Although it started off slow the first season, I think 'Growing Pains' hit its stride the second, and then peaked during its third year on the air. From the fall of '88 on however, with the exception of maybe half a dozen episodes that were hilarious, I thought the show lost its direction. Whether the birth of Chrissy or the change in producers affected this, I know that by the last season the show all but flat out sucked. What does everybody else think about this ?

i think when mike became a teacher it went downhill...story lines werent growing pains style anymore..mike was responsible... i couldnt believe it

I agree, this was another thing I disliked about Cosby Show. Mike Seaver and Theo Huxtable were supposed to be underachievers and irresponsible. So why towards the end were both mature and everything?

The Growing Pains reunion movie was proof that only in Hollywood could a character like Mike Seaver end up being a CEO at an advertising agency. In real life, he should've turned out similar to how Ben did in the movie.

I think it went downhill when the characters started to change. When they let DiCaprio on the show, when Chrissy was in her more older years, when Mike had become mature, when Ben became a geeky moron, and when Maggie and Jason became less crazy, the whole show became campy.

The show went downhill when they had Chrissy. Have you ever noticed that when a show SHOULD go off the air they start adding new characters. So it wasn't bad enough that they had a child that grew at an alarming rate but they had to add that Titanic guy and it was still a stupid show. And as far as Mike .. how did he become a teacher so quickly?? I thought you had to go to school for 4 years. From past shows we all know he wasn't THAT smart.

all of you are forgetting the theme song. At first, Growing Pains had its own style, with the family gathered in front of the house, then, the song plays, then, 1 person is left. but, later, they had an acapella version (only singers, no instruments)and the pictures of them. It was similar to Family Ties, and the song was not happy anymore, it sounded kind of sad, thats what i think helped hurt the show.

IN MY OPINION GROWING PAINS WITH DOWN HILL WHEN JUILE McCULLOUGH WAS DROPPED FROM THE CAST.THE SHOW GOT TOO SERIOUS AND "JUMPED THE SHARK".

I always skip over the first year when Disney does the re-runs, cuz the show wasn't razor sharp yet. But by season two when Cameron dominated the hilarious action, it got great and, in my mind, didn't run out of steam until the final year. The stories got uninvolving (Ben breaks a vaccuum, Maggie's dad's ghost shows up in one, Carol has problems with her doof boyfriend) and they tried to shake things up with cast additions (Leo) but it was time to leave anyway. Seven years was enough.

When they made Chrissy jump from age 2 to like...age 6! god, that ruined it!

Well, Jack, I'm pretty much with you about the first season. Really took awhile for them to find their way, but 86-88 was great. Even 89-91 were good for me, but that final year seemed to be trying to many new things to pump life back in. Chrissy, Luke, Mike as a teacher...they ended things when they should have.

The last two seasons made the show look like a teddy bear's worst nightmare. The only bright spot was the black-out episode. The love between ben and crissy is greater since Balki and Larry or Fran and Maxwell.

I think adding Chrissy to the cast wasn't a good idea. Then when she skipped 3 years of her life, it only got worse. She always had those too smart for her age comments too. Also, Carol's goofy boyfriend wasn't that great for the show. He was just a little too much. I can't say for sure exactly when it went downhill, because it's been a long time since I watched my tapes.

Originally posted by Lovin' 80's Sitcoms
When they made Chrissy jump from age 2 to like...age 6! that ruined it!

I totally agree.

Mom and Dad Are Havin A Baby!!!! 7 words that usually predict a shows un-comindg doom!!!!Chrissy was the kiss of death. Adding Leonnardo DeCaprio was a pointless move too(which must've insulted the guy who played Ben to no end!!!"Whaddaya mean I'm not cute anymore?????")

Yea, I'd have to say that after the 1988 season, the show became more of a "Growing Pain" than a sitcom!

<and the room takes a collective groan>

:lol:

IN MY OPINION GROWING PAINS WITH DOWN HILL WHEN JUILE McCULLOUGH WAS DROPPED FROM THE CAST.THE SHOW GOT TOO SERIOUS AND "JUMPED THE SHARK".

