The Wonder Years is a comedy-drama set in the junior high school in the suburban part of town. Although the show was made in 1988, the show’s season starts 20 years earlier, in 1968. The main characters are Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano), and Gwendolyn “Winnie” Cooper (Danica McKellar), with the story being of Kevin making his way into adulthood. If you are yearning for a middle school based TV show packed with relatable and quirky humor, The Wonder Years may become your new best friend.

One reason why The Wonder Years might become one of those shows that you watch seasons at a time is because it is chock full of funny characters that are easy to relate to. First, there is Kevin Arnold, who thinks he has everything figured out, only to find out that he is not as cool as he thought. His best friend since birth, Paul Pfeiffer, is a geeky kid who is just along for the ride. Both have normal families, that are not like the overly funny TV families on Disney Channel. The last main character is Winnie Cooper, nerdy girl in the neighborhood that magically hits a major puberty change over the summer, making her super popular at school for her good looks and unintentionally, leaving Kevin and Paul at school to fend for themselves.

Another great point about this show that makes it so outstanding is that the show portrays realistic situations. In The Wonder Years, the scenes don’t feel scripted, not like a Disney producer thought of the pun and decided to use it over and over in different shows, all the jokes 100% predictable. The episodes instead feel like they could happen to any of us, like when Kevin has to muster up the courage to talk to a girl he likes, or when he has to play in a piano concert with the same song as the best piano player in the recital.

The final reason why I think The Wonder Years is one of the best shows I have ever encountered is because since it’s set in the late ‘60’s, it’s really interesting to look back 55 years ago. Their family life was so different, with no color TV, not much for electronics, and how the father would read the newspapers and smoke cigars after a long day at work while the mom would be the perfect housewife. It is also interesting to look at Kevin’s after school life, where instead of being on a cell phone in his mom’s new car, he would ride the bus home and play basketball in his backyard, ride his bike to his piano lessons, and help his dad with the old, beaten car that they did own.

What is a best friend? A best friend is someone who entertains you when you need it, someone you can relate to easily, and someone you can learn a little something from every now and then.  The Wonder Years has all of these qualities, and therefore it truly does qualify as your new best friend.