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TGIF was an American prime time television programming block that has aired on ABC at various points since the late 1980s. The name comes from the initials of the popular phrase " Thank God It's Friday "; however, the stars of the lineup touted the initialism meaning "Thank Goodness It's Funny."
ABC TGIF: Created by Jim Janicek. With Bronson Pinchot, Mark Linn-Baker, Jay Mohr, Ben Savage. A two-hour Friday night block of family sitcoms hosted by the various stars of the shows, TGIF was often supplemented with animation, running skits, and short gags.
- (450)
- 1989-09-22
- Comedy
- Bronson Pinchot, Mark Linn-Baker, Jay Mohr
- 20 on Our Own
- 19 Baby Talk
- 18 Family Matters
- 17 Step by Step
- 16 Clueless
- 15 Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place
- 14 Full House
- 13 The Hughleys
- 12 Boy Meets World
- 11 Sabrina The Teenage Witch
1 Season, 20 Episodes
Of all the TGIF shows, On Our Own is one that most viewers seem to have overlooked in the years since it concluded in 1995. It was an attempt to capitalize on the family unit narrative of many comedies at the time, but too many gimmicks prevented it from ever truly taking off. The story focuses on the Jerrico family, consisting of members with names that all begin with the letter J. On Our Own stole a few ideas from films like Mrs. Doubtfire in an attempt to play up the zany comedy, but a maj...
2 Seasons, 35 Episodes
In 1989, Hollywood had an unexpected hit on its hands in the form of Look Who's Talking, starring the voice talents of John Travolta, Bruce Willis, and Kirstie Alley. With a near-$300 million gross against a $7.5 million budget, studio executives immediately saw the potential for a TV sitcom adaptation. The result was Baby Talk, a loose port of the Hollywood film featuring babies with the inner monologs of grown adults. Unfortunately, it was critically panned for being too derivative, irritat...
9 Seasons, 215 Episodes
Family Matters is a multigenerational comedy focused on the Winslows, a family living in Chicago, and one of the best TGIF shows. The series tried to capitalize on the wholesome conservative values of predecessors like The Cosby Show, with a strong emphasis on the bonds that tie a family together through good times and bad. The show took a huge turn in another direction when the side character Steve Urkel took center stage, and he suddenly became a pop culture phenomenon. Later seasons focus...
7 Seasons, 160 Episodes
Step by Step is The Brady Bunch for '90s audiences, starring Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somersas two single parents who meet and marry during a Jamaican vacation. Both of their characters had three children, and they all came together to form one friction-filled happy family. The series is full of arguments, tussles, and the growing pains that come along with forming a nuclear family. Despite its derivative plot, Step by Step still struck a chord with TGIF audiences due to a dynamic assortment...
3 Seasons, 62 Episodes
Alicia Silverstone's Hollywood sleeper hit Cluelessmanaged to make unexpectedly significant waves with the teenage pop culture crowd of the time, and it was believed that a sitcom adaptation might achieve the same impact. It joined the TGIF shows lineup in 1996, lasting just one season before being bumped over to UPN. The show is notable for the inclusion of actress Stacey Dash, who starred in the original film as Dee Davenport. Alicia Silverstone chose not to reprise her role for the TGIF sh...
4 Seasons, 81 Episodes
Long before he starred as Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds starred in one of the more loveable TGIF showsthat encapsulated its title quite effectively. The show centers on two guys and a girl in their twenties going through college and trying to find their way through life. The show debuted on the TGIF lineup in 1998 and continued into 2000 when ABC re-branded the event as the "Working Comedy" block. Changes in viewer habits continued to whittle away at Friday timeslots in general and eventually becam...
8 Seasons, 192 Episodes
Full Housekept audiences laughing and crying for eight years and is one of the most well-known TGIF shows. It made stars out of its cast - from John Stamos to the Olsen twins - and even spawned a Netflix sequel that debuted in 2016. Of all the shows in the TGIF lineup, Full House's premise stands out for being unique. It involves widowed father Danny Tanner asking his brother-in-law and best friend to move intohis San Francisco home to help him raise his three daughters. As the girls grew up,...
4 Seasons, 89 Episodes
Comedian D.L. Hughley got his shot at fame with a sitcom that debuted on TGIF in its 8 pm timeslot. The story focuses on Hughley's character Darryl, a businessperson with a wife and two kids who move into a predominantly white suburban neighborhood. The show stole one too many elements from its spiritual predecessor,The Jeffersons, which might have worked against it. It did last longer than other TGIF shows, running four seasons and providing a solid block of laughs along the way, but it ende...
7 Seasons, 158 Episodes
Boy Meets World is a coming-of-age sitcom focused on a typical American kid named Cory Matthews. The series was headlined by Fred Savage's little brother Ben, who played Cory Matthews. The narrative is driven mainly by his relationship with his best friend, Shawn, and girlfriend Topanga, and all the trials and tribulations that come with growing up. The series follows the boys through middle school, high school, and eventually college, all the while led by their mentor, Mr. Feeney. The show h...
7 Seasons, 163 Episodes
This more family-friendly take on the Sabrinacomics saw Melissa Joan Hart as the title character, a young witch guided through her magical evolution by her two aunts, Zelda and Hilda. Sabrina also lives with a talking black cat named Salem. It helped launch Hart's career, turning her into a pop culture icon in her own right.Sabrina the Teenage Witch combines stereotypical teenage woes with the supernatural ruckus, playing on elements from previous sitcoms while making something new. As a teen...
ABC TGIF (TV Series 1989–2018) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
- Josh Bell
- 'Full House' (1987-1995) Although it only aired as part of the programming block for its first four seasons, Full House is generally the first show people think of when they think of TGIF.
- 'Family Matters' (1989-1998) If Full House represents the original idea of TGIF (a showcase for innocuous, family-friendly sitcoms), Family Matters represents what it eventually turned into, the prime-time sitcom version of hyperactive, saccharine Saturday morning cartoons.
- 'Perfect Strangers' (1986-1993) Perfect Strangers kicked off the TGIF concept, thanks to its early move to Friday nights and the between-show segments that stars Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker hosted in character, introducing the other comedies of the night (it also spawned Family Matters as a spin-off).
- 'Step by Step' (1991-1998) There was no crazy high concept to Step by Step, just a modernized version of The Brady Bunch with Suzanne Somers and Patrick Duffy as a widowed mother and a divorced father who impulsively marry and have to integrate their families.
TGIF, acronym for Thank God It's Friday, was a TV franchise of many sitcom shows on ABC. The programming block aired shows rated TV-Y to TV-PG, and it premiered on September 22, 1989 to May 26, 2000 for its original run, later re-aired on September 26, 2003 to September 16, 2005 for its second...
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Nov 20, 2023 · ABC's TGIF remains one of TV's most memorable programming blocks, and these 32 fan-favorite characters are big reasons why it was so popular.
