The Wonder Years fires Fred Savage as EP over misconduct claims
According to a new report from Deadline, the star of the original series has been fired from the reboot, where he serves as an executive producer and director, after an investigation into misconduct claims. 20th Television, the studio that produces the series under parent company Disney, said the following in a statement:
“Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of The Wonder Years.”
The timing of this announcement late Friday should not come as a surprise. The Wonder Years as a series is meant to be a celebratory look at life, and is happy and positive in nature. The allegations towards Savage run as antithetical of much of that. The show will likely be retaining the bulk of its directing and producing team if it is renewed, so it should have the ability to press onward past this. Savage was not the day-to-day showrunner on the series, so there may not need to be some huge change when it comes to the creative vision for the show.
ABC should announce a decision on the future of the reboot over the next couple of weeks; we think that there’s a reasonably chance that it could return, especially with Black-ish ending. That means that there is already a half-hour the network will have to replace on its schedule.
We’ll have more news on this story, and the future of The Wonder Years, over the course of the next several weeks. Be sure to keep coming back.
Photo: ABC