Tracey Gold or Elizabeth Ward on Growing Pains

Wait a minute, that's not the real Carol Seaver!

When Growing Pains first aired in 1985, there was some weird mystery surrounding the role of Carol Seaver. Teen magazines like Bop, Tiger Beat and Teen Beat had us tweens pumped about the new show and it's new heartthrob, Kirk Cameron as Mike Seaver. The mags ran promotional photos of the young cast and also introduced us to Elizabeth Ward as Carol, Mike's brainy younger sister.

Jonathan Ward as Douglas Pembroke on Charles in Charge.

Actress, Elizabeth Ward hailed from Elkridge, Maryland and had a brother named Jonathan Ward best known as Douglas Pembroke during the first year of Charles In Charge. Here's where the confusion comes in. When Growing Pains first aired, that chick Elizabeth wasn't Carol! Carol was played by Benson star Missy Gold's little sister Tracey Gold!

Growing Pains cast with Tracey Gold as Carol. 

It turns out test audiences weren't feelin' the original Carol. Could you imagine being Elizabeth Ward? Seriously, picture it ... You're cast in a big-time sitcom alongside cute Kirk Cameron, promo photos are distributed to the media, you've told your friends to watch out for your new show and then in a flash the dream is over. 

A quick search on Elizabeth's IMDB resume shows her career in acting sorta ends around the time of the Growing Pains debacle. How devastating. According to Wikipedia, today Jonathan Ward owns an auto restoration shop, His sister is no longer acting. Her married name is Elizabeth Ward Langson and I found her on Facebook. Don't worry I didn't message her or anything. 

Click here to view the original Growing Pains pilot featuring Elizabeth Ward as Carol Seaver.

TV's Best '80s Moms!

Totally Awesome Working Sitcom Moms From The 1980s!

My mom is awesome. Back in the '70 and '80s most of my classmates had stay-at-home moms. They attended class trips, daytime performances of our class plays and rescued their kids whenever they left their homework or lunches at home. Oh how I wished I could be Kathy S. as her mom raced into school carrying every kid's dream lunch of a McDonald's Happy Meal while I suffered through my PBJ.

Seriously though, I love my mom. I envy her for balancing a career, a house, two children and various pets. As an adult, I view working moms as Super Moms. Heck, as an adult, I see that just being a mom in general forces a woman to develop these super human powers. Remember, my blog is a retro blog and this post is from my perspective as a kid. Today, I myself am just a measly freelance writer working from home without any children of my own. In other words, please do NOT think this is a dig at stay-at-home moms.

As for my own Super Mom, I've already told you about her here, here, here and here. This Mother's Day, I've decided to profile a handful of my favorite television moms -- you know, moms from old '80s TV shows I thought were super cool. Moms I would have hired to take over for my mom if she suddenly decided to quit on us.

Family Ties - Elyse Keaton 

Meredith Baxter or Meredith Baxter-Birney was one of my favorite moms. This former hippie turned self-employed architect, treated each kid with love, respect and understanding. Aside from her one-week gambling addiction, she was nearly the perfect on-screen mom. I won't lie, I was slightly surprised when actress Meredith Baxter revealed to the world that she is in fact a lesbian. I admire her courage and think she's even cooler now for coming out!

Growing Pains - Maggie Seaver

As an insane Kirk Cameron fan back in the days, I realized I've blogged about this show way too many, many, many times. So much so, that Kirk Cameron is an actual keyword used in my SEO for this retro blog. Pathetic, right? Anyway, Maggie Seaver was the coolest. She's the sitcom mom I most related to. Why? As you may or may not know, like me, the Seavers lived on Long Island. This was a huge thing to me. It was rare for one of my fave shows to take place on my very own stomping grounds. Aside from that, Maggie was a journalist -- this was my dream job as a kid, heck, still is even though I had my own fifteen minutes of fame here and there as a kid reporter for Long Island Newsday and as teen magazine associate editor.

