Growing Pains

Growing Pains is a TV show sitcom on The WB featuring stay-at-home dad Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) and working mother Maggie Malone (Joanna Kerns) juggling the ups and downs of family life with their children (played by Kirk Cameron, Jeremy Miller, Tracey Gold, and Ashley Johnson) and a cast of other colorful characters including Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Richard “Boner” Stabone (Josh Koenig). Growing Pains, which aired originally on ABC from 1985 to 1992, tells the story of an upper-middle class family living in Long Island, New York. Psychiatrist Jason Roland Seaver (Alan Thicke) moves his office to his home in order to assumes the duties of cooking, cleaning, and being “there for the kids” so his beloved wife, Margaret “Maggie” Malone (Joanna Kerns), can take a job pursuing journalism after 15 years as the homemaker. Their eldest son, Mike (Kirk Cameron) is the charming troublemaker who, thanks in part to the show’s success, became the “pin-up guy” of the 80s. Carol (Tracey Gold) is the bookworm, struggling with social life at school. At one point in the series, she is forced to deal with the unexpected death of her boyfriend Sandy (guest star Matthew Perry). Ben (Jeremy Miller) is the youngest boy, clever but rambunctious. Throughout the series, he often acts as either Mike’s partner in crime—or thorn in his side. In the fourth season, a (suddenly) six-year old Chrissy (Ashley Johnson) is added to the Seaver family. The show also features a young Leonardo DiCaprio playing Luke Brower, a homeless student taken in by The Seavers who eventually becomes a part of the family. Richard “Boner” Stabone (Josh Andrew Koenig) also played an active recurring role as Mike’s best friend who eventually leaves to join the US Marines. The show had many other notable guest stars besides Matthew Perry, including Brad Pitt, Hilary Swank, and Heather Graham. Reruns of the successful show’s seven seasons have also been seen on TBS, The Disney Channel, ABC Family, and Nick at Nite. In 2000, the cast (including Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, and Ashley Johnson—but unfortunately not Leonardo DiCaprio) was brought back together for The Growing Pains Movie and for a sequel in 2004. MORE