Fred Savage has been fired from The Wonder Years reboot after an investigation concluded there was misconduct by him on set. Savage starred in the original Emmy-winning 1988 series The Wonder Years as Kevin Arnold for six seasons, and in addition to acting, has since has gone on to have a career as a director for multiple series and children's programs, including Wizards of Waverly Place, Modern Family, and 2 Broke Girls. Savage was attached as a director and executive producer of The Wonder Years revival series on ABC in 2021, which is centered around a middle-class Black family in Alabama in the 1960s through the eyes of 12-year-old Dean Williams, played by teenage actor Elisha Williams.
Many productions as of late have had to manage allegations with its leading actors and top creatives, ranging from Jeff Garlin departing The Goldbergs after repeated claims of verbal and physical conduct that were deemed inappropriate, to the Aziz Ansari film Being Mortal shut down due to an investigation from a complaint against Bill Murray's behavior. In addition, Frank Langella has been fired and replaced in Netflix's upcoming limited series The Fall of the House of Usher after findings of an investigation of sexual harassment against a female co-star, to which Langella has responded. There has now been another case of allegations of inappropriate conduct on set which has led to termination.
THR reports that Savage has been let go as an executive producer and director of The Wonder Years revival, following an investigation into three separate allegations of his conduct on set. Sources say that Savage cooperated with the investigation, which had claims of verbal outbursts and inappropriate behavior. The specific details of the allegations are not yet known and Savage has not responded to the firing. The show's production company 20th Television has made a statement regarding Savage's dismissal and it can be read below:
“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.”
Savage faced prior accusations back when he starred in the series The Grinder in 2015, which aired for one season. In 2018, crew member Youngjoo Hwang sued Savage and the show's network Fox, claiming that Savage physically and verbally abused her on set and created a hostile atmosphere. Through an investigation, the network revealed that it found no evidence while Savage issued a statement denying the allegations. At that same time, actress Alley Mills, who portrayed the mother of Savage's character on the original series of The Wonder Years, criticized a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Savage and co-star Jason Hervey, which she claims led to the show's cancellation.
However, now with the revived The Wonder Years, there seems to be enough evidence for grounds for immediate termination with Savage. More information about the situation is all but certain to come out and time will tell if he will issue a response to the matter. While Savage has had an active role in the show, directing eight episodes including the pilot, it is important to have a safe environment on set and for people to not feel attacked or abused in any way. The Wonder Years has two more episodes to air and has yet to receive a second season renewal from the network.
Source: THR