You Probably Grew Up Watching "The Wonder Years". Here Are 11 Facts About The Show That You Probably Did Not Know.

Big-Screen Dreams

The Wonder Years was not supposed to even be a TV show. It was originally slated to be a movie instead. The show's co-creator, Carol Black, said, "We played around with writing a screenplay that used narration as a device. We just started to think that there was a lot of potential fun in that ‘cause you can really play with the contrast between the narrator’s point of view and what the characters are doing."

It was revolutionary

At the time, there was not a single sitcom out there that used a single camera setup. Most used a three-camera setup, but The Wonder Years broke the mold. It proved to the television industry that creating a show like that worked. They took a risk, and it worked.

Super Bowl Slot

The Wonder Years was such a promising show at the time that it actually premiered right after the Super Bowl in 1988. The series creator, Neal Marlens called the show "a bit of Americana after the quintessential example of Americana."

Making History

13-year-old Fred Savage was the youngest actor to received a nomination for an Emmy because of his role on the show. He was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series. He received the same nomination a year after.

Sister, Sister

Even though we could not see anyone other than Danica McKeller play the role of Winnie Cooper, she almost lost the role to her sister. Casting director Mary Buck said that it was really a toss-up.

First Kiss Jitters

McKellar and Savage both had their first kiss on the show just like the characters that they portrayed. Savage said that they were both very nervous and they were not sure what was going to happen or even if they would be doing it right. It must have been really nervewracking for the pair.

Age Matters

The characters were growing up fast, so it was clear that those "wonder years" would come to an end soon.

"As the kids were developing and getting older, there were of course new stories to tell, but the tension and constraints of the deadline of the concept of the wonder years were beginning to press on us," executive producer Bob Brush said. "When Fred Savage became 16 and 17, there were really things he needed to get to that we couldn’t do at 8 p.m."

Kevin + Winnie = Heartbreak

Kevin and Winnie did not get the whole happily ever after ending that most of us expected which left fans disappointed. That is just the way things go sometimes, though. It gave a real-life feel since life does not always end up the way you thought it would when you were younger. The show just gave its audience a reality check that they were not prepared for.

On-Set Crushes

Savage and McKellar said they did have a crush on each other while they were filming the show, but they ended up with a more familial type relationship as if they were brother and sister instead. Savage said that he had fallen in love with her because she was pretty and sweet. McKellar commented that the pair had a mutual crush in the beginning but it evolved into a more comfortable relationship as friends.

Dad's Call

Dan Lauria played the role of Jack. In real life, Lauria has served as a Marine in Vietnam and he wanted to bring part of that to his role on the show to give it more authenticity. His character ended up being a Korean War vet. It was mentioned in several episodes.

Growth Spurts

Through the show, Kevin and Winnie had an off-and-on relationship with each other. This happened because Savage was too short. McKellar had a big growth spurt between seasons three and four. She was so much taller than savage who was not even a full five feet tall at the time. The show kept the couple apart until Savage caught up.