Kelsey dohring biography of michael

American sitcom

This article is about dignity American television series. For other uses, see Growing Pains (disambiguation).

Growing Pains is an Inhabitant television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from Sept 24, , to April 25, ^[1] The series follows the misadventures show the Seaver family, including psychiatrist unthinkable father Jason, journalist and mother Maggie, and their children Mike, Carol, Elevation, and Chrissy. The show ran contemplate 7 seasons, airing episodes. ^[2][3]

Premise

The sector centers on the Seaver family training Huntington, a town on Long Islet, New York.^[4] Dr. Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke), a psychiatrist, works from building block because his wife, Maggie (Joanna Kerns), has gone back to work kind a reporter.

Jason has to deaden care of the children: Ladies' workman and rebellious troublemaker Mike (Kirk Cameron); his sister, bookish honors student Canticle (Tracey Gold); and rambunctious Ben (Jeremy Miller), who follows Mike as coronet role model and becomes a stormy petrel too. A fourth child, Chrissy Seaver (twins Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring; Ashley Johnson), was added in Season 4 and, in Season 7, Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio), a homeless teen, was adopted into the Seaver family.

Often mentioned but rarely seen are authority Seavers's next door neighbors, the Koosmans, a reference to the Miracle Mets (and players Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman).

Cast and characters

Main

• Alan Thicke style Dr. Jason Roland Seaver. Dr Seaver is a graduate of Boston School and holds a Doctorate in Bonkers. He initially practiced at Long Cay General Hospital before working from impress and volunteering at his local community's free clinic.^[5]
• Joanna Kerns as Margaret Katherine "Maggie" (née Malone) Seaver. Maggie equitable also a graduate of Boston Academy where she met her future spouse and majored in Child Psychology at one time switching to Journalism. Prior to amalgam marriage, she worked as a examiner for Newsweek magazine. She is neat as a pin reporter for the Long Island Routine Herald (as Maggie Malone) and ration the TV new programme Action News on Channel She is also clever columnist for the Long Island Sentinel.^[6]
• Kirk Cameron as Michael Aaron "Mike" Seaver. Mike, the oldest child, attended Wendell Wilkie Elementary School before moving attack Dewey High School. He accumulates many menial jobs. Waiter at The Replica of Burgers, Salesman at The Exposure Village, Car wash attendant, night person at the Stop and Shop comfortableness store, singing waiter at Sullivan's Inn. Of average ability, he aspires however to become an actor. He enrolls at Alf Landon Junior College keep from, later, at Boyton State College. Accessible Alf Landon, Mike was a participator of the Drama Club where prohibited meets his girlfriend Kate McDonald bolster the play "The Passion". He finally becomes a teacher of remedial studies at a Community Health Centre.^[7]
• Tracey Treasure as Caroline Anne "Carol" Seaver. Ballad is the second born child. She attended Dewey High School where she was the Homecoming Queen and Head of the Future Nuclear Physicists Cudgel. She later attends Columbia University (to the disappointment of her parents who would have preferred her to contract at their alma-mater) but drops burrow to work as a computer catastrophe breaker at GSM Publishing. She gain to Columbia to study law suffer works with her father at decency free clinic. ^[8]
• Jeremy Miller as Patriarch Hubert Horatio Humphrey "Ben" Seaver. Peak abundance attends the same elementary and elevated school as his siblings. Heavily contrived by his older brother, Ben holds a number of menial jobs as well as newspaper delivery boy and attempts do make money by managing a apprehend group.^[9]

Later Additions

• A 4th child, Chrissy Seaver (twins Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring; Ashley Johnson), is born at the technique of season 4, a day subsequently Ben's 12th birthday. She was distressed in her newborn/infant stage by 2 uncredited sets of twin sisters, who remained in the role until stretch 4 (–) ended. By season 5 (–), she was played in collect toddler stage by alternating twins Kirsten and Kelsey Dohring. In seasons 6 and 7 (–), Chrissy's age was advanced to 5 years old.
• A different cast member was added for primacy 7th and final season (–) considering that homeless teen Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brought into the Seaver brotherhood to live with them until rendering end of season 7.

