this one, in particular, will no doubt be something that will be at least somewhat interesting given that it will hopefully be told in a manner that people are used to and can understand. At this moment Elisha is one of two people that have been assigned to the cast, so things are moving forward and the show is working to get off the ground at this time. It might be a little while before we finally get to see the finished product, but one thing is very certain, people are going to be excited to see what the cast and crew can come up with, and will be looking forward to a story that can possibly rival that of the first Wonder Years since it was such an enjoyable show for so long. Things are going to change, that much is evident and it’s something that people are going to have to accept, but so long as they change for the better then there’s reason to have faith in what is to come since the future is being passed off, in this case, to a promising set of hands that can likely take the idea of this show in a direction that will allow the audience to fully enjoy the experience, and to learn a little more from it in the process.
The Wonder Years was a great show in its own time, and it told a story that many people were on board with. This time promises to be just as entertaining.
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