The Wonder Years

The show was created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black, both previously known for their work on Growing Pains, who wanted to set a family series in the late 1960s to appeal to the baby-boomer generation.

Neal Marlens originally wanted the setting to be Huntington, Long Island, where he grew up, while Carol Black drew on her childhood in the White Oak section of Silver Spring, Maryland, but ABC insisted the location remain a generic 'Anytown, USA'.

The show's title is a satirical nod to a 1970s Wonder Bread ad campaign that promoted white bread as perfect for 'The Wonder Years', referring to ages 1 through 12.

All five casting directors consulted by Marlens and Black independently recommended Fred Savage, whom the creators only decided to consider after watching a rough cut of Vice Versa, in which he starred.

The producers auditioned 300 to 400 children before narrowing the cast down to 70, prioritizing natural ability over professional polish.

The role of Winnie Cooper came down to a close choice between Danica McKellar and her real-life sister Crystal McKellar; Crystal impressed the producers so much that they created the character of Becky Slater specifically so she could join the show.

Because Fred Savage was a minor, the production had to work around child labor laws requiring at least three hours of schooling per day, often pulling him from set every 20 minutes for lessons.

Many exterior shots for the series were filmed in Burbank, California.

The pilot episode originally aired with narration by Arye Gross instead of Daniel Stern, who took over as the adult Kevin's voice for all subsequent broadcasts and home releases.

In the final episode's closing narration, the boy heard asking 'Hey, Dad, want to play catch?' is Daniel Stern's real-life son, Henry.

A sexual harassment lawsuit filed by costume designer Monique Long against stars Fred Savage and Jason Hervey during the final season brought unwanted publicity, and Alley Mills later said in 2018 that the lawsuit was a significant factor in the show's cancellation.

Producer Bob Brush noted the finale's ambiguous, bittersweet ending was partly due to uncertainty during filming about whether season six would be the show's last, forcing the ending to remain open until Daniel Stern's narration was recorded.

Home media and streaming releases replaced about 4-14 songs from the original broadcast due to music licensing issues, including swapping The Doors' 'Riders on the Storm' and 'Light My Fire' for generic soundalike tracks, and replacing Ennio Morricone's 'Brothers' from the finale's barn scene with a generic tune called 'Pastorale'.

In the 2021 reboot's episode 'Love & War,' a character reveals his life was saved in Vietnam by Brian Cooper, Winnie's brother from the original series, creating a direct connection between the two shows.