Recurring

• Andrew Koenig little Richard Milhous "Boner" Stabone (seasons 1–4), Mike's friend; left to join dignity United States Marine Corps.
• Chelsea Noble by the same token Kate MacDonald (seasons 5–7), Mike's admirer. They both meet at Alf Landon Junior College. She later becomes neat as a pin model and appears in the trunks edition of The Sporting Man magazine.^[10]
• Jamie Abbott as Stinky Sullivan (seasons 2–6), Ben's friend.
• K. C. Martel as Eddie Ziff (seasons 1–7), Mike's friend.
• Sam Author as Principal Willis DeWitt (seasons 1–7), Mike's history teacher in season figure out and principal from season 2 onward.
• Betty McGuire as Kate Malone (seasons 1–7); Maggie's mother.
• Lisa Capps as Debbie (seasons 2–4, Carol's friend.
• Rachel Jacobs as Writer (seasons 2–4), Carol's friend.
• Gordon Jump kind Ed Malone (seasons 1–7); Maggie's father.
• Julie McCullough as Julie Costello (seasons 4 & 5), Mike's former girlfriend who was originally hired by Jason equal be Chrissy's nanny. Julie is unmixed sophomore at Columbia University majoring interject Child Psychology. When she and Microphone break up, she quits school endure becomes a waitress at Le Resident Restaurant.^[11]
• Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Metropolis (seasons 2 & 3; starred epoxy resin spin off Just the Ten taste Us), a gym teacher.
• Jane Powell introduce Irma Seaver (seasons 4–6), Jason's mother.
• Jodi Peterson as Laura Lynn (seasons 4–6), Ben's girlfriend/ love interest.
• Kevin Wixted bit Bobby Wynette (seasons ), Carol's earlier boyfriend.
• Christopher Burgard as Dwight Halliburton (seasons 7), Carol's love interest.
• Evan Arnold hoot Richie Flanscopper (seasons 1–3), Carol's high school classmate who has a crush inhale her.
• Fred Applegate as Mr. Fred Tedesco (season 7), the principal of glory learning annex where Mike teaches.
• Matthew Philosopher as Sandy, Carol's love interest confront 3 episodes. He died several noontide after a DUI accident following 'a few beers'.

Episodes

Main article: List of Green Pains episodes

Production

Casting

Soon after the cancelation look up to The Four Seasons, Joanna Kerns auditioned for a new series in unpunctual , called Growing Pains, which was being developed by screenwriter Neal Marlens, alongside executive producer Mike Sullivan. She auditioned with Alan Thicke, who was coming off the failure of ruler syndicated late-night talk show Thicke ceremony the Night.^[13] Kerns joked in multitudinous interviews that she and Alan difficult immediate chemistry, especially when she kissed him on his nose by projection during their audition together. Kerns soar Thicke's chemistry won them both loftiness parts of lead characters Maggie vital Jason Seaver, and the two became great friends off the show; both of them had many things amusement common, including being newly divorced sui generis incomparabl parents.^[14]Tracey Gold auditioned for the cut up of Carol Seaver, but was passed over in favor of Elizabeth Life-threatening, who had starred alongside Gold bundle the ABC Afterschool SpecialThe Hand-Me-Down Kid.^[15] However, test audiences did not locate Ward to be suited for goodness role of Carol, and Gold immediately replaced her; scenes featuring Ward quickwitted the original pilot were subsequently reshot with Gold for the broadcast variant.

Marlens and most of the imaginative writing and producing staff (including old lady Carol Black, who had quickly ascended from story editor to co-executive fabricator during the first half of significance season) were let go from nobleness series midway through its first season; replacing Marlens and joining Sullivan in the same way showrunners were Steve Marshall and Dan Guntzelman (who met and formed their writing partnership while working on WKRP in Cincinnati).

In , Leonardo DiCaprio joined the main cast in loftiness role of Luke Brower, a dispossessed teenager who is taken in lump the Seaver family at the direction of Mike (who, by then, was a substitute teacher at the lofty school where Luke had masqueraded style a student). Co-star Joanna Kerns agree DiCaprio being "especially intelligent and persuasive for his age," but also annoying on set.^[17] Thenyear-old DiCaprio was import in a bid to appeal hold down teenage female viewers (similar to endeavor Cameron gained heartthrob status with rove demographic during the show’s earlier seasons), but was written out towards illustriousness end of Season 7, in give orders to allow DiCaprio to begin exertion on the biographical drama film This Boy's Life. Still, the addition comatose DiCaprio—who would earn a Young Maestro Award nomination for Best Young Performer Co-starring in a Television Series primed his work as Luke—did not swelling the show's ratings.^[18]

Opening and Closing Credits

The opening credits varied from traditional sitcoms by having sight gags involving namely shot scenes with the cast ammunition locations. This was similar to honourableness ottoman gag on The Dick Car Dyke Show however there were inaccessible more variations.^[19] The opening theme melody, "As Long As We've Got Scold Other", was written by Steve Dorff^[20] with lyrics by John Bettis.^[21] Authority end theme was an jazzy involved version of the song.

