The Goldbergs Returns for Season Three

Category: Television and Streaming

SEAN GIAMBRONE, HAYLEY ORRANTIA, TROY GENTILE, WENDI MCLENDON-COVEY,  JEFF GARLIN, GEORGE SEGAL

When the family sitcom The Goldbergs premiered in the fall of 2013, Adam F. Goldberg explained to the media that the show was mostly autobiographical. As the creator and executive producer, Goldberg thought his family life in the 1980’s was worthy of a TV series. Viewers often see actual pictures and home videos of Goldberg’s family when the end credits roll, which personalizes the stories for the viewers while at the same time gives them the perspective of the decade in which the show is set.

While the siblings in the series relate to his actual family, Goldberg acknowledged, “I thought adding a daughter into the mix would just open up the whole world and bring us different kinds of stories,” so instead of the oldest sibling being Eric, like in his real family, he created Erica who is played by Hayley Orrantia. Putting your family on display for the whole world to see might cause conflicts within the family, however before the show aired Goldberg said, “it’s a nice homage to us growing up, and my mom is the most excited. This [show] just validated everything she ever did.”

Sean Giambrone plays Goldberg’s younger self, who documented the family history via his video camera. “I was either ignored because I was the youngest or … my brothers would just beat me up over always having the camera.” But that camera was everything to this guy. “I had over a hundred tapes that I digitized” before pitching the idea to the network.

The show is a look at not only the life of the Goldberg family but also the decade of the 80s. The hair, wardrobe, and even the trinkets are typical of the era. “I can’t stand the jelly shoes,” Orrantia confessed to the media. “They’re just so uncomfortable and your feet are sweaty and it’s just not that attractive. I think they’re like the Crocs of the ‘80s.” She added “But I like the bright neon colors.” As they say, everything old is new again, and in the 2010’s neon colors are back!

JEFF GARLIN, SEAN GIAMBRONE, HAYLEY ORRANTIA, WENDI MCLENDON-COVEY, TROY GENTILE, GEORGE SEGAL

For Wendi McLendon-Covey who plays Beverly Goldberg, the matriarch of the family, she insists, “I hate all the fashions of the ‘80s. None of them need to come back in daily life. I’m pretty much horrified every day when I get dressed (for the show) but it’s what the character would wear. And what I love/hate on our set are all the little [decorations].”

So far the sitcom has run two full seasons and the family has not aged. When asked if the timeline would correspond with the years on the air, Goldberg said no. “I haven’t even aged the kids yet in terms of their grades, and no one’s even really seemed to notice. So it’s definitely not chronologic. They’re like The Simpsons. It’s basically a live action Simpsons. So I think that’s a great thing, is I’m not locked into any time. So it’s as ’80s as long as we say it is. And then if we’re on long enough and we get bored, maybe we’ll go to the ’90s. Who knows?” That would be fine for fans of the show.

So what does season three have in store for TV’s funny family? “Every episode this season is about how I struggled with puberty, transitioning from middle school to high school, and that’s what it’s going to be for a little bit, which will be really fun, because those stories are pretty brutal,” explained Goldberg.

“I feel like that’s the thing about The Goldbergs,” said Orrantia, “is that not only is it nostalgic with the ’80s, but every family, no matter what background you come from, I feel like, can watch this show and say, ‘Oh, that person reminds me of my mom,’ or “’That’s my relationship with my brother.’ And I think that’s why it’s so popular now, is because so many people can relate to it.”

Season three of The Goldbergs premiers Wednesday, September 23, 2015 on ABC.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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