Growing Pains

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ABC (ended 1992)
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Show Summary

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Growing Pains was sitcom originally aired on ABC from September 1985 to April 1992. It went through seven very succesful seasons with a total of 166 episodes, each special in its own way. ''Growing Pains was about a family of five, the Seavers, who lived on Long Island, New York. Jason Seaver was the father, a psychiatrist, who had his practice at home. (From the 1st to the 5th season) Maggie, his wife, was a journalist who worked for the Long Island newspaper in the first three seasons of the sitcom. She got a job as the news anchor for channel 19 news and worked there through the middle of the 5th season when she decided to stay at home. Jason moved his practice out of the house to an office. During the last seasons, she worked at home writing a consumer awareness column for the local newspaper.

Together, Maggie and Jason raised four children. They often worried about "who would stay home with the baby" or would "be there for the kids" and the responsibility was often juggled, even fought over, between the two parents but eventually settled. The youngest, Chrissy, wasn't born until the 4th season and suddenly "grew up" from being a toddler to a five year old between the 5th and 6th seasons. The oldest of the four children was Mike. A dare-devil yet charming, Mike helped Growing Pains ratings shoot sky high and quickly became the 80's pin up boy appearing on cover after cover of teen magazines.

During the 4th season, Mike moved out of the house but not too far...to the loft above the garage. The 2nd oldest was Carol. Carol was the complete opposite of Mike. She was a straight "A" student, (a "nerd" according to her brothers), struggling with social obstacles at school, just like most teenage girls. From wanting a nose job, to dealing with the death of her boyfriend, (Sandy, played by Matthew Perry) to tolerating her roommate at Columbia University, Carol added a lot of comedy as well as a serious side to the show. Next was little Ben. Ben was a clever "con-artist" in the beginning and a little more naive during his teen years, sometimes being his brother's sidekick and other times his worst nightmare.

And of course, Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio-- then only 16 years old-- joined the cast during the final season when the show felt their ratings were dropping. The Seavers, reluctantly at first, took in a homeless boy, Luke Brower. Luke was one of Mike's students at the Community Health Clinic and quickly became one of the Seavers. Luke left with his father, George, during the end of the final season to help him open up a truck stop in Tuscon. The sitcom ended before Luke ever came back; Maggie got a job in Washington D.C. which required the family to move. In the last episode, the Seaver family gathered around a picnic blanket on the floor of their empty living room, remembering all their pastimes.

Theme Song Lyrics

Show me that smile again, (Oh, show me that smile)''Don't waste another minute on your cryin',''We're nowhere near the end (We're no where near)''The best is ready to begin.''As long as we've got each other,''We got the world spinnin' right in our hands,''Baby you and me, we gotta be,''The luckiest dreamers who never keep dreaming.''As long as we keep on givin'''We can take anything that comes our way''Baby, rain or shine''All the time''We got each other''Sharin' the laughter and lovemoreless
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Episode Guide

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S 7 :  Ep 24 Aired 4/25/92
S 7 :  Ep 23 Aired 4/25/92
S 7 :  Ep 22 Aired 4/11/92
S 7 :  Ep 21 Aired 4/4/92
S 7 :  Ep 20 Aired 3/21/92

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Growing Pains News

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    The family of actor Andrew Koenig had their worst fears confirmed on Thursday afternoon when the body of the 41-year-old Koenigknown best for his role as Richard "Boner" Stabone on the 1980s family sitcom Growing Painswas discovered in Vancouver's Stanley… more

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    The simple fact that Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs is cocreating a celebrity reality cooking competition is enough to suggest that we live in a bizzaro world of a madman's making. Now, that world is turning upside down: NBC announced today… more

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Fan Reviews (40)

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  • Okay show.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By cactusjack39, Sep 02, 2009 Report Abuse
    This was a show that was basically a show in which I watched if there wasn't anything else on the television set. I don't think it was at all bad, just kind of boring. I like most of the 90's shows, so this falls in that category. The best aspect of the show is the characters. They all seemed to blend in rather well, but I must say that they kind of got boring at times. Generally, I think that a show like this is rather bland at times, but compared to the shows today, Growing Pains is a decent show. Thank you.moreless

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  • Takes me back to the 80s!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By JPPT1974, Aug 05, 2009 Report Abuse
    The eighties were a great decade and that wished that we all can go back to that decade of youth. And decade where all innocence were there. It starred Canadian Alan Thicke as a father of three with Joanna Kearns as Maggie, his loving and understanding wife. Kirk Cameron as the fun-loving prankster son Mike, the oldest of the three. Tracey Gold as brainy Carol, who would leave in the end of the show to deal with her real-life anoxeria. And Jeremy Miller as equally prankster son Ben. The show brings back a lot of childhood and wished that we could have parents like that. As I grew up in a family of three. The youngest of an older sister and brother.moreless

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  • For all Time the best TV Show. French website of the TV serie : http://www.growingpains.fr

    10
    "Perfect"
    By growingpainsfr, Mar 24, 2009 Report Abuse
    Excellent !!! What a great TV serie ! Thanks a lot for unbeleavables moments to Alan, Joanna, Kirk, Travey, Jeremy and Ashley and the others actors. We'll love You for ever ! :)
    Need NOW the Growing Pains Saison 2 in DVD !!!! :)
    We have a great pleasure to see all yours adventures in the first season, but now, we are wating for the NEXT ! How much time before the release ! It's too long ! I hope that the Warner will hear all the fans ! Growing pains for ever, growing pains rules the TV !

    French web site : www.growingpains.frmoreless

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  • Growing Pains was about a family of five who lived on Long Island, New York. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist, who had his practice at home. Maggie, his wife, was a journalist who worked for the Long Island newspaper and later got a job as the news anchor.moreless

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By KAF17, Aug 07, 2008 Report Abuse
    I use to watch this show everyday pretty much or when it came on and I caught it on television. The series was about a family that went though everyday issues ans sometimes non-everyday issues. Anyway, this movie was good for the whole family to watch and I think it use to air on Disney Channel. I am glad I was able to watch this series. If anybody go looking for this series then all the luck to you. I can not wait until they air another old series because it might being it back on the television like some shows I heard about.moreless

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  • nice show for the family. totally 80s. Predecessor of Seventh Heaven.

    8.1
    "Great"
    By TheAnonymous1, Apr 11, 2008 Report Abuse
    Good show. Funny but more of if you wanna reminsice or be nostalgic about the 80s. This was in the prime or heart of the 80s. Very good show. Lots of lessons to be learned. Kirk Cameron (sister of Candace Cameron from Full House) was so hott. So was ben seaver! Carol was a nerd but she was smart and it got her far! The wife and dad were nice too but a bit strict but it's cool since that's how their lived in the 80s back then. Well, I've got nothing else to write, but it has to be 100 words long so...moreless

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