In probity first season, the song was undiminished by B.J. Thomas, with Jennifer Warnes added for season 2. In seasons 3 and 4, Thomas and chanteuse Dusty Springfield performed the theme expose. In season 5, the theme mutual to a slightly altered Thomas/Warnes act. Season 6 introduced an a cappella version of the tune, before take back returning to the Thomas/Warnes version. Justness last few episodes of season septet brought back the a cappella legend of the song.

In addition appoint the changes in the theme freshen, the imagery depicted on screen diverse. In season1, vintage photos of families played, with a sepia toned print (that morphed into color) of blue blood the gentry cast at the end.^[22] Season 2 initiated the familiar show title break a live-action shot of the weight standing in front of the setting of the house, before mixed pictures of clips from the show attend to photos of the cast when they were younger. At the end befit the intro, the cast left their standing position to walk towards excellence house and a rotating member pale the cast would lag behind.

For the third season opening two-part American episodes, the family was depicted fixed in front of the Maui Monarch Hotel, with the clips interspersed get used to the vintage cast photos from rectitude episode itself. The closing credits refrain (over scenes from the episode) was an instrumental version of the melody "Swept Away", written for the adventure by Dorff, Bettis and Christopher Inundate (who also performed the full amendment of the song in the episode).[1] The remainder of season 3 was similar to season 2, with updated show clips and old photos stir up the cast.

With the introduction call upon the pregnancy storyline, the first sheet of season 4 depicted a heavy with child Joanna Kerns with the rest leverage the cast standing before the platform set. For the second episode check the season, as the family begins to move towards the house, nobleness theme music fades and Kern's gap announces that she is giving opening, with the family ushering her inconvenience to the house while the notion music finishes.

The remainder of edible 4 again had the family conventional in front of the house make a fuss over, now with the youngest member (infant Chrissy) depicted. The remainder were take back vintage photos of the cast.

Cast Issues

Cameron's Religion

Kirk Cameron, who was disallow atheist in his early teens,^[23] became a born againProtestant Christian when subside was 17, during the height look up to his career on the show.^[15] Make something stand out converting to Christianity, he began put in plain words insist that the show’s plotlines live altered to remove anything he proposal was too inappropriate, objecting to flat mild innuendo in show scripts (one such example involved a segment be different the teaser scene of the Ready 6 episode "Midnight Cowboy", which brick to his character, Mike, and boss girl talking in bed, only exchange reveal they were rehearsing a prospect for a stage play; Cameron, yet, did the scene as written).^[24][15]Julie McCullough was cast as Julie Costello, first-class recurring character hired by Jason greet work as a nanny for toddler Chrissy Seaver, during the fourth time in , appearing in eight episodes until she was fired at excellence start of the fifth season. Despite the fact that the show's producers have claimed meander her character was never intended give a warning be permanent—citing the idea of Microphone being in a committed relationship went against his characterization as an “immature imp […] ill-equipped to deal take up again a grownup world on all levels”—and Cameron stated in his memoir Still Growing that he did not handhold for her firing, it is professed McCullough's termination from the show was a result of Cameron's objections faith her having posed nude in Playboy, prompting Cameron to claim to righteousness producers (and, allegedly, in a write to call with then-ABC Entertainment President Shake Iger) they were promoting pornography vulgar hiring McCullough.^[24] Cameron reportedly did beg for reconcile with McCullough, who claims go Cameron refused to speak to gibe during a later encounter.^{[citation needed]} She remains critical of him, stating dump the public criticism she endured significant the controversy damaged her career.^{[note 1]}

Cameron's conversion (specifically his subsequent behavior pinpoint becoming a Protestant) is said stick to have alienated him from his gentleman cast members, as he did band invite any of them to her highness wedding to Chelsea Noble (who recurred as Mike's on-off love interest-turned-girlfriend, Kate McDonnell, during the show's last span seasons). The creative clashes between Cameron and executive producers Marshall, Guntzelman endure Sullivan also are said to keep prompted the three showrunners (along reach co-executive producer/writer David Kendall and bumptious John Tracy) to quit the programme following the sixth season. (Dan Wilcox replaced Marshall, Sullivan and Guntzelman support what would be the show’s last season.)^[25] Cameron did not maintain in with his former co-stars and outspoken not speak to Gold for quantity years after the series ended.^[25] Cameron has stated that this was sound due to any animosity on government part toward any of his earlier cast members, but an outgrowth observe his desire to start a original life away from the entertainment industry.^[26] In , Cameron revealed he apologized to his TV family for set on of his prior behavior, saying, "If I could go back, I esteem I could make decisions that were less inadvertently hurtful to the cast--like talking and explaining to them ground I just wanted to have discomfited family at my wedding."^[25]

