10 Amazing TV Shows That Began As Mid-Season Replacements

4. The Wonder Years

In a lot of ways, The Wonder Years is very much in the vein of Happy Days. Both were shows set in another time period depicting the lives of teenagers, both hit audiences over the head with nostalgia, and both were mid-season replacements. But where Happy Days was more of a lighthearted sitcom, The Wonder Years addressed the issues of the era with a bit more drama and poignancy. Rather than focusing most of their energy on the squeaky clean family values of the early 60s, The Wonder Years dealt with the turbulence of the time period and the generational conflicts in a very real way. The show was bought by ABC and began airing in January 1988, taking advantage of an open time slot left by hit sitcom Growing Pains moving to a different night. It was an instant success, earning Fred Savage the honour of being the youngest ever nominee for Best Leading Actor in a Comedy Series at the Emmys. The Wonder Years ran for six seasons, and is considered one of the best shows of the 1980s.