This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

ABC's "The Goldbergs" is a one of TV's better comedies. One of the better family sitcoms of the last decade, for that matter.

It's based on creator/executive producer Adam F. Goldberg's real family and set in the 1980s, when he grew up. Jeff Garlin and Wendi McLendon-Covey star as the Goldberg parents, Murray and Beverly; Sam Giambrone as the fictional Adam; Hayley Orrantia and Troy Gentile as Adam's older siblings; and George Segal as Adam's grandfather.

"The Goldbergs" (Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., Ch. 4) is loud. It's loving. It's funny. It's also wildly uncomfortable at times, just as real families are. Never more so than when Murray comes home and drops his pants.

Creator/executive producer Adam F. Goldberg, who based the sitcom on his family, says that's what his father used to do. And he has the home videos to prove it.

But it's awkward, both for the viewers and for Garlin. And, no, he's not entirely accustomed to it despite the fact that "The Goldbergs" is well into production on its third season.

"In order to match my face, they have to put makeup on my legs, and it's with water and a brush," he said. "Not enjoyable."

And the subject of Garlin and his tighty-whities became a big deal for the network.

"When we first started doing the show, I just wore a pair of tighty-whities," Garlin said. "Then the censor said, 'I see movement.'"

Whoa. Too much information.

So Garlin wore another pair of underwear under the tighty-whities.

"And then she said, 'I see shadows,'" said Garlin. So the wardrobe people created what Garlin called "a special thing." Goldberg called it "a codpiece."

"It reminds me of kneepads when I played football," Garner said. A kneepad that is placed "over my wiener."

Whoa. Too much information again.

"And [the censor] still comes in and says, 'I see movements and shadows,' which, I guess, is a compliment," said Garlin, who disputed the assertion with too much more information that I can't repeat in a newspaper.

It's part of being an actor. "I do it 'cause it's my job." Garlin said.

And it doesn't reflect the actor's real life. Well, at least not in terms of the underwear he wears.

"When I get home, I wear boxer briefs," said Garlin, who shares his character's ambivalence for pants. He too finds it more comfortable to go with out them.

"When I get home to my actual home, my pants are off," he said. "I'm thrilled to not wear pants. I'm always disappointed if there's guests, because then I have to keep my pants on out of respect. I have no respect for my family."

But around the set, the tighty-whities look has become, well, just part of the workplace.

"I go to craft service in my underwear and I hang out like that," Garlin said. "They're all pretty much used to it."

"We love it," said Wendi McLendon-Covey. "It's a gift to all of us."

Scott D. Pierce covers television for The Salt Lake Tribune . Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.