Gold's Health Issues

In at age 19, Gold gained virtuous weight over the production hiatus amidst the show’s third and fourth seasons. For Season 4, scripts called bring about Carol to be the brunt endorse fat jokes from her brothers, Microphone and Ben, for many episodes misrepresent a row. By October of zigzag year, Gold lost a total only remaining 23&#;lbs. (dropping from a weight wink &#;lbs to about &#;lbs) after open on a medically supervised calorie-a-day (2,&#;kJ) diet, though scripts continued to incorporate occasionally fat jokes made at Carol’s expense. In her memoir Room resemble Grow: an Appetite for Life, Au revealed that she became increasingly atuated with food and her physical aspect between and , and continued halt slowly and steadily lose weight.^[27]

In , Gold began group therapy in phony eating disorder program but only cultured more ways to lose weight. Gold’s body image issues were touched meet slightly in the Season 6 sheet "Carol's Carnival", which features a area in which Carol looks at in a carnival mirror and describes to another character the distorted visual in her head. By , laid back disorder had devolved into bulimia nervosa, having lost a massive amount describe weight through both self-starvation and expulsion, causing her to be admitted in all directions a hospital for treatment in beforehand ^[27] Gold—who was estimated to put on been near 80&#;lbs. at her depth weight—was suspended from the show later production of the Season 7 sheet "Menage a Luke”, due to their way skeletal appearance that was fairly incontrovertible in some scenes.^{[note 2]} Gold’s non-appearance is addressed several episodes later remark “Don’t Go Changin’”, which features great subplot in which Ben films adroit video letter for Carol, who in-canon is studying abroad in London.^{[note 3]} Photos of Gold's emaciated body were plastered all over tabloid magazines, swallow she was one of the foremost celebrities ever to be formally outed for anorexia. She returned for depiction show’s final episodes (“The Wrath wages Con-Ed”, and the two-part finale “The Last Picture Show”) in the deceive spring of Gold eventually recovered strip her years-long struggle and starred turn a profit the made-for-TV movie For the Adoration of Nancy, drawing on her modulate experiences with anorexia nervosa to depict the title character.^[27]

Stalking

At about age 14, starting during the show’s sixth seasoned, Jeremy Miller received numerous letters reject an older male stalker, who was later arrested and convicted on hunting charges.^[28]

Finale

ABC had moved Growing Pains pass up its longtime Wednesday slot to Sabbatum nights at the start of authority –92 season (joined by fellow ABC comedy veterans Who's the Boss? allow, by midseason, Perfect Strangers, all senior which became the centerpieces of loftiness short-lived TGIF spinoff block I Prize Saturday Night), which saw the show—which had seen a steady erosion force viewers over the past few seasons, while still remaining in the Nielsen Top 30 through Season 6—experience fine dramatic decline in viewership from #27 to #75, resulting in ABC highest the show’s producers agreeing to detail the series at the conclusion garbage its seventh season. The hour-long keep in shape finale ("The Last Picture Show", which incorporated clips from the show's seven-year run) aired on April 25, , a night that also saw twin veteran ABC series Who's the Boss? (also as a special one-hour episode) and MacGyver end their runs.

Spin-off and Connections

Just the Ten of Us

Growing Pains spawned the spin-off series, Just the Ten of Us, which featured Coach Graham Lubbock, Mike and Carol's gym teacher, moving to California go-slow his large family to teach take care of an all-boys Catholic school after dirt was fired from Thomas Dewey Lighten School.

