Growing Pains | |
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Title card from seasons 2–3
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Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | Neal Marlens |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | John Bettis |
Opening theme | "As Long As We Got Each Other" performed by B. J. Thomas & Jennifer Warnes |
Ending theme | "As Long As We Got Each Other" |
Composer(s) | Steve Dorff |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 7 |
No. of episodes | 166 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
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Producer(s) | David Lerner (season 1) Arnold Margolin Bruce Ferber |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 22–30 minutes |
Production company(s) | Guntzelman/Sullivan/Marshall Productions (seasons 5–6) Warner Bros. Television |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | September 24, 1985 | – April 25, 1992
Chronology | |
Followed by |
The Growing Pains Movie Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers |
Related shows | Just the Ten of Us |
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes.
The Seaver family resides at 15 Robin Hood lane in Massapequa, Long Island, New York. However, other sources claim Huntington, Long Island, New York.
Dr. Jason Seaver (portrayed by Alan Thicke), a psychiatrist, works from home because his wife, Maggie (Joanna Kerns), has gone back to work as a reporter. Jason has to take care of the kids: ladies man Mike (Kirk Cameron), bookish honors student Carol (Tracey Gold), and rambunctious Ben (Jeremy Miller). A fourth child, Chrissy Seaver (twins Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring; Ashley Johnson), is born in October 1988. In the middle of season four (1988-89), she was first played in her infant stage by an uncredited set of twin sisters. Then, by season five (1989-90), she was played in her toddler stage by alternating twins Kristen and Kelsey Dohering. In seasons six and seven (1990-92), Chrissy's age was advanced to six years old. By the seventh and final season, homeless teen Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brought into the Seaver family to live with them nearly until the end of season seven.
The season one main opening features various works of art and vintage photography depicting family life, closing with a shot of the cast.
The opening credits from seasons two through five features an opening shot of the cast in front of the Seaver house exterior. This is followed by a series of photos of each cast member from their childhood onward ending with a clip from the show. The credits closed with another shot of the cast in front of the Seaver house before they all run inside. Starting in the fourth season, several different versions of the opening sequence were filmed. Whoever was the last to go into the house would usually be the focus of that week's episode.