Even the Real-Life Beverly Goldberg Hates What 'The Goldbergs' Has Become

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 23, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 23, 2023 |

I’ve been ranting about The Goldbergs — now unfortunately in its 10th year — all season now, and I daresay that I have become the Internet’s leading expert on just how bad the family sitcom has become. This week’s episode somehow hit a new low.

It’s not that the episode was all bad. I still have a soft spot for the chemistry between Erica and Geoff (Hayley Orrantia and Sam Lerner are great), and AJ Michalka’s Lainey returned, and it’s always good to see her again. It’s nice The Goldbergs shows some loyalty to someone, even if it isn’t the creator of the series. But another new low came not when Beverly Goldberg held up a boombox Say Anything-style to her son, but in this creepy exchange:

“You’re the master of the grand gesture,” Beverly says to her son. “I can’t tell you how many of them I have seen from afar and wished that I was the girl in the window.”

“Yes,” Adams says, “your horrifying and possible criminal revelation has given me an idea!”

Yikes. And need I remind everyone that this series, as originally written, was based on real characters, who I am positive do not like being the inspiration for that creepy joke.

In fact, we know that the show’s creator, Adam Goldberg, thinks that The Goldbergs of the last few seasons stinks — he has taken his name off the show and has retweeted a few of our articles critical of the series.

Last week, however, when I wrote about how the character of Beverly Goldberg is ruining The Goldbergs by becoming a villain, the real Beverly Goldberg made an appearance in our comments section (I have verified that it was her) to agree with our criticism. Yes, even the real Beverly Goldberg no longer likes The Goldbergs:

Real Beverly Goldberg here. Mother of Eric, Barry, and Adam F. Goldberg. All that I can say is Oy Vey. This was such a good show when my son was in charge. I have expressed my concerns and objections to the writers and the Showrunners many many times, but nobody listens to me. Why would they? I’m just somebody’s mother? As to watching the show, it’s painful for me to watch the show and see what is going on. I know the actors try their best and I’m not angry with anyone other than the showrunners Chris and Alex, because they took a successful show and tried to re-make it into their concept, as opposed to accepting Adam’s help and guidance. They and Sony dropped the ball on this one. My son wanted to help even after he left but it was rejected. Now those of us that are still characters on the show are getting subjected to a lot of nasty comments on Twitter. Some twit last week called me as dumb as a stick and that I was a bad mother whose kids never talk to her. I guess she forgets that it’s a sitcom and not real life but a fantasy at this point. Showrunners, Chris Bishop and Alex Barnow should have written a new show with their concepts instead of taking my son’s successful show and “changing” its ideas. Hopefully, Adam will get the chance to write a brand new show about his days in college. Since he can’t use my real name because my name is owned by Sony now, maybe he can use my remarried name and another actress to play me. Everyone tells me I look just like the actress on that new show Poker Face, Natasha Lyonne.

First of all, that comment basically made my year, because as I have written before, the Beverly Goldberg of the first six seasons of The Goldbergs — the character who was still based on the real-life person — truly meant a lot to me and my family in part because The Goldbergs was the rare family sitcom with Jewish representation. My kids have seen the first six or seven seasons several times through, and as such, seemingly know all there is to know about the ’80s. I’m always asking them, “How do you know about that movie? Or that song? You’re 10! and their response is always, “Because of The Goldbergs, Dad.”

Second, that comment is exactly what I would have expected from the real Beverly Goldberg: She’s protective of her son, and she’s insanely proud of him, and of course she would leave a comment on a post about her son’s old show. And pay very special attention to this, showrunners Chris and Alex: She’s being loving without being creepy. Their version of the character is like a terrible, funhouse mirror version of the real Beverly Goldberg, and Chris and Alex have done an incredible disservice to her, to Adam Goldberg, to Murray Goldberg, and the rest of The Goldberg family.

And yes: The Goldbergs: The College Years written by Adam Goldberg and starring Natasha Lyonne, please!

So my kids, Adam ,Barry & Eric want to know why the star of Peacock original show Poker Face Natasha Lyonne looks just like me. They want to know if they have another sibling that I didn’t tell them about. They’re not the only ones lots of friends say that she looks just like me pic.twitter.com/BbaqHve4E3

— beverly goldberg (@goldilocks405) February 7, 2023

(Image Source: Twitter)