Kate & Allie - Kate McArdle and Allie Lowell 

As a kid, Kate (Susan Saint James) and Allie (Jane Curtin) impressed me big time! I can't put my finger on it, but this show remains one of my all-time fave '80s sitcoms. No, it's not the obvious Ally-name thing, but perhaps the fact that back in those days, I seriously didn't know many single moms. I was fascinated by what I considered two strong women making it on their own and the blending of two families under one roof. Other than the Brady Bunch, you didn't really see that back then. Remember this was before Suzanne Somers' show, Step By Step! Kate & Allie had an awesome brownstone apartment in Greenwich Village (Yey, New York!) and their three kids were New York area child stars in real life. Yup, Ari Meyers, Fred Kohler (he even went to school with NYC friends of mine!) and Annie Broadway star Allison Smith were all east coast kids like me.

Facts of Life's - Edna Garrett

Although Edna (Charlotte Rae) wasn't the traditional biological sitcom mom, she was still an amazing mother figure to all of her Eastland girls. On the rare occasion we were treated to an episode featuring Blair, Jo, Natalie or Tootie's real moms, we most likely found them annoying or judgmental. Edna always offered advice and unconditional love and helped solve problems probably better than most mothers. It's easier to take on that role when the child isn't biologically your own, right? Edna went on to open the famous Edna's Edibles and the girls were able to work for her and continue their mother-daughter roles as they grew into adulthood. 

Roseanne - Roseanne Conner 

I've blogged about Roseanne in the past and loved many things about the way this particular mom ran her household. Roseanne Conner worked low-paying jobs, dealt with jerky bosses and truly represented an entire class of moms we rarely got a glimpse of back in the late 1980s. She wasn't glamorous, she was real. Not to mention, she was chubby like me, and that's something you rarely see with TV moms. They're always these perfect Hollywood thirty-or-forty-somethings. Roseanne was honest, blunt and verbally kicked her kids' asses when they messed up. This late '80s, early '90s mom was a true breath of fresh air and a sign of the times compared to the early 1980s.

How about you? Any sitcom moms you liked best back in the day or today as a mom yourself relate to?

Banned From Selling Lemonade?

About a month ago there was a story on our local news station about some how a group of children were banned from hosting a lemonade stand on their parent's property. In fact, the kids claim they were raising money for an ill child. Apparently HOA rules strictly forbid vending of any kind from their townhouses. Wonder if this goes for Lia Sophia parties and girl scout cookies as well? Hmm. 

Now, I agree with this rule to an extent, but wow. For example, I've always hated those professional garage sales -- you know you've witnessed this too ... that front lawn and driveway cluttered with crap for sale every single day for weeks on end. Really, I've seen this in New Jersey, New York and around the corner from my dad's house here in Florida. In this case, however, we're talking about little kids doing something we've all done. Sell lemonade!

Lemonade stands are like a rite of passage for every child in America -- at least that's how it was growing up in the '70s and '80s. Back then, it was my main means of earning a living during those hot Long Island summers. The Lemonade stand was always much more fun that delivering papers (ugh, sweaty with actual physical labor involved) or babysitting (ugh, dealing with parents' rules like, the kids are only allowed to watch The Cosby Show, deeming Growing Pains as "inappropriate" - so Kirk Cameron's character Mike had a friend named Boner, whatever!)

I loved hosting lemonade stands! Sure sweating balls whilst standing behind a cheap-ass folding table balancing what felt like a 100 lb Tupperware pitcher filled with citrusy goodness and a stack of waxy floral Dixie cups (remember those?!) praying a passer-by grew tiresome. But I was my own boss! 

I could open and close whenever I felt like it. Nobody could question me on how in G*d's name one toddler could possibly knock off an entire plate of brownies in three hours. Um, hello! Seriously, people. Entertaining your rug rats for endless hours at a time builds up an appetite. Just kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, as cranky as I am about people not following the rules of a town house or condo, I believe some rules are meant to be broken. Let a kid have a lemonade stand once in a while. Although maybe ask them to refrain from shouting, "LEMONADE HERE! GET YOUR ICE COLD LEMONADE HERE!" I can see how that would grate on my nerves after about an hour, especially if working on a freelance assignment. 

Click here for last month's news story about the children selling lemonade in Palm City, Florida and to view the video.

What's In My Trapper Keeper? Tracey Gold!

As you know, I loved the ABC show Growing Pains. Growing Pains ran from 1985-1992 and took place on Long Island which I thought was so cool because as you know, I lived there. I was a big-time Kirk Cameron fan and in addition to sending him fan mail, I must have hit up Tracey Gold as well. Tracey portrayed his brainy sister Carol Seaver.

