Adam F. Goldberg’s The Goldbergs ran for ten seasons on ABC, from September 24, 2013, to May 3, 2023. It was based on Goldberg’s own childhood in the 1980s, documented through home video. The show cast Jeff Garlin, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, and Hayley Orrantia, with Patton Oswalt voicing the adult version of Adam.
The show was mostly positive, scoring 5.5 out of 10.
Trailer, via Sony Pics at Home.
The Home Video Hook
The premise is simple. Eleven-year-old Adam documents his family with a video camera, which the show then recreates and plays before the credits. The show is set in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and follows Adam, his sister Erica, his brother Barry, his mother Beverly, and his grandfather Pops. The adult version of Adam narrates every episode as taking place in “1980-something.”
The show drew on real 1980s pop culture, which the source material lists. It also brought in guest stars from Goldberg’s actual life as characters or as themselves.
The Seasons and Departures
The show moved to ABC after a script commitment from Fox, with McLendon-Covey cast first in January 2013. The show was titled How the F— Am I Normal? before settling on its final title. George Segal joined the cast early, playing Pops, but died in 2021 during season 8. The April 7, 2021, episode “Couple Off” ended with a 48-second video tribute to him.
Jeff Garlin’s departure was announced in December 2021, following misconduct allegations. His character stayed on the show for the rest of season 9 through outtakes, a stand-in, and CGI. He was killed off before the events of the 10th season.
What Works
The show’s strength was its use of home video. Family arguments, family dinners, family vacations — all were captured with the same grainy, handheld energy of actual home film. The show also had a clear sense of place, rooted in Philadelphia-area businesses like Wawa, Gimbels, and Kremp’s Florist.
What Doesn’t
The show’s humor sometimes relied on yelling and repetition. The family was loving but loud, and the show leaned on that energy rather than building distinct characters. Some episodes were built around pop culture references rather than character development.
The show also faced real-life trouble. The Garlin departure was not a fictional story but a real one, and the show’s handling of it was uneven.
Final Verdict
The Goldbergs was a show about family that sometimes forgot to build a family worth caring about. The premise was strong, the setting was specific, and the cast was committed. But the show’s humor could be thin, its structure repetitive, and its handling of real departures uneven. The final season, which aired on May 3, 2023, closed the show out without fully resolving the issues that had built up over its ten seasons.
Key Facts
- The Goldbergs ran for 10 seasons on ABC, from 2013 to 2023
- 229 episodes
- Created by Adam F. Goldberg
- Premiered September 24, 2013, with its finale on May 3, 2023
- Final season announced February 23, 2023
Score: 5.5 of 10
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