This. Once Julie left, fans were upset by how it ended because there were absolutely no hints that they wouldn't be together. Made it seem like something was fishy.

I feel like the show stayed entertaining until about the last half of the final season. I've only seen a few episodes from season 1, so I can't really comment to much on it. Season 2-6, in my opinion were good. I agree adding Chrissy was pointless. I think she was added to fill the void Ben left when he grew up a little, but it's like "Yea cute kid who's to smart for their own". Hasn't that been done before?? I liked when they added Luke. I would've been happy with just adding Luke and not Chrissy, even though Luke wasn't added til the final season and Chrissy was added in the 4th I believe. Carols "doof" boyfriend was only in like 6 episodes I believe, he didn't bug me to much but it was definitely a reach for her to end up with him.
If you watch the Larry King reunion they did for the release of the season 1 dvd, Alan Thicke says that they lost a lot of their former writers for the show. I think this is what kills a lot of shows. Hiring new writers that have no history with the show. At least if they had kept some of the original writers the character development would've made a lot more sense. All in all, this is definitely one my favorite sitcoms of the 80s, if not all time. It may have gone downhill in the final season but you and I both know it was better than 90% of what is on tv these days. The laugh track sitcom is dead.

Although it started off slow the first season, I think 'Growing Pains' hit its stride the second, and then peaked during its third year on the air. From the fall of '88 on however, with the exception of maybe half a dozen episodes that were hilarious, I thought the show lost its direction. Whether the birth of Chrissy or the change in producers affected this, I know that by the last season the show all but flat out sucked. What does everybody else think about this ?
I think it went down when Mike became obviously bi and took in a boy home called Leonardo DiCaprio.The show went downhill as it became dramedy more.

i think when mike became a teacher it went downhill...story lines werent growing pains style anymore..mike was responsible... i couldnt believe it

This was definitely it for me. I hated the new responsible Mike. Had they started to focus on teenage Ben and Stinky a little sooner I may have stuck with it. But Mike the actor and good guy teacher was such a hard change that it made the show lose its funny

This was definitely it for me. I hated the new responsible Mike. Had they started to focus on teenage Ben and Stinky a little sooner I may have stuck with it. But Mike the actor and good guy teacher was such a hard change that it made the show lose its funny

Once Mike went into teaching, Ben hit puberty, and Carol began withering away, the show (https://web.archive.org/web/20140407131417/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/2851490-growing-pains/page-8#entry7295594) went to hell. There was none of that familiar family dynamic that had made the show as popular as it was during the previous seasons. The kids were old enough to care for themselves, and Jason and Maggie were relegated to stage props or to interact with and play the straight man to Chrissy and her antics.

I think it went down when Mike became obviously bi and took in a boy home called Leonardo DiCaprio.The show went downhill as it became dramedy more.

Was Luke in actuality, meant to be a friendly teenage rival for Ben? I mean, what's not to say that he wasn't brought in because Chrissy (as now played by Ashley Johnson) lacked in charm and was just a prop. Meanwhile, Kirk Cameron was at this point, too old for teen storylines and was difficult to work to boot.

Ah, Chrissy hate! How much i've missed you ;)
;)

"Dear Jason and Margaret Seaver,

Please let me pick Chrissy (Ashley Johnson) up from school today and all your problems will be solved. In a difficult way for her but a permanent way for you.

Yours,
Dennis Rader"

This was definitely it for me. I hated the new responsible Mike. Had they started to focus on teenage Ben and Stinky a little sooner I may have stuck with it. But Mike the actor and good guy teacher was such a hard change that it made the show lose its funny

As others have said (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/any-%E2%80%9Cgrowing-pains%E2%80%9D-fans-out-here.5810967/post-110141215), Kirk Cameron insisting that his character be more responsible, wholesome, and straight-laced messed up the dynamic because Mike was meant to be a foil to his responsible parents and serious sister.

KC was no JC.