Funny, two weeks ago I brought you a signed photo of the Gimme A Break! cast starring Nell Carter. Did you know that Tracey Gold was almost cast as the youngest daughter? The role obviously went to Lara Jill Miller. 
  
I loved the Gold sisters. Tracey's younger sister, Missy Gold, appeared on the TV series Benson from 1979-1986.  Tracey Claire Fisher was born May 16, 1969 in New York City. Tracey Gold and her and her younger sisters Missy and Brandy went by the name Gold. Their mom Bonnie married a hot shot Hollywood talent agent named Harry Goldstein who adopted the girls when they were small. They changed their name and shortened it to Gold when they got into the biz. Gold is a much better stage name and makes for some fun headlines.
 
Sadly Tracey struggled as a teen with anorexia. Her beloved older friend and Growing Pains costar, Joanna Kerns introduced her to an actor she worked on a miniseries with named Roby Marshall. The two married in 1994 and have four sons together, Sage, Bailey, Aiden and Dylan. Tracey made headlines back in 2004 when her SUV tipped over in a highly publicized DWI accident--she was held on $50K bail. Sadly her hubby and children were in the car. In researching for this blog post, I've learned that Tracey Gold wrote a bio called Room to Grow, I'll be checking that out soon if it's still in print. I really did like her.

Kirk Cameron & Jason Bateman Golden Grahams Boys

A sucker for cute boys and anything graham cracker flavored--New Jersey's Applegate Farms Homemade Ice Cream serves up something they call Graham Central Station that's just out-of-this world delicious--I loved the following two TV commercials.

You know Mom didn't approve of sugar cereals, but as we got older, she lightened up. To this day, one of my favorites is Golden Grahams. Ironically, vintage Golden Grahams commercials are linked to many of my favorite teen idols. Here are two 1980s broadcast ads that stand out in my mind ... One features Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron and the other Jason Bateman.

During the Leonardo DiCaprio Titanic craze, I was working as an editor at SuperTeen magazine. Desperate for a new Leo-related angle, I contacted General Mills' public relations department attempting to get my hands on a Golden Grahams commercial featuring Leo DiCaprio's step-brother, Adam Farrar. Leo once stated that his brother Adam's role in that commercial inspired him to act.

To this day, I still can't identify his step-brother or that particular Golden Grahams commercial. Did I mention General Mills' PR had no idea what I was talking about.

Anyway, enjoy Kirk and Jason--my 1980s loves as they push sugary deliciousness to unsuspecting kids in the '80s. Can you tell I had a thing for boys with golden brown mop-top hairstyles? Funny check out this photo of my husband at age 10. I'd totally be into him if we were classmates.

Kirk Cameron Featured in 1980s Golden Grahams Commercial
 



Jason Bateman Featured in 1980s Golden Grahams Commercial

RIP Andrew Koenig

The '80s generation lost someone very special today, Andrew Koenig. 

With his funny head bobs, mannerisms and goofiness, Andrew nailed the role of Richard "Boner" Stabone, best buddy to Mike Seaver (Kirk Cameron) on Growing Pains.  He practically created this character with his signature swagger and off-the-wall commentary. His fake, heavy New York accent made him the most believable actor on a show that was supposedly set in Suffolk County, Long Island -- 15 Robin Hood Lane, Huntington, NY if you want to get that specific.

As stated in previous posts, I was a diehard Kirk Cameron / Growing Pains fan growing up. Although I never actually sent fan mail to Andrew, I thought he was a cool kid back in the day. Andrew wasn't abusing drugs. He didn't appear to be an alcoholic. Nope, he died of something that kills people every day, depression. Emotions and sadness killed a guy much too young to leave this planet. It's tragic that an innocent man who protested for peace and environmental issues had to quit life so soon.

In addition to portraying the role of Mike Seaver's wingman on Growing Pains, Andrew appeared in other 1980s classic TV shows we knew and loved including:  My Sister Sam,  21 Jump Street and My Two Dads.

My heart goes out to his family. I ask all of my readers to keep Andrew's family in your thoughts.

You will be missed, Andrew Koenig.