'The Wonder Years' star Fred Savage's downfall

The Wonder Years
From lead actor to director and executive producer
Dismissal
Internal investigation
Official statement
What happened?
Verbal attacks and reprehensible attitudes
Savage also misbehaved while working on 'The Grinder'
The series was canceled after one season
And... did you know a lawsuit ended 'The Wonder Years' in 1993?
Fred Savage and Jason Hervey were accused
Out of court settlement
How about 'The (new) Wonder Years'?
It continues, but without Fred Savage
The Wonder Years

Between 1988 and 1993, Fred Savage played the unforgettable Kevin Arnold in 'The Wonder Years.' Back then he was an adorable, charming little boy.

From lead actor to director and executive producer

34 years later, the series returned to television with Fred Savage himself as its director and executive producer. However, this time Savage wasn't acting, instead he was put in charge of the reboot of the series.

Dismissal

Everything seemed perfect and fans were thrilled, until the news broke: Fred Savage had suddenly been fired from the reboot in which he had been participating since 2021.

Internal investigation

After an internal investigation, 20th Century Television decided to terminate Fred Savage's contract and remove him from what is, without a doubt, his greatest series.

"Inappropriate Behavior"

The reason for the dismissal was the "inappropriate behavior" of Fred Savage on set, as confirmed by 20th Century Television in a statement.

Official statement

"Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched," a spokesperson for the production company said in a statement.

"The decision was made to terminate his employment"

"Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of 'The Wonder Years,'" the statement concluded.

What happened?

Deadline revealed more details of the "inappropriate behaviors" that motivated the dismissal of the famous protagonist of the series.

 

Verbal attacks and reprehensible attitudes

According to Deadline, several members of the crew complained about Fred Savage's verbal attacks in addition to other reprehensible attitudes.

Savage also misbehaved while working on 'The Grinder'

Interestingly, also with 20th Century Fox involved, Fred Savage had similar problems in the series 'The Grinder', in 2015.

The series was canceled after one season

On that occasion, the investigation closed in a favorable way for the actor. The series was canceled after the first season, despite favorable criticism and public approval.

And... did you know a lawsuit ended 'The Wonder Years' in 1993?

But there's more... A costume designer for 'The Wonder Years', Monique Long, filed a lawsuit for harassment. It was the cause of the show's cancellation in 1993, after six seasons, Rolling Stone recalls.

Fred Savage and Jason Hervey were accused

Monique Long was 32 years old at the time, and she claimed that Fred Savage, who was half her age, as well as Jason Hervey (Wayne Arnold in the series), had harassed her.

Out of court settlement

Even though the lawsuit was settled before reaching the courts, it caused one of the most popular television series to get cancelled.

How about 'The (new) Wonder Years'?

Something similar might have happened with the reboot. The first season of the series was broadcast on ABC in the fall of 2021. Luckily, ABC announced in May 2022 that 'The Wonder Years' would get a second season.

Photo: Instagram - @thewonderyearsabc

It continues, but without Fred Savage

The series' producer also confirmed in May of 2022 that it had cut all ties with Fred Savage. His part in 'The Wonder Years' is a thing of the past.

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