Fall TV Preview: 'The Goldbergs'

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The Goldbergs are your average loving family, only with more yelling and an overprotective matriarch who knows no sense of boundaries. ET sat down with the stars of The Goldbergs for the backstory on the new comedy series.

The series, created by TV producer and writer Adam F. Goldberg, is based on Goldberg's home videos that he shot as a preteen in the '80s that captured his unique family as he was growing up.


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"I don't think of it as pressure but more like inspiration," said Sean Giambrone, who plays a young version of the show's creator, "'cause you just see how he turned out. ... He showed us the footage, and it's cool to see how he was."

Wendi McLendon-Covey, who has taken on other comedic roles on Modern Family, Reno 911, and in Bridesmaids, said that the role of "Beverly," the dominant, overprotective matriarch, was something she felt compelled to undertake.

"When I saw the actually footage of her...I thought, 'This is it. I have to do this,'" McLendon-Covey said. "Who gets to play someone this direct and insane and [who] just knows she's right all the time? That's such a present for me."


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As the show is set in the late '80s, when Goldberg was 11 years old, viewers will be taken back in time with some era-specific adornments.

"We'll feature some ['80s] songs...and in the background, you'll see some ancient video [games], some actual dial phones with a cord," McLendon-Covey revealed.

However, although the show takes place in the '80s, Jeff Garlin highlights that the era won't dominate the show but rather complement it by remaining in the background.


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"The reason that this show, I think, has the chance to be great is because the '80s only happens to be the background," said Garlin, who plays Goldberg father "Murray."

"We're not focused on the '80s. There might be a visual joke, per se, but in general, it just happens to be where the show is set. The humor comes out of the family and the family relationships."

Watch the video for more from the cast of The Goldbergs, which premieres September 24 at 9 p.m. on ABC.