‘Wonder Years’ Reboot Pilot at ABC Sets Don Cheadle as Narrator

Don Cheadle will serve as the narrator on the “Wonder Years” reboot pilot currently in the works at ABC, Variety has confirmed.

Cheadle will voice the adult version of main character Dean, who will played by Elisha Williams. Daniel Stern served as the narrator on the original series.

The pilot will show how a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960s, made sure it was The Wonder Years for them too. Along with Williams, it will also star Dulé Hill, Laura Kariuki, and Saycon Sengbloh.

Cheadle currently stars in the Showtime series “Black Monday,” which has earned him one Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations to date. He was previously nominated for both awards for his time on the Showtime series “House of Lies,” winning the Golden Globe in 2012. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for his starring role in the feature “Hotel Rwanda.” Cheadle is also known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise, “Traffic,” “Boogie Nights,” and “Crash.”

The reboot hails from writer and executive producer Saladin Patterson with Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment also executive producing. Original series star Fred Savage will direct the pilot and executive produce. Neal Marlens, the original show’s creator, will serve as consultant.

The original “Wonder Years” aired from 1988 to 1993 on ABC for six seasons and over 100 episodes. It focused on the Arnold family, with Savage playing youngest child Kevin. Daniel Stern provided the voice of Kevin as an adult, looking back on his childhood growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The show was well-received by audiences and critics. Over the course of its run, it received a Peabody Award, multiple Humanitas Prizes, four Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe.

Source: Variety