“Growin Pains” in contrast with “The Cosby Show” didn't touch social issues. Rather it was a light hearted comedy show for the whole family. But before he got his big break in American, Thicke hosted a game show on CFCF-TV in Montreal called First Impressions in the late 1970s. Later he worked as the head of writing staff on the talk-show Fernwood 2-Night,
Thicke, who died Tuesday at age 69, said in a 1985 interview with The Associated Press that he wouldn’t have pitched a show like “Growing Pains” but suggested it fit the times.
“Ronald Reagan is president and there’s no war, maybe that creates an environment for a show like ours,” he said.
