Not Even Leonardo DiCaprio Could Save 'Growing Pains'

The Big Picture

Sitcoms featuring men in domestic roles were popular in the 1980s, but eventually declined in popularity.
Growing Pains was successful early on, but behind-the-scenes troubles and cast changes took a toll on ratings.
Leonardo DiCaprio's addition to the show couldn't save the sinking ship that was Growing Pains .

In the 1980s, sitcoms featuring men in domestic roles were hugely popular. It all started with the 1983 movie Mr. Mom, starring Michael Keaton and Teri Garr. After Jack (Keaton) loses his job, his wife Caroline (Garr) re-enters the workforce as the sole provider while Jack stays home with their three children. Jack, unfamiliar with the many demands of stay-at-home parenting, makes mistake after mistake, resulting in hilariously cringeworthy moments that parents everywhere can relate to. Mr. Mom was a big hit with audiences, and television shows sought to capitalize on this new take on the nuclear family. One of the most popular shows to do this, Growing Pains, also introduced the world to the would-be Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Though the series ran for seven seasons and garnered a massive fan base, in the end, even the charismatic DiCaprio couldn't save the floundering show.

ABC's Growing Pains wasn't the only sitcom to feature a man in a domestic role. Who's the Boss? revolved around former major league baseball player Tony Micelli (Tony Danza), who takes a job as a live-in housekeeper for advertising executive Angela Bower (Judith Light) to raise his daughter Samantha (Alyssa Milano) away from the madness of New York City. Mr. Belvedere followed an English butler who shoulders the Owens household's domestic duties. Charles in Charge told the story of a young college student, Charles (Scott Baio), who works as a live-in housekeeper and nanny. Each series found success in early seasons, but whether due to viewer fatigue or changing times, this once-loved premise eventually declined in popularity. Despite ranking No. 5 in the Nielsen ratings by the end of Season 3, Growing Pains dropped to a disappointing No. 75 in its final season. By the time producers brought on DiCaprio to reach younger audiences, it was too late to turn things around, and the series ended that same year.

Growing Pains

TV-GComedyFamily

The misadventures of a family with a home business father and a journalist mother.

Release Date September 24, 1985 Creator Neal Marlens Cast Alan Thicke , Joanna Kerns , Kirk Cameron , Jeremy Miller , Tracey Gold , Ashley Johnson , Leonardo DiCaprio Main Genre Comedy Seasons 7

'Growing Pains' Was Successful in Its Early Seasons

Growing Pains became a huge favorite among audiences early on. The series centered on the Seaver family living in Huntington, Long Island, New York. Dr. Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) moves his psychiatry practice to his home office so that he can take care of their three (later four) children while his wife, Maggie (Joanna Kerns), goes back to work as a journalist at the local newspaper. The kids include the oldest, Mike (Kirk Cameron), the quintessential lady's man with a bit of a rebellious streak; Carol (Tracey Gold), the over-achieving intellectual who is frequently at odds with her brother, and the youngest, Ben (Jeremy Miller), the impressionable youngster who idolizes his big brother. In Season 4, the family welcomes a fourth child, Chrissy (unnamed twin infants/Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring/Ashley Johnson).

When Maggie Seaver returns to work full-time as a reporter for the local newspaper, Dr. Seaver moves his practice to his home office, taking over the domestic chores like cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children. Each episode of the show had a moral. The children would learn a new life lesson "the hard way" and then talk through the consequences of it with their mild-mannered father. It was the ideal family programming. Parents and children could see themselves in the characters, and their conflicts were relatable and realistic. It was wholesome television for the entire family, and it worked.

The 'Growing Pains' Cast Had Trouble Behind the Scenes

The first four seasons of Growing Pains were hugely successful. Season 3 finished up at No. 5 in the Nielsen rankings, and Season 4 dropped a little to No. 13. Until then, the series had never been below No. 17. The cast found instant fame, especially teen heartthrob Kirk Cameron. With the demands of being on a top-rated show came pressure to look a certain way, and no one felt this more than Tracey Gold. After gaining some weight in 1988 during the show's hiatus, Gold found herself the butt of literal jokes written into the scripts. Her on-screen brothers made jokes about her weight, adding to Gold's emotional distress. Gold was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at the age of 11, and she battled anorexia throughout her years on Growing Pains. In the final season, she had to take time off because of her health decline. Losing a lead actor is never good for a show, particularly one as well-liked as Carol Seaver, and it clearly took a toll on ratings.

A couple of seasons into Growing Pains, Kirk Cameron became a Christian, and as the show progressed, he felt his newfound Christian morals were at odds with his bad-boy television persona. He frequently asked the writers to change the way they portrayed his character. Kirk didn't want Mike to be the immature, girl-obsessed rebel anymore; he wanted to transform his character completely. When Cameron married his on-screen love interest, Chelsea Noble, he admittedly wanted to focus on his new life and not on the show. With shake-ups to Mike Seaver's character and an actor who admittedly didn't want to commit to the series anymore, it's no wonder the final seasons took a ratings hit.

Leonardo DiCaprio Was a Hit, But 'Growing Pains' Had to End

By the time 1991 rolled around, Growing Pains was in dire straits. Producers added a new character, Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio), to boost ratings among young female viewers. Luke, a young homeless teen, is taken in by the Seavers and becomes a part of the family. Though DiCaprio was a hit with fans, his presence alone wasn't enough to right the sinking ship that was Growing Pains.

Before Growing Pains, DiCaprio had played some minor roles in film and television, but his role as Luke Brower started a hugely successful acting career. From there, DiCaprio went on to star in the wildly popular gritty modern take on Shakespeare in Romeo + Juliet, the mega box office smash hit Titanic, and numerous Martin Scorsese films, including his latest, Killers of the Flower Moon. With six Academy Award nominations, DiCaprio won his much-earned Oscar for Best Actor in 2016 for his work in The Revenant. Even though Growing Pains went out with more of a whimper than a bang, fans remember the series fondly for its relatable depiction of family life and for launching the career of one of the greatest leading actors of our time.

Growing Pains is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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