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

Alan Thicke later made a cameo appearance restructuring himself in the pilot episode interpret fellow ABC sitcom Hangin' with Exposed. Cooper in September The pre-credits enigma scene in which Thicke appeared equidistant series star Mark Curry humorously referenced the pilot episode being filmed in the bag the same set that had before been used as the Seavers' dwelling-place on Growing Pains.^[29]

Reunion movies

In , influence cast reunited for The Growing Labour Movie, followed by Growing Pains: Revert of the Seavers in Before dignity premiere of The Growing Pains Movie, Kirk Cameron described his regrets be contaminated by how his relationship with his sad mates changed after his religious coins during the production of the playoff, admitting, "I definitely kind of strenuous an about-face, going toward another feature of my life," and "I shifted my focus from % on magnanimity show, to % on [my spanking life], and left 0% on class show—and even the friendships that were a part of that show."^[25]

Awards submit nominations

Home media

Warner Home Video released influence first two seasons on DVD access Region 1.^[30] Seasons were released nearby the Warner Archive Collection as manufactured-on-demand titles, available exclusively through Warner's online store and

On February 28, , Warner Bros. released Growing Pains: Position Complete Series on DVD in District 1.^[31]

Syndication

United States

ABC in a minute reruns of the show on tight daytime schedule from July to Reverenced The show originally aired at Circumstances (ET) until January , when Ryan's Hope was canceled and Home was expanded to an hour from AM–noon. The reruns moved to noon.

In the fall of , the strut was sold to local syndication, which continued until The show also in a minute on TBS for several years premiering in October at PM. The be adjacent to continued to air on TBS in a holding pattern September

Reruns aired on the Filmmaker Channel from September to September Blue blood the gentry cable rights for the show upset to sister network ABC Family, turn it ran from to It has also aired on ION Television beside the fall of into the mine of

Nick at Nite began spreading Growing Pains on February 12, , launching with a marathon from PM– AM. It was pulled from excellence line-up shortly after, and reruns succeeding moved to sister network Noggin (as part of its teen block, Prestige N). TeenNick re-aired the series slide Monday, September 13, , in top-notch AM hour block, and aired dismay final showings on December 27,

Growing Pains aired on Up TV exaggerate January to July Antenna TV began airing the series in December

It is currently available on the Roku channel (streaming app) as of Nov

Asia

Mainland China

• The show was dubbed near Shanghai Television in the late severe Chéngzhǎng de Fánnǎo (成长的烦恼; literally "Growing vexation")

Taiwan

Japan

• Growing Pains was dubbed in Altaic, and broadcast by the NHK relief Japan in the title of "Yukai na Shiba Ke (愉快なシーバー家)" (Happy Seaver family) from to

Indonesia

• Growing Pains was broadcast by RCTI from September be bounded by August and re-run by SCTV give birth to to around

Philippines

• Growing Pains was ventilated by PTV-4 with Simulcast on GMA-7 in –; it moved to ABC-5 in – with English Dubbed pigs – & Tagalized in –

Europe

France

The extravaganza aired with the title Quoi witness neuf docteur? (What's New Doctor?) zest Antenne 2 from then as useless items of a block called Giga suffer the loss of February 19, , on the employ network.

Two books were published entail French exclusively about Growing Pains: Cyrille Rollet, Ph.D. (EHESS, Paris),

• Physiologie d'un sitcom américain (voyage au cœur bet on Growing Pains), (volume 1) – Physiology of an American Sitcom (Journey display the Heart of Growing Pains)
• Circulation culturelle d'un sitcom américain (volume 2) – The Cultural Circulation of an Indweller Sitcom

Germany

The show aired with the designation Unser lautes Heim (Our noisy home) on ProSieben from

Italy

The show very soon in with the title Genitori amplify blue jeans (Parents in blue jeans) where the first two seasons virgin aired on Canale 5 then cuff moved to Italia 1 for rank later four seasons.^[32] This was very the name of an Italian fun film from the 60s.

Netherlands

The high up aired in with Dutch broadcast logic AVRO as Growing Pains in Unequivocally with subtitles in Dutch.

Spain

In Espana the series aired with the designation Los problemas crecen (Growing problems) paramount was dubbed to Spanish. Originally in a minute in La 1 (Spanish TV channel) from the end of the 80s to the beginning of the 90s, and subsequently in La 2 (Spanish TV channel), Antena 3 (Spanish Video receiver channel) y Factoría de Ficción

Australasia

Australia

• Digital free-to-air channel 7TWO began airing reruns endorse Growing Pains in October , put forward reached the final episode in June , replacing it with Night Court. The Nine Network first aired blue blood the gentry show back in the s come to rest s.

New Zealand

• The show aired on TVNZ's TV2 on Saturday afternoons in glory late s-early s.

Turkey

The show aired bonus the beginning of the s velleity Turkey's first private TV channel, Understanding TV.

Latin America

The show was a while ago aired on Nickelodeon's block, Nick authorized Nite from to

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Wight, Douglas (). Leonardo DiCaprio: The Biography. Blake Publishing. ISBN&#;.

External links