WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Actor Fred Savage and co-stars from the television series “The Wonder Years” reunited at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on Tuesday to donate memorabilia from the award-winning program.
Items given by cast and crew included original scripts, tapes, and vintage 1960s clothing worn on set. The ABC series ran from 1988 to 1993, winning four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for best TV series in 1989.
“The show celebrated the achievements and the heroism of everyday life,” said Savage, 38. He received two Emmy nominations in the starring role of Kevin Arnold, a teenage boy growing up in the suburban United States during the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Contributing to the Smithsonian “is a legacy that none of us could have possibly imagined,” Savage told a crowd of more than 70 people during the donation ceremony.
The most notable item was a green New York Jets jacket that Savage wore regularly during the first three seasons. He credited his mother, Joanne Savage, for preserving the jacket for more than 20 years.
“I would say, always, ‘Someday the Smithsonian might want it,’ and then they did,” said Joanne Savage, who attended the event with her son.
Costume designer Scilla Andreen and actor Josh Saviano, who played the role of Arnold’s best friend, Paul Pfeifer, also donated items.
The memorabilia will be added to the museum’s permanent entertainment collections, which consist of more than 6,000 objects, according to Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs David Allison.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Bill Trott)