ABC's TGIF block (1989-2000) began to die in the fall of 1997: stemming from a combination of aging sitcoms like Family Matters and Step by Step moving to CBS (who started - and ended - their own family-friendly Friday night sitcom line-up in 1997-98 called "The Block Party"), the oversaturation of supernatural/magic type shows (Sabrina the Teenage Witch and new series You Wish and Teen Angel, the latter of which both lasted only one season), the failure of Two of a Kind (which was the last sitcom produced by the previously reliable Miller-Boyett group) starring the Olsen twins the following year. Ultimately, the ending of Boy Meets World after seven seasons and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch moving to The WB after the 1999-2000 season. ABC would bring back the TGIF brand for the 2003-05 & 2018-19 seasons, but it never met the same success it had before.
The downfall started this Fall 1995 season. Up until then, TGIF was a strong commodity. They had entered their peak and a steady, consistent lineup for two years. The three 90s mainstays: Family Matters, Boy Meets World and Step By Step. Hangin' With Mr. Cooper was probably the strongest 9:30pm slot filler TGIF ever had. Then Disney had to start meddling. The one-two punch of the both unfunny and weird Muppets and Aliens In the Family I believe scared off a once loyal audience. Sabrina debut the following year seemed like a return to form and TGIF's last great debut and show. The ad wizards at Disney thought audiences liked the Supernatural aspects of Sabrina, ignoring that viewers liked the strong ensemble cast and the storylines. Disney then doubled down and shoehorned a glut of supernatural themed sitcoms which made most shows now out of touch instead of relatable family, pre-teen and high school stories. The Olsen Twins coming back as pre-teens gave off an unsettling vibe. They were never funny. Centering a show on them with a weak supporting cast was never going to work. It just depressing looking at the late-90s TGIF lineup. I was maybe the most loyal fan, but at some point I just had to tap out.
@@RichV20 Plus, losing Family Matters & Step By Step to CBS in 1997. In early 1997, CBS picked up Family Matters and Step by Step in a $40 million deal to acquire the rights to the programs from ABC. ABC then promised to pay Miller-Boyett Productions $1.5 million per episode for a ninth and tenth season of Family Matters. However, tensions had risen between Miller-Boyett Productions and ABC's corporate parent, The Walt Disney Company (which had bought the network in 1996 as part of its merger with ABC's then-parent Capital Cities/ABC Inc.). Miller-Boyett thought that it would not be a big player on ABC after the network's recent purchase by Disney. Miller-Boyett Productions agreed to a $40 million offer from CBS for a 22-episode season for both Family Matters and Step By Step. CBS scheduled Family Matters along with Meego and Step By Step as a part of its new Friday lineup, branded as the CBS Block Party. The network scheduled the family-oriented block against ABC's TGIF lineup, where the two series originated. Jo Marie Payton's contract had just expired and she was reluctant to continue, feeling the show had jumped the shark years prior. She agreed to stay to keep continuity but left midseason shortly after very nearly getting into a physical altercation with White in what would be her last regular episode; in that episode, White (playing a gangster instead of his usual Urkel) was attempting to insert material that violated Broadcast Standards and Practices. The resulting dispute between White and Payton escalated to the point where Darius McCrary had to separate the two. Payton would appear in only one more episode after that-a Christmas episode (Deck the Malls) that also brought back several former characters from the ABC run who had been written out on CBS-before Judyann Elder took over as Harriette for the remainder of the season. While Family Matters continued to lose viewership compared to previous years: it was initially a modest success on CBS, beating the show that replaced it, You Wish. Meego however, was a ratings failure and was canceled after six weeks. Near the end of the ninth season, the cast was informed that a tenth and final season was planned, so scripts and plot synopses were written for the show. After the holiday special season, CBS replaced Meego with Kids Say the Darndest Things and with that show's child-centered focus: it was placed in Family Matters' 8/7c time slot, with Family Matters pushed an hour later and paired with Step by Step. The ratings for Family Matters fell even further in this later slot, and the entire block except for Kids Say... was canceled in spring 1998, with the remaining episodes burned off in the summer.
