Hello everyone. I have decided to get into the present and tell you guys a fascinating story about present day Hollywood, rather than regale you with 1980s nostalgia.
I still work in Hollywood. I am careful not to give away my identity, as I do not want anything I write here to come back to bite me. Maybe when I retire, which is not too far away, I will tell everyone who I am. I can tell you that you will likely not have heard of me, but at least maybe then you can look up some of my past work and positions.
Adam F. Goldberg is a talented man who always had a passion for television and film. While many in Hollywood become pretentious and insufferable once they become famous, Adam has remained down-to-earth and likable. I have not had a ton of interaction with him, and I have not worked on any of his projects, but he has a very good reputation, and has been very pleasant the few times we've crossed paths. There is something real and earnest about the guy which you don't see very much in Hollywood.
Goldberg first found success as the co-screenwriter of the indie comedy movie Fanboys, where he worked with Ernest Cline, who would later become more famous for Ready, Player One. Fanboys was not a hit, and had mixed reviews, but it finally got Goldberg off to the races, after he had toiled in obscurity throughout his 20s. He was 33 when Fanboys was released.
This led to his biggest break: The Goldbergs, a 2013 sitcom which ended up lasting 10 seasons, and for which almost everyone knows him. Given that The Goldbergs was his biggest hit by a wide margin, why does his own Twitter not list it among his credits?
That's what I'll be discussing in this thread. Adam Goldberg now hates and resents his own show, and he has every right to be angry. Some Hollywood types come to resent their most successful work, often because their other work (which they sometimes like better) gets ignored. But that wasn't the case here with Adam. Instead, it was a matter of being too trusting regarding Hollywood colleagues keeping their word, and watching everything he created turn into an embarrassing pile of crap.
Before we get to that, let me gives you some background on The Goldbergs.
Adam accidentally prepared for show decades before he ever conceived it. Always a filmmaker at heart, Adam took home videos on his bulky VHS camcorder in the 80s and early 90s, while he grew up in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. While most kids end up losing or destroying their childhood hobbies, Goldberg kept those tapes in good condition, and eventually came to the idea of basing a sitcom around them.
Goldberg put together a TV family which closely resembled his own in the '80s, though he made a few adjustments. Born in 1976, Goldberg's teen years were mostly in the '90s, but this is ignored for the show, and it is presented as if his entire tween and teen years were in the '80s. Adam had two brothers in real life, Barry and Eric. Adam wanted to have a sister in the sitcom, so he changed Eric to Erica. The sitcom did not take place in any specific year, and always referred to it being "1980-something". While chock full of '80s nostalgia, the music, props, films, and events depicted jumped all over the '80s, and presented as if everything occurred together.
Goldberg claimed he did not want to assign specific years to episodes because he wanted to cover the entire '80s, and he figured the program would not likely last 10 years. The good news was that Adam was wrong, and it did last exactly 10 years. The Goldbergs is wrapping up this spring, finishing off its 10th full season. The bad news? Adam was pushed off his own show, and had zero input in the final few years.
While the best known controversy surrounding The Goldbergs was actor Jeff Garlin's high profile firing due to his misbehavior on set, the real interesting story was Adam Goldberg's exit after just 6 seasons, and the circumstances surrounding it. For whatever reason, this was barely covered in entertainment news. When it was covered, it was not explained in detail, and most people do not fully understand what occurred.
I will explain what I have heard regarding Goldberg's departure from his own series, and why he is so resentful. Stay tuned.