This piece was originally written for the Savannah College of Art and Design student media publication District. I was given a media pass to attend a talk with with cast of "The Goldbergs" as a part of the 2021 SCAD aTVfest. I listened to their experience after eight years of filming. Image sourced from SCAD aTVFest.
“The Goldbergs” has been running on ABC since 2013. The show stars Wendy McLendon-Covey as the big-haired and overprotective matriarch Beverly Goldberg, George Segal as her father, Jeff Garlin as her husband Murray and Hayley Orrantia, Troy Gentile and Sean Giambrone as her children Erica, Barry and Adam respectively. McLendon-Covey, Garlin, Orrantia, Gentile, Giambrone and Sam Lerner (Barry’s best friend Geoff Schwartz in the show) all gathered for a virtual panel for SCAD’s ninth annual aTVFest.
The plot is a zany semi-autobiographical account of the early life of writer and producer Adam F. Goldberg — voiced in the show by Patton Oswalt, his narration guides each episode taking place in “1980-something” in a style similar to shows like “Everybody Hates Chris” — that is filled to the brim with 1980’s nostalgia and pop culture references.
Beyond the spectacle of gaudy sweaters and the serious amounts of hairspray it must take for each actor to get into character, “The Goldbergs” is based on a very real family. The story is deeply rooted in good memories and familial love, making it easy to feel a real connection with the title family. “That’s why our show is so successful, because of the joy that we get and our energy, we’re all friends,” said Gentile, “When we go on camera, we do it in front of the crew who’s also a part of our family, it makes it that much more special. For eight seasons we’ve been building that comfort level, it’s awesome, it really is a special thing.”
Sam Lerner explained the special connection he feels with his character Geoff Schwartz, stating that he practically grew up on the show. Lerner was only 21 when the show premiered, and Sean Giambrone, the actor portraying Adam Goldberg himself, was only 14. This show has been a huge part of their lives. “[The show writers] have learned how to write in my voice almost,” said Lerner, “Like sometimes I have trouble seeing what’s Sam and what’s Geoff, I feel like I get the script and it’s written for me.”
The connection actors like Lerner have with their characters is one of the key elements that keeps audiences engaged with shows like “The Goldbergs” for as long as eight years. The attention to the actor’s style and the dedication to creating authentic characters makes “The Goldbergs” standout in a world of seemingly endless binging options. “The key to writing characters that last a long time is that you care about the characters as a writer, and that you write what is true for the character,” said Garlin, “Those are the only things you have control over, you can’t control how people will react to them, you don’t know if people are going to like the show. You have to trust yourself, that is everything, trust yourself and respect and love the character.”
With the uncertainty of 2020 bleeding into 2021, shows that create a positive viewing experience are needed now more than ever. “The Goldbergs” can briefly whisk the viewer away from their problems and into the colorful and pre-COVID-19 world of the 1980’s. “It’s a fun family show, it goes down easy, it’s comfort viewing,” said McLendon-Covey, “Say what you want about that, but right now I’m getting a lot of [messages from fans saying] ‘Thank God for this show, it’s getting us through the pandemic, we’ve been binging it as a family, and we just absolutely love it.’ That to me means everything.”
See it on the District website! The cast of ‘The Goldbergs’ reflects on their eight years together – SCAD District
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