MovieChat Forums > Growing Pains (1985) Discussion > Why Does This Not do Well in Syndication...

Why Does This Not do Well in Syndication?


I'm 29 and for me the longest run in syndication i can remember is when the disney channel aired it. i miss this show and wondered why the nick at nite thing didn't work and why it hasn't really come back. I kind of wish the hub would pick it up since they got step by step and blossom.

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The show and others like it haven't aged well. They are ok in small doses but you can't binge watch them. Besides with all of the other entertainment options now no one has to watch TV let alone 30 plus year old TV shows.

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There wasn't anything amazing about GP even at the time. I can't recall any amazing storylines or issues they dealt with. The cast didn't have much if any chemistry with each other and even the star Kirk was pretty ordinary.

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I don't think quality always determines success in terms of reruns. Hill Street Blues and St Elsewhere were fantastic programs in terms of acting and writing but never stuck on a schedule in terms of reruns. I won't put Growing Pains on a pedestal but it lacked pizazz to draw people back time and time again. To me it seemed quite bland and Kirk was not a hook to pull people in. 80's family comedies have cooled in general and you don't even see shows like Family Ties around in reruns anymore. Could be that the background in terms of nice homes and clothes was not the reality most remember and that Roseanne best measured the pulse of America at the time.

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