Thanks for uploading this. I LOVED TGIF in the '90s! Even if you didn't go out on the weekends, it was okay because you knew you had THAT to look forward to. Also, I NEVER knew that Family Matters and Step By Step had switched to CBS. I just thought both shows ended in 1996 (like Fresh Prince) because I don't remember seeing them after that year.
@BrandonPenson the series finale of Family Matters actually aired during the summer of 1998 as a special 2 part episode which aired on CBS. When the episode was taped months earlier the cast was told that a season 10 was planned but by the time the season finale aired it was changed to the series finale and cancelled by CBS along with Step By Step due to poor ratings. Funny because a post credits scene which aired the season before on ABC had Steve and Laura watching late night tv and Steve says let's see whats on CBS and they both fall fast asleep LOL! 🤓📺📼🕵
4:28 Richie wasn’t added to the cast towards the end of the series, he was a series regular since season 2. I think your thinking of 3J (Orlando Brown) he was add to the cast sometime during season 8. P.S. Great content keep it up!
To be real, the character of Richie has been on there since the first episode. They just changed the actors in season 2, in order to age him up a little bit. It was back in the day when shows would get twin infants to play baby characters, due to child labor laws.
This is when they considered canceling Boy Meets World. I remember reading about it! The last episode would have been "The Thrilla in Phila". Thankfully that didn't happen and it ran another five years.
Clueless replaced Hanging with Mr Cooper in 1996. I’d say by 1996 most of the original audience had aged out of the TGIF demographic and were doing other things on Friday night.
TGIF Golden Lineup was Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step By Step, Hanging with Mr. Cooper. 93-96. We can sprinkle Sister Sister and On Our Own as they kept the momentum of the other shows of its time. Once Clueless, Sabrina, Aliens in Family and all those later 90s shows cane to the line up, TGIF fell off from its magic.
First, you said you didn't watch Hanging With Mr. Cooper, now you didn't know Urkel was ballin? Come on Man! And yes, the character of Richie had been on the show since day one. They did change the actors in season 2, in order to age him up a little bit.
Lol I know I know! My era of TGIF was Boy Meets World and Sabrina. I was watching some old Family Matters a month or so back and noticed Richie on it and in my head I’m like “Oh shit, I messed up” haha
@@rememberwhenchannel Family Matters is what made TGIF. You might be a little younger too. Understandably, Family Matters wasn’t as popular in the last few years, and like someone else mentioned, its last season switched to CBS, and really nobody watched it there.
@@Xolanidj Do you also remember a post credits scene which aired on ABC the year before Family Matters would move to CBS? Steve and Laura were watching late night tv and Steve says to Laura let's see what's on CBS and they both fall fast asleep LOL! 🤓📺🛋📼
@rememberwhenchannel yeah I looked forward to seeing what the new lineup would be. One year it was the characters from Step by Step introducing the lineup. If I recall they played the entire episode of each cartoon.
@@rememberwhenchannel All 3 then major networks did this not just ABC. NBC did this best by having the cast of there most popular shows actually hosting the full Saturday Morning block of cartoons such as the cast of 227. You know they would intro each cartoon and then have an outro much like T.G.I.F. did! 🤗📺📼👍
ABC's TGIF lineup for Friday March 15, 1996 (hosted by the cast of Muppets Tonight). 8pm - Family Matters (new episode: Twinkle Toes Faldo) 8:30pm - Muppets Tonight (new episode: Garth Brooks; Boy Meets World is on hiatus until April 19th) 9pm - Aliens in the Family (series premiere: Meet the Brodys) 9:30pm - Step by Step (new episode: The Bodyguard Formerly Known as Prince; Hangin' With Mr. Cooper is on hiatus until April 12th) 10pm - 20/20 *Muppets Tonight & