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Growing Pains meets the ‘kill line’: a new Chinese hot take on the American dream

When the American sitcom Growing Pains was first broadcast in China in the 1990s, it was the first window for many in the country into…

By Samantha Johnson / April 5, 2026

When the American sitcom Growing Pains was first broadcast in China in the 1990s, it was the first window for many in the country into American middle-class life.

In the series, a doctor father, a journalist mother and four children live in a spacious suburban home with room for mistakes and second chances.

While the show lightly touched on serious social issues, it projected a picture of health, stability and security.

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However, Chinese viewers have had a chance to rethink the show since state broadcaster CCTV and Shanghai Dragon Television started airing it again earlier this year.

This time around, the social media hot takes are less about the rosy American dream and more about the “kill line” perils lurking in everyday life.

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Observers in China say the kill-line conversation points to a bigger shift in the way Chinese people see the United States.

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