Goldbergs Sitcom Based on Writer’s Philly Upbringing
The Daily News reports that The Goldbergs, a new ABC sitcom,is based on the 1980s upbringing of writer Adam F. Goldberg.
His physician father, played on “The Goldbergs” by Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), died about five years ago, but “my mom [played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, of “Reno 911!”] is “beyond thrilled. This is the greatest thing for her ever,” he said.
“In a lot of ways, it’s a way to resurrect my dad. And also therapy, digging up the past,” Goldberg said. “I think if I’d done it right after [he died], it would’ve been hard. Now I can just pull out all the funny things. Especially casting Jeff, who is like my dad. He channels my dad. It’s amazing. There are certain things that he says in this pilot that my dad said and he delivers it the same exact way. It’s amazing.”
Goldberg, whose wife, a therapist, has known him since he was 16 – they met at a summer theater program for high-school students at Northwestern University – said “she’s really proud” of what he’s done with “The Goldbergs.”
“In her mind, I took something that wasn’t the most positive experience all the time and made it a comedy, and made something really great out of something that maybe wasn’t the most healthy thing all of the time,” he said.
The show airs at 9 pm Tuesday.
