Travel Back in Time with ABC’s The Kids are Alright

Have you seen ABC’s The Kids are Alright yet? If not, you are missing out because it’s hilarious and every detail down to the set design and costuming is amazing. It’s a new comedy series on ABC that takes us back to the 70s. A time when things were simpler with the absence of phones and technology. Parenting also looked different back then.

The series is inspired by the childhood of the show’s creator, showrunner and executive producer Tim Doyle, who also narrates in voiceover as older Timmy.

I had the opportunity to visit the set of ABC’s breakout hit. Caleb Foote (“Eddie Cleary”) and Michael Cudlitz (“Mike Cleary”) welcomed us to the set and gave us background on the set.

photo: Coralie – https://lovebugsandpostcards.com

The Kids Are Alright Set Visit

Visiting the set is like traveling back in time. Every detail is researched and planned out.

Set decorator Claudette Didul says, “The show is really all about nostalgia, and when everyone comes in, it’s not the designs [that stand out], it’s, like, oh my god!  My grandparents had that.”

Production designer Michael Whetstone adds, “Inside this [set] probably either reminds you of your parents’ house or your grandparents’ house or somebody in the past of your life.  A lot of that is due to the research we did at the beginning, and then Claudette’s eye for detail.   I think if you walk through here you’ll see layers and layers of encyclopedias and games. Every single thing has what we like to call a proof of authenticity. Nothing hits this set that’s not of the right era, Claudette goes through Sears catalogs.”

The 70’s nostalgia continues through wardrobing

The look and feel of the 70’s wouldn’t be complete without the fashion present. Costume designer Susan Michalek gave us a tour of the wardrobe closet for the show.

According to Michalek, the clothes consist of colorful hand-me-downs and lots of polyester materials. With an extensive cast and over 400 extras, it can look overwhelming to keep the wardrobing in order.

Michalek explains her process, “When I’m putting a show together, like lining up the clothes, I’ll put them on the wall so I can see what goes together.  I don’t want two characters in the same color.  We keep track of everything that shoots on set and [it] has to be kept track of because we don’t shoot in order.”

Behind the Scenes with The Kids Are Alright Stars

A set visit wouldn’t be complete without taking a few selfies with the stars themselves. This part of the job never gets old!

photo: Coralie – https://lovebugsandpostcards.com

Thank you to the cast and crew of ABC’s The Kids are Alright for being fantastic hosts and giving us an inside look of their fascinating world.

Watch The Kids are Alright on ABC

Photo Credit: ABC/Richard Cartwright

You don’t want to miss tonight’s episode, “Peggy’s Day Out”!

To hide a mess Eddie made, his girlfriend, Wendi, tries to distract Peggy by insisting she take a day off with a fun day out while they take care of the housework. To everyone’s surprise, Peggy accepts the offer and requests Wendi tag along, with the ulterior motive of teaching her a lesson. Meanwhile, Eddie enlists the help of his brothers to clean up and keep Mike out of the house while Wendi and Peggy are out. Elsewhere, Pat introduces Timmy to his secret dog.

“The Kids Are Alright” airs Tuesdays at 8:30|7:30c on ABC (also available via streaming on ABC app/ABC.com/Hulu and on demand).