‘The Goldbergs’ Season 4

Adam Goldberg and Hayley Orrantia Preview Season 4 of ‘The Goldbergs’

Change is coming for The Goldbergs for Season 4. The kids are growing up and Mama Goldberg (Wendi McLendon-Covey) will have even more opportunities to “smother” when she lands a new job—at their school! (Hey, she was always lurking around there anyway, right?) There will also be a long-awaited tribute to one of the biggest movies of the ‘80s (hint: Sean Giambrone channels an iconic Judd Nelson character who clearly has something against Barry Manilow’s wardrobe), and a soundtrack that will include plenty of long-forgotten MTV hits.

We caught up with The Goldbergs creator and executive producer Adam F. Goldberg (who’s currently doing double duty with the upcoming fantasy sitcom, Imaginary Mary) to give us the scoop on what’s is store for his teen TV self, as well as Hayley Orrantia, who plays his fictional sister, Erica, on the show.

What’s the theme for Season 4?

Goldberg: This year is about transitions and new identities. Adam (Giambrone) is now a high school freshman and decides to be proactive in establishing his identity as a cool bad-ass and not a geek. It does not work. Erica is now a senior and even though it should be her best year yet, she’s too busy pining for Geoff Schwartz (Sam Lerner). Beverly becomes a nearly unstoppable smother by actually becoming a substitute teacher at William Penn. With love, of course.

What can you tell us about The Breakfast Club–themed premiere episode?
Naturally, we had to start with the episode that people pitch to me on a daily basis on Twitter. It’s one of the most iconic ‘80s movies and fits it perfectly with our characters. After Beverly lands her kids in Saturday detention, the family bonds like never before, Breakfast Club style. There is also much discussion on why there’s no actual breakfast.

In addition to The Breakfast Club, will you also be doing another “Adam’s Folly” movie tribute episode this season?
Absolutely! Stay tuned to find out what it is as we spend months getting legal clearances. It involves booking one of the biggest stars on the planet right now. Fingers crossed.

What types of challenges will we see Adam face as he starts high school?
Adam is now a freshman. The bottom of the social ladder, which is something he’s used to, but not on an adult level. It’s a time when everything feels new and different and also somehow incredibly embarrassing. We will see Adam make several inventive, but less than genius, attempts to force friends, fitting in, and meeting ladies. Of course, he’ll have to get over his biggest and constant challenge: his family.

Erica had some interesting attractions this season, first with Johnny Atkins and later realizing that she might actually like Geoff Schwartz. Has Geoff really moved on from her after so many rejections?
First of all, would you blame Geoff if he has? Erica did thwart his every creative effort over and over again. We’re getting some great stories out of their will-they-won’t-they love triangle, that’s for sure. By the way, both Geoff Schwartz and Johnny Atkins are real people. John still has that ponytail to this day! That’s the best part of all of this… I get emails from them all the time saying how surreal it all is.

I thought it was cool that you had some of your real life classmates on the show last season. Do you get a lot of feedback or show ideas from your old pals from Philly?
All the time. My high school theater teacher, Susan Cinoman, got writing credit on one of our episodes, so that gives you an idea of how often I’m hearing great and relevant stuff. As for feedback, it’s usually very positive, unless it’s my brother Barry who is less than amused about the ridiculous things I make “him” do. Those calls I get every week.

Can you tease any guest stars for the new season?
We may have a few fun cameos for you, but as always, we’re turning to our unbelievable recurring stars, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Bryan Callen and the JTP. They kill every time they’re on screen. Such amazing talent we’re so lucky to have scored.

Goldberg is also lucky to have scored Hayley Orrantia, a singer who competed on the first season of The X Factor (remember Lakoda Rayne?) before she took on the role as the female form of his real life brother, Eric. We asked Orrantia her thoughts on the new season as well as the throwback songs she gets to perform on the show.

What can we expect for Erica in her senior year at William Penn Academy?
Orrantia: I think Erica is anticipating it being a very easy year for her, as a lot of seniors do. I guess they call it “senioritis.” Outside of all of that, I think she’s kind of going to be dealing with her relationship, or lack thereof, with Geoff now that he’s with Evy (Allie Grant). That’s a big storyline, I think, for her character this season. It’s just her trying to work around heartbreak, I guess.

Do you think Erica will go off to college next year?
I don’t know. I mean it is her senior year so that’s technically the next step, but I’m not sure what the writers have planned for her. I don’t know if she wants to stay close to home or if she really is going far away to California. That’s kind of something that’s up in the air.

Your character is based on Adam Goldberg’s brother, Eric. Have you ever met Eric and if so, what does he think of the female version of himself?
I have met Eric and his whole family and they are all the sweetest people. I think I asked him like, “How are you about me being you in girl form?’ He said he didn’t mind it at all and he liked that I’m playing the character, and he was super sweet about it. I’m sure there was probably a weird level of, “Hey Adam, why are you turning me into a girl?,” but he was super cool about it, and I think they definitely pulled some elements of his personality and put it in my character.

You started out as a singer and now you get to sing on The Goldbergs. What’s your favorite song you’ve performed on the show?
I’ve been very lucky that they keep asking me to do it because I didn’t think they were even going to in the first place! There’s a lot of good ones. I really liked singing “True Colors.” That song, it just pulls my heartstrings, I love that one. I also had a lot of fun doing “Tom Sawyer” by Rush with AJ (Michalka) and Alex (Jennings).

LINK TO VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOm4XM3o0UY

I loved your version of “Tom Sawyer.” Did you know who Rush was before the episode?

My dad’s best friend, who was hanging out with us all the time when I was growing up, his favorite band was Rush… so I knew what it was because of him, he talked about them all the time. But I never really listened to their music until this episode, and I actually really like this song. I think Sean Marquette, who plays Johnny Atkins, he actually gave me a Rush CD, he said, “Like, you really need to check this stuff out, it’s really good.”

Anything else you can tell us about Season 4 of The Goldbergs?
I think a big [storyline that’s] going to be happening, not necessarily for my character, but a little bit …this is [Adam’s] first year in high school and so all the kids are now sharing the same school and dealing with all of the problems, and it just becomes that much more dramatic. Especially with Beverly being a teacher now at the same school. So, there’s a lot of chaos that’s going to be happening on the actual school grounds, I think, more than there was the last three seasons.

The fourth season of The Goldbergs premieres Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC.