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Subject: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 02/28/20 at 6:53 pm

What would your ABC TGIF lineup look like? Here’s mine:

8:00 - Perfect Strangers
8:30 - Family Matters
9:00 - Step by Step
9:30 - Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs

Which ABC TGIF shows did you like?

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 02/28/20 at 7:12 pm

^ I liked Family Matters and Step By Step. I was an avid watcher of the TGIF block during the 1991-92 season, and those two were my favourites. (Of course that was Step By Step's first season.) I also remember Perfect Strangers was on the lineup during that season, mainly in the 9pm slot; I occasionally watched it, but wasn't all that turned on by it. :-\\

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 02/28/20 at 7:45 pm


^ I liked Family Matters and Step By Step. I was an avid watcher of the TGIF block during the 1991-92 season, and those two were my favourites. (Of course that was Step By Step's first season.) I also remember Perfect Strangers was on the lineup during that season, mainly in the 9pm slot; I occasionally watched it, but wasn't all that turned on by it. :-\\


Family Matters was the Perfect Strangers spin-off that none of us ever knew we needed. I liked Perfect Strangers until Larry and Balki both got girlfriends.

What was your favorite season of Step by Step? I preferred the second season to the first because Cody (the Bill and Ted rip-off) was a regular and the kids were still young.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 02/28/20 at 11:28 pm


Family Matters was the Perfect Strangers spin-off that none of us ever knew we needed. I liked Perfect Strangers until Larry and Balki both got girlfriends.

That's right, it was. I know I remember stumbling across Family Matters in October of 1991 and thought Steve Urkel was kinda funny. He was my primary reason for watching the show at first. Even though he came across as funny to me, there were times when he would actually be serious, especially towards another character, to call out the behavior of that character (whether it be a main character or a guest character).



What was your favorite season of Step by Step? I preferred the second season to the first because Cody (the Bill and Ted rip-off) was a regular and the kids were still young.

I liked the first season of Step by Step because like I said, I was an avid watcher then, and it had some interesting storylines. However, I actually witnessed a filming of one episode in early 1995 (this would be the 4th season) at the WB Studios; and I found it very interesting to see how a typical half-hour sitcom episode is put together. :)

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 02/29/20 at 9:51 am


That's right, it was. I know I remember stumbling across Family Matters in October of 1991 and thought Steve Urkel was kinda funny. He was my primary reason for watching the show at first. Even though he came across as funny to me, there were times when he would actually be serious, especially towards another character, to call out the behavior of that character (whether it be a main character or a guest character).

I liked the first season of Step by Step because like I said, I was an avid watcher then, and it had some interesting storylines. However, I actually witnessed a filming of one episode in early 1995 (this would be the 4th season) at the WB Studios; and I found it very interesting to see how a typical half-hour sitcom episode is put together. :)


I was amazed by how well the nerd stereotypes still worked in the 90s whenever I watched Family Matters. Obviously, the other characters like Eddie and Laura were more interesting than Urkel to me because they were actual teenagers growing up on screen and not archetypes. Jaleel White has some serious acting chops for a sitcom like Family Matters where cars could crash through house doors and doors could remain unlocked even after the father Carl locked them.

The first season of Step by Step was good, also,  at first, but it got better when Cody came along. Step by Step was a decent show until Sasha Mitchell had to leave the show for domestic violence charges and they brought on the actor who played Cousin Balki from Perfect Strangers to play Jean-Luc.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 02/29/20 at 10:31 am




The first season of Step by Step was good, also, at first, but it got better when Cody came along. Step by Step was a decent show until Sasha Mitchell had to leave the show for domestic violence charges and they brought on the actor who played Cousin Balki from Perfect Strangers to play Jean-Luc.

I thought Cody was already a character in the first season. His actor, Sasha Mitchell, was usually shown in the opening credits. And he was still part of the show in season 4, because I know that in the episode I saw being filmed, he was in the opening scene, which featured him trying to stop saying "Dude!" so frequently. (The B-plot featured patriarch Frank visiting his ex-girlfriend, which his wife Carol is insecure about, but it turns out he's helping to remodel her bedroom... which relates to the title of this episode.)

And yes, I do remember Cody being written out of the show due to his legal issues in real life. I was unaware that Bronson Pinchot (Balki from Perfect Strangers) replaced him for a while.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 02/29/20 at 11:17 am


I thought Cody was already a character in the first season. His actor, Sasha Mitchell, was usually shown in the opening credits. And he was still part of the show in season 4, because I know that in the episode I saw being filmed, he was in the opening scene, which featured him trying to stop saying "Dude!" so frequently. (The B-plot featured patriarch Frank visiting his ex-girlfriend, which his wife Carol is insecure about, but it turns out he's helping to remodel her bedroom... which relates to the title of this episode.)

And yes, I do remember Cody being written out of the show due to his legal issues in real life. I was unaware that Bronson Pinchot (Balki from Perfect Strangers) replaced him for a while.


Cody wasn’t in the pilot or a few episodes after the pilot. Patrika Darbo as Penny Baker and Peggy Rea as Ivy Baker, members of Carol’s family were in those episodes. The show certainly got more interesting when we saw more of Frank’s family. I always preferred the Lamberts to the Fosters, but the Fosters had all of the nice looking ladies on their side until the last seasons when Ally (Alicia Lambert) got older.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 02/29/20 at 3:17 pm


Cody wasn’t in the pilot or a few episodes after the pilot.

Oh yes I remember that now. In fact, the opening sequence may have been edited for episodes that he wasn't in.



Patrika Darbo as Penny Baker and Peggy Rea as Ivy Baker, members of Carol’s family were in those episodes.

And I remember those ladies. Penny was Carol's sister (and hence the maternal aunt of Carol's children) and Ivy was Carol's mother (their maternal grandma). And they were exclusive to the first season. Peggy Rea, who played Ivy, also played mostly minor characters in other TV programmes from the 1950s onward (including an unnamed member of Lucy and Ethel's club on I Love Lucy).



The show certainly got more interesting when we saw more of Frank’s family. I always preferred the Lamberts to the Fosters, but the Fosters had all of the nice looking ladies on their side until the last seasons when Ally (Alicia Lambert) got older.

I wasn't really watching it much in the later seasons (even when it moved to CBS for its final season, 1997-98). I only got re-interested in watching it in early 1995 when I went to the WB studios to watch an episode of it being filmed (my family & I were invited by a friend of mine & his family). Said episode (which I discussed in my previous post) was filmed in January and aired for the first time in March. (It also reran in August.)

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 02/29/20 at 3:44 pm


Oh yes I remember that now. In fact, the opening sequence may have been edited for episodes that he wasn't in.

And I remember those ladies. Penny was Carol's sister (and hence the maternal aunt of Carol's children) and Ivy was Carol's mother (their maternal grandma). And they were exclusive to the first season. Peggy Rea, who played Ivy, also played mostly minor characters in other TV programmes from the 1950s onward (including an unnamed member of Lucy and Ethel's club on I Love Lucy).

I wasn't really watching it much in the later seasons (even when it moved to CBS for its final season, 1997-98). I only got re-interested in watching it in early 1995 when I went to the WB studios to watch an episode of it being filmed (my family & I were invited by a friend of mine & his family). Said episode (which I discussed in my previous post) was filmed in January and aired for the first time in March. (It also reran in August.)


Do you remember Urkel with a rocket pack landing in the backyard of the Lamberts?

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 02/29/20 at 5:19 pm


Do you remember Urkel with a rocket pack landing in the backyard of the Lamberts?

Yes, when there was a crossover between Family Matters and Step By Step. (The syndication cuts both parts out, when he takes off from the Family Matters set and touches down in the Step By Step set.) He appeared on a first-season episode of Step By Step, as I recall.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 02/29/20 at 6:27 pm


Yes, when there was a crossover between Family Matters and Step By Step. (The syndication cuts both parts out, when he takes off from the Family Matters set and touches down in the Step By Step set. He appeared on a first-season episode of Step By Step, as I recall.


Some syndication packages allow the closing to Brains Over Brawn (the episode where Urkel has a rocket pack), but unfortunately, The Dance (Step by Step episode where Jaleel White as Steve Urkel makes a guest appearance) isn’t shown immediately after.

The Dance was the second time in sitcom history where Urkel did The Urkel. The second time Urkel actually did the Urkel on screen was with Bea Arthur at the 5th Annual American Comedy Awards. 

I used to think Urkel appeared in three Full House episodes for some reason, but I’ve only seen him in Stephanie Gets Framed.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/02/20 at 6:36 pm


Some syndication packages allow the closing to Brains Over Brawn (the episode where Urkel has a rocket pack), but unfortunately, The Dance (Step by Step episode where Jaleel White as Steve Urkel makes a guest appearance) isn’t shown immediately after.

That's probably because they are two different programmes. In fact, I haven't seen Step by Step in reruns/syndication since the early 2000s, when ABC Family was showing them. (That channel has since flipped to Freeform, but that's beside the point.)



The Dance was the second time in sitcom history where Urkel did The Urkel. The second time Urkel actually did the Urkel on screen was with Bea Arthur at the 5th Annual American Comedy Awards. 

Didn't he do it on an episode of Family Matters too?



I used to think Urkel appeared in three Full House episodes for some reason, but I’ve only seen him in Stephanie Gets Framed.

He only appeared in one episode, namely that one which you mentioned. I've seen every Full House episode at least once (in their entirety) and I actually know 'em all by heart. That show, too, was also part of the TGIF block, namely from 1987-1991, then it got moved to Tuesdays to make way for Step by Step, which premiered in September '91.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/02/20 at 8:14 pm


That's probably because they are two different programmes. In fact, I haven't seen Step by Step in reruns/syndication since the early 2000s, when ABC Family was showing them. (That channel has since flipped to Freeform, but that's beside the point.)


I thought ABC Family was showing Family Matters and Step by Step in the mid 2000s (around 2006 or 2007). I think TBS or The WB was still showing Family Matters in the early 2000s.

Didn't he do it on an episode of Family Matters too?

In the episode, Life of the Party, from early 1991 when the show was still getting good ratings and the actors were on magazine and tabloid newspapers everywhere.

He only appeared in one episode, namely that one which you mentioned. I've seen every Full House episode at least once (in their entirety) and I actually know 'em all by heart. That show, too, was also part of the TGIF block, namely from 1987-1991, then it got moved to Tuesdays to make way for Step by Step, which premiered in September '91.


Full House went downhill after the move to Tuesdays. When you would rather watch the new show Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper over the show you have been with since 1987, something is wrong with the old show. Michelle Tanner grew up and Jesse’s twins came into the picture. The pre-Alex and Nicky days of Full House were better. I did get a chuckle out of the episode where Rebecca wants Jesse to move out of the Tanner house.  I can still picture Jesse, outside of Michelle’s door, crying after seeing Michelle all shook up over the news of his departure.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/03/20 at 10:56 am


I thought ABC Family was showing Family Matters and Step by Step in the mid 2000s (around 2006 or 2007).

They were. I definitely remember Family Matters on there in '06 and '07.

I think TBS or The WB was still showing Family Matters in the early 2000s.
Yes, in syndication.



In the episode, Life of the Party, from early 1991 when the show was still getting good ratings and the actors were on magazine and tabloid newspapers everywhere.

Oh yes, "Life of the Party." I had forgotten the name of that episode. Thanks. That's when a couple of minor characters (Willie and Waldo, the latter of whom later cleans up his act and becomes best buddies with Eddie) get busted for spiking the punch (which Steve takes a sample of and has to be rescued by Aunt Rachel).

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: yelimsexa on 03/03/20 at 12:34 pm

My block would be:

*Home Improvement
*Family Matters
*Full House
*Step By Step

TGIF essentially premiered in the spring of 1985 with the debut of Mr. Belvedere, even though promos and bumpers wouldn't mention it by name until the fall of 1989 and the popular "It's Friday Night, and the Mood is Right!" jingle to introduce the block wouldn't appear until the following season. But NBC was still the most popular network on Friday Nights at the time with Knight Rider and especially Miami Vice, and CBS was right with them with Dallas and Falcon Crest. Still, the later seasons of Webster and Benson that were in that same early block, along with obscure shows like Off The Rack, Mr. Sunshine, and He's The Mayor do have that "family values spirit" that later shows would have. It's hard to believe that 1985 had so much "must see" TV on all three networks on Fridays, and it shows with quite a few VCR recordings from the original broadcasts (especially the NBC and CBS shows) still surviving. 1985 essentially was peak Boomer childraising for the early Millenials, and that meant less time out on the town and more time at home, so ABC's sitcom block on Friday Nights, with no school the following day, proved popular for over a decade. The best years IMO were from 1988, when Perfect Strangers joined the lineup alongside an established Full House, Mr. Belvedere, and Just The Ten Of Us, until 1996 when Sabrina, The Teenage Witch joined the lineup.

The block "jumped the shark" when Family Matters and Step By Step moved to CBS for the 1997-98 season. The mid-90s block of Family Matters, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, Step By Step, and Boy Meets World was classic and perhaps the most consistent in terms of quality. The 1996-97 season had Sabrina instead of Mr. Cooper, but it was nice seeing Melissa Joan Hart doing something new from Clarissa. CBS really wanted to take a gamble, and it didn't fair off to well, with FM and SBS being cancelled after their sole CBS season. Then on ABC, me instead got "You Wish" and "Teen Angel", as well as quite a few double-run Sabrina repeats. But part of it had to do with the original audience outgrowing the block. As I stated in my last paragraph, demographics were changing as the early Millenials were hitting adolescence, and that meant less time next to the TV on Friday nights, and the TGIF block quickly plummeted over the next few years and was cancelled in 2001, with a short-lived comeback thereafter.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/03/20 at 12:49 pm

Home Improvement?

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: MSP10julia on 03/03/20 at 3:38 pm

Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step  aka. The 90s Brady Bunch
Hanging With Mr. Cooper


Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/03/20 at 5:04 pm


Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step  aka. The 90s Brady Bunch
Hanging With Mr. Cooper


Did you prefer the first season episodes of Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper to the last seasons or vice versa.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/03/20 at 5:26 pm


Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step  aka. The 90s Brady Bunch
Hanging With Mr. Cooper




Yeah, I kinda thought of it that way too, since both are sitcoms about a stepfamily. ;) In both cases, each "parent" has three kids from a previous marriage.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/03/20 at 5:28 pm


Did you prefer the first season episodes of Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper to the last seasons or vice versa.

Mr. Cooper had some decent episodes in its various seasons. :)

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/03/20 at 5:34 pm


Mr. Cooper had some decent episodes in its various seasons. :)


The addition of Raven Simone and her onscreen mother made the show dull, in my opinion. Holly Robinson Peete, Mark Curry, Omar Gooding, and Marquise Wilson were the only ones saving the show and I missed Holly Robinson Peete on 21 Jump Street. The first season was the episode season especially when you throw in the fact that the first episode had Alan Thicke as Dr. Jason Seaver in it.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/03/20 at 5:46 pm


The addition of Raven Simone and her onscreen mother made the show dull, in my opinion.

Oh yes, she was a cast member starting in season two (at age 7). I remember she debuted as a child star (not just as an actress, but as a singer too).

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/03/20 at 6:43 pm


Yeah, I kinda thought of it that way too, since both are sitcoms about a stepfamily. ;) In both cases, each "parent" has three kids from a previous marriage.


It was more successful than The Bradys from 1990, but nowhere on the level of Full House or Perfect Strangers. Big families were everywhere at the time when Step by Step was a new show.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/05/20 at 6:38 pm




Full House went downhill after the move to Tuesdays. When you would rather watch the new show Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper over the show you have been with since 1987, something is wrong with the old show. Michelle Tanner grew up and Jesse’s twins came into the picture. The pre-Alex and Nicky days of Full House were better. I did get a chuckle out of the episode where Rebecca wants Jesse to move out of the Tanner house.  I can still picture Jesse, outside of Michelle’s door, crying after seeing Michelle all shook up over the news of his departure.

There were things I liked about all the seasons of the show. True, it wasn't really the same in the later seasons, with the girls growing up and becoming more mature, but there were some decent episodes, as well as some that dealt with a serious nature (such as 'Silence Is Not Golden' in season 6, in which Stephanie finds out that a boy in her class is being physically abused and Uncle Jesse takes action; and in season 7, Stephanie entering middle school and being exposed to peer pressure, then calling a local radio show to seek advice, posing as a foreign exchange student; and in season 8, Kimmy getting drunk at a frat party and being mad at DJ for trying to call her out on her reckless actions).

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/05/20 at 7:01 pm


There were things I liked about all the seasons of the show. True, it wasn't really the same in the later seasons, with the girls growing up and becoming more mature, but there were some decent episodes, as well as some that dealt with a serious nature (such as 'Silence Is Not Golden' in season 6, in which Stephanie finds out that a boy in her class is being physically abused and Uncle Jesse takes action; and in season 7, Stephanie entering middle school and being exposed to peer pressure, then calling a local radio show to seek advice, posing as a foreign exchange student; and in season 8, Kimmy getting drunk at a frat party and being mad at DJ for trying to call her out on her reckless actions).


The writing was consistent like with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but the charm of the show was lost after the girls grew up.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 03/08/20 at 9:04 am

Since I'm a late '80s born, I watched pretty much every era of TGIF throughout the entire '90s, except for the first few years of the '90s when I was still too young. My line-up would probably look like this.

Full House
Boy Meets World
Family Matters
Step by Step

I went back and forth on this because there's so many TGIF shows that I love. Since I was still a kid during the late '90s, I loved a lot of the shows from that era that some others might've been too old for like Sabrina and Teen Angel, and I sort of wanted to include some of those, but they slightly missed the line-up.

Full House is my most nostalgic childhood sitcom. I'm too young to have watched it on TGIF because it moved to Tuesdays when I was still pretty young, but I did watch the show almost every week for about the last 3 seasons, and then daily in syndication for years after, so it had to be my lead off show.

I've always loved Boy Meets World, especially when I was a preteen and I could relate more to the plotlines. My favorite seasons are the show's later years when it basically became more of a teen drama show than a sitcom.

I would say that Family Matters is my second most nostalgic sitcom behind Full House. The thing is, that show is still funny. I laugh harder at the ridiculous stuff that Urkel does on that show than I do at most modern sitcoms.

I agree with what everybody has said about Step by Step. Actually, I liked that show so much when I was younger, I actually watched it after it moved to CBS when it's ratings sucked.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/08/20 at 10:18 am


Since I'm a late '80s born, I watched pretty much every era of TGIF throughout the entire '90s, except for the first few years of the '90s when I was still too young. My line-up would probably look like this.

Full House
Boy Meets World
Family Matters
Step by Step

I went back and forth on this because there's so many TGIF shows that I love. Since I was still a kid during the late '90s, I loved a lot of the shows from that era that some others might've been too old for like Sabrina and Teen Angel, and I sort of wanted to include some of those, but they slightly missed the line-up.

Full House is my most nostalgic childhood sitcom. I'm too young to have watched it on TGIF because it moved to Tuesdays when I was still pretty young, but I did watch the show almost every week for about the last 3 seasons, and then daily in syndication for years after, so it had to be my lead off show.

I've always loved Boy Meets World, especially when I was a preteen and I could relate more to the plotlines. My favorite seasons are the show's later years when it basically became more of a teen drama show than a sitcom.

I would say that Family Matters is my second most nostalgic sitcom behind Full House. The thing is, that show is still funny. I laugh harder at the ridiculous stuff that Urkel does on that show than I do at most modern sitcoms.

I agree with what everybody has said about Step by Step. Actually, I liked that show so much when I was younger, I actually watched it after it moved to CBS when it's ratings sucked.


Was Boy Meets World still a C-grade sitcom that belonged on the TGIF lineup to you when it became a teen drama?

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 03/08/20 at 11:09 am


Was Boy Meets World still a C-grade sitcom that belonged on the TGIF lineup to you when it became a teen drama?


I would say that Boy Meets World was only actually a sitcom for it's first season, which I've never been a huge fan of. The first season is okay, but the show was just way too generic focusing on Corey's basic kid problem style plotlines.

The show changed dramatically after the teacher that drove the motorcycle came onto the show and they started having Corey and Shawn get involved in more teen focused stuff like dating and bullying. That's when the show sort of made it's name as being more than simply another TGIF sitcom.

My favorite part of the show was when Corey and Shawn go to college, up to when Corey and Topanga get married. I still like the last few seasons, but their not quite at the same level as the show's peak.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/08/20 at 11:52 am


I would say that Boy Meets World was only actually a sitcom for it's first season, which I've never been a huge fan of. The first season is okay, but the show was just way too generic focusing on Corey's basic kid problem style plotlines.

The show changed dramatically after the teacher that drove the motorcycle came onto the show and they started having Corey and Shawn get involved in more teen focused stuff like dating and bullying. That's when the show sort of made it's name as being more than simply another TGIF sitcom.

My favorite part of the show was when Corey and Shawn go to college, up to when Corey and Topanga get married. I still like the last few seasons, but their not quite at the same level as the show's peak.


I never liked how Boy Meets World borrowed its opening sequence from the last season of Head of the Class:

MpGTvLsGeQ8

Boy Meets World was a decent mid to late 90s into the 2000s show, but it never belonged on TGIF, in my opinion (especially the late 1994 to 2000 episodes).

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/13/20 at 6:23 pm


I never liked how Boy Meets World borrowed its opening sequence from the last season of Head of the Class


Boy Meets World was a decent mid to late 90s into the 2000s show, but it never belonged on TGIF, in my opinion (especially the late 1994 to 2000 episodes).


I did watch a few episodes of Boy Meets World when it was part of the TGIF lineup. In a way I thought it was an interesting programme, since the lead character was about the same age as me.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/13/20 at 9:45 pm


I did watch a few episodes of Boy Meets World when it was part of the TGIF lineup. In a way I thought it was an interesting programme, since the lead character was about the same age as me.


It didn’t fit in with the rest of the TGIF lineup. 1990 was the best year for TGIF. The fall of 1990 lineup was near perfect. There was Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, and Going Placeds. All Miller Boyett shows.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/13/20 at 10:30 pm


It didn’t fit in with the rest of the TGIF lineup.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion re: Boy Meets World. Like I said, I didn't watch it avidly, like I did other TGIF sitcoms (such as Family Matters, Step By Step, and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper). But I tried to see how I could relate to Ben Savage's character, since he was my age, and try to get inspiration for what teens do.



1990 was the best year for TGIF. The fall of 1990 lineup was near perfect. There was Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, and Going Places. All Miller Boyett shows.

Yeah... and back in '90 I may have periodically watched the lineup. (Although I didn't really get into Family Matters until Fall '91, and didn't really become aware of the first two seasons' episodes until after they went into syndication. Before Steve Urkel became a truly 'main' character.) TGIF was probably at its best in the early 90's.

Going Places - wasn't that programme short-lived?

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/14/20 at 7:38 am


You are certainly entitled to your opinion re: Boy Meets World. Like I said, I didn't watch it avidly, like I did other TGIF sitcoms (such as Family Matters, Step By Step, and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper). But I tried to see how I could relate to Ben Savage's character, since he was my age, and try to get inspiration for what teens do.


TGIF was awful in 1993. Both Boy Meets World and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper weren’t what you would expect to see on TGIF. The inclusion of shows like those shows are what signaled the end for ABC TGIF.

Yeah... and back in '90 I may have periodically watched the lineup. (Although I didn't really get into Family Matters until Fall '91, and didn't really become aware of the first two seasons' episodes until after they went into syndication. Before Steve Urkel became a truly 'main' character.) TGIF was probably at its best in the early 90's.

Going Places - wasn't that programme short-lived?


Going Places had both Staci Keenan and Christopher Castile of Step By Step fame in it. Repeats of the show used to be shown in either the mid 90s or late 90s.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/14/20 at 11:07 am


TGIF was awful in 1993. Both Boy Meets World and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper weren’t what you would expect to see on TGIF. The inclusion of shows like those shows are what signaled the end for ABC TGIF.

Yet it didn't end in 1993. It continued til about 1998 or so.



Going Places had both Staci Keenan and Christopher Castile of Step By Step fame in it. Repeats of the show used to be shown in either the mid 90s or late 90s.

Yes, both of those actors went on to star in Step By Step, which began in 1991 for the fall season.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/14/20 at 11:38 am


Yet it didn't end in 1993. It continued til about 1998 or so.


Your generation helped to keep TGIF afloat, but the move of the only Miller Boyett shows in 1997 is what killed it permanently for Xennials.

Yes, both of those actors went on to star in Step By Step, which began in 1991 for the fall season.


So, 1990 was the start of Staci Keenan and Christopher Castile being in a TGIF show. If only the lineup had stayed Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, and Going Places or Step By Step, I would have never tuned out.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/14/20 at 11:47 am


Your generation helped to keep TGIF afloat, but the move of the only Miller Boyett shows in 1997 is what killed it permanently for Xennials.

Yeah, that was probably it.



So, 1990 was the start of Staci Keenan and Christopher Castile being in a TGIF show. If only the lineup had stayed Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, and Going Places or Step By Step, I would have never tuned out.

But wasn't Going Places short-lived? Actually, yes it was. I'm reading about it on Wikopedia right now. It only lasted one season, with only 19 episodes made. Perhaps it served as a forerunner to Step By Step (i.o.w, Step By Step replaced it?). I think the network moved Full House to Tuesday nights so that they could have a comedy block on that day, and make way for new programmes on Friday? It did sorta work out, although the 9:30 timeslot was not consistent in the 1991-92 season.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/14/20 at 11:54 am


But wasn't Going Places short-lived? Actually, yes it was. I'm reading about it on Wikopedia right now. It only lasted one season, with only 19 episodes made. Perhaps it served as a forerunner to Step By Step (i.o.w, Step By Step replaced it?). I think the network moved Full House to Tuesday nights so that they could have a comedy block on that day, and make way for new programmes on Friday? It did sorta work out, although the 9:30 timeslot was not consistent in the 1991-92 season.


ABC moved Full House to Tuesday nights and Perfect Strangers to Saturday nights. ABC even tried to make a TGIS (Thank God It’s Saturday) lineup, but nothing past early 1991 was ever as good as the 1990 to 1991 TGIF lineup.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/14/20 at 12:39 pm


ABC moved Full House to Tuesday nights and Perfect Strangers to Saturday nights. ABC even tried to make a TGIS (Thank God It’s Saturday) lineup, but nothing past early 1991 was ever as good as the 1990 to 1991 TGIF lineup.

Perfect Strangers remained part of TGIF in the 1991-92 season; I even watched an episode or two of it, but wasn't all that turned on by it, so to speak. Also it was in the 9pm timeslot for a while before it moved to the 9:30 timeslot, which was fine with me. (I think this was in early '92.) That moved Baby Talk, a short-lived sitcom that had been in the 9:30 timeslot, to 9pm. After that, they kinda shuffled the various programmes in the 9:00 and 9:30 timeslots, even putting Dinosaurs in there.

I remember the TGIS attempt, in early '92. That was a flop. One of the programmes in that set was Capitol Critters, an animated sitcom that ended up being short-lived.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/14/20 at 3:04 pm


Perfect Strangers remained part of TGIF in the 1991-92 season; I even watched an episode or two of it, but wasn't all that turned on by it, so to speak. Also it was in the 9pm timeslot for a while before it moved to the 9:30 timeslot, which was fine with me. (I think this was in early '92.) That moved Baby Talk, a short-lived sitcom that had been in the 9:30 timeslot, to 9pm. After that, they kinda shuffled the various programmes in the 9:00 and 9:30 timeslots, even putting Dinosaurs in there.

I remember the TGIS attempt, in early '92. That was a flop. One of the programmes in that set was Capitol Critters, an animated sitcom that ended up being short-lived.


Perfect Strangers was great in the 80s from 1986 to early 1989.

Baby Talk was Look Who’s Talking The Series. I didn’t care for it, but I caught a few episodes. Scott Baio and George Clooney were regulars on it. I watched more of the George Clooney episodes.

Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs was one of the best non-Miller and Boyett shows to be on TGIF.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: nally on 03/14/20 at 4:30 pm


Perfect Strangers was great in the 80s from 1986 to early 1989.

Yeah, it began around that time.



Baby Talk was Look Who’s Talking The Series. I didn’t care for it, but I caught a few episodes. Scott Baio and George Clooney were regulars on it. I watched more of the George Clooney episodes.

In a nutshell that was it all right. It may have been inspired by the Look Who's Talking film series, with baby/toddlers' thoughts being voiced off camera by actors (in Baby Mickey's case, Tony Danza; I personally found that interesting in a sense). Scott Baio was a costar in season 2 (1991-92, the only "full" season of that show); his character became the single mom's boyfriend late in the series. George Clooney, on the other hand, was the male costar in season 1. The theme song was a reworked/rewritten of the Newbeats' 1964 hit song "Bread & Butter" (with new lyrics to illustrate the mother-son relationship).



Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs was one of the best non-Miller and Boyett shows to be on TGIF.

Yep. Dinosaurs had been airing on Wednesday nights before it was inserted into the TGIF block.

Subject: Re: Your ABC TGIF Lineup

Written By: oldmusicfan on 03/14/20 at 7:25 pm

Dinosaurs was at its greatest from 1991 to early 1993. The series finale was sad.

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