From Mom Worries to Canadian Cruises, Wendi McLendon-Covey Gossips About THE GOLDBERGS

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede THE GOLDBERGS are finally coming to Canada! Well, kind of. In a holiday-themed episode titled “Hanukkah On The Seas,” airing Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET on CTV, the family is very excited to be taking a cruise. Of course, the series is set in the 1980s, when relentless advertising promised TV viewers that cruises were the absolute epitome of luxury. Well, let’s just say there are a few surprises in store for the members of the Goldberg clan, who may have their directional signals crossed in terms of the actual cruising destination. This has “cross-border incident” written all over it. “Of course it does,” said Wendi McLendon-Covey, who plays meddling matriarch Beverly Goldberg, in a phone interview. “But I guess they all make it home okay, probably with bronchitis and a camera full of memories.” Based on creator Adam F. Goldberg’s real-life family – and his old home movies – THE GOLDBERGS is currently in its eighth season, following mom Beverly, dad Murray (Jeff Garlin), and their now essentially grown-up kids Erica (Hayley Orrantia), Barry (Troy Gentile), and Adam (Sean Giambrone). McLendon-Covey was asked if the show might eventually achieve the mathematical oddity of running longer than the actual 1980s did. “I think it is possible, and especially because that family is still out there wreaking havoc on the world,” she said. “So I feel like I would like to see some weddings. I would like to see some grandbabies be born. I would like to see Bev trying to move in with newlyweds. There’s a very rich mine of comedy there.” McLendon-Covey has a lengthy TV and film resume, so when exactly did she get a true inkling that THE GOLDBERGS was a keeper? “I always thought the show was funny, and it was the kind of thing I would watch – but I have a weird sense of humour,” she admitted. “So probably around Season 3 is when I thought, ‘Wait – this is good.’ But did I think it would go to Season 8 or possibly beyond? I wouldn’t even allow myself to think that, because I didn’t want to jinx it. But now, thanks to the ability to binge shows, I’m also loving that even more people have discovered it during the pandemic.” Thematically speaking, Beverly Goldberg is more relevant than ever, because at the heart of her comic struggle is the need to reinvent herself, with her kids fast approaching adulthood. Meanwhile, in today’s real world, the unsettling question of “where do I fit in?” has become far more widespread during the pandemic, with routines in disarray. “I know a lot of people have felt that way – and I absolutely believe that moms feel that way a lot,” McLendon-Covey said. “Okay, I’ve raised these kids, but I don’t even remember what I like any more. Bev has definitely had those long sleepless nights of not knowing what to do next.” Deeper issues aside, THE GOLDBERGS obviously exists to make people laugh, and often the looks and fashions of the 1980s are a big part of that. But think about this: A hundred years from now, if someone is looking back at the history of television, they may not appreciate the retro aspect of THE GOLDBERGS. Therefore, they might conclude that the clothing and hairstyle preferences of the Beverly Goldberg character were actually the clothing and hairstyle preferences of Wendi McLendon-Covey. “Yeah … they … might … not … know,” McLendon-Covey said, slowly and deliberately, as the realization sunk in. “Now you’ve depressed me. But maybe they’ll also say, ‘Hey, she was in it to win it. She committed. She absolutely committed.’ ” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv