Did you wonder what The Goldbergs would be like if the show took place in the 1970s with a large Catholic family instead of a Jewish one? If so, The Kids Are Alright is for you. The Kids Are Alright evokes a show that evokes The Wonder Years. And the results are a mixed bag.
While the show hits upon all the major events of 1970s, such as Watergate and the culture clash between young and old, it’s only mentioned in passing because the show focuses on the dynamic of an Irish Catholic family with seven kids and demanding parents who want their family to appear respectable.
There may be some viewers who watch The Kids Are Alright and find it resonates with them. I have no doubt some 60-year-old Irish Catholic man watched this episode and agreed with every point. The pilot features a brawl between brothers, a brother who wants to leave seminary school, and the narrator/star of the show William Cleary (Andy Walken) sneaking around to try out for a play his mother doesn’t approve of.
However, I didn’t grow up in a big Irish Catholic family, so I have no idea what that is like. To me, it reads like a list of self-deprecating Irish Catholic stereotypes Conan O’Brien occasionally trots out. Are there grains of truth to it? Sure. Could I tell you how many? No and it’s not my place to tell you.
My pet peeve with The Kids Are Alright is that the show features 50s fashions, which will immediately take some viewers out of the 1980s. While it’s true that most cars in 1972 would be from the 1960s or earlier, hairstyles and clothing wouldn’t unless the person chose not to update their personal style for over a decade.
The Kids Are Alright isn’t for me. That’s alright. The Nanny and The Goldbergs reflect my family experiences better. And that’s alright. The Kids Are Alright is not a bad show. In a few years, we may even consider it a classic along with the aforementioned shows.
Rating: 6 out of 10
The Kids Are Alright airs Tuesday night on ABC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5-0wgrWB9g
