The Goldbergs, ABC’s new Jewish family sitcom, premiered on US television last night to critical acclaim.

Based on creator Adam F. Goldberg's own childhood, The Goldbergs charts the daily grind of a dysfunctional but loving family in 1985. Critics described it as combining the humour of Modern Family with the nostalgia of The Wonder Years – but with added “chutzpah”.

Starring Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin and Bridesmaids’ Wendi McLendon-Covey, the show includes all the archetypal players around a Jewish dinner table: the smothering mother, the hot-tempered father, the overly-indulgent grandparent and three kooky kids.

TV reviewers enjoyed the pilot episode’s equal measures of “yelling and kvelling” . The show kicked off with 16-year-old Barry’s (ironically played by Troy Gentile) desperate pleas for a car. His hopes are ultimately scuppered when his mother Beverly presents him with another gift instead: a locket containing her picture.

The Goldbergs is expected to be shown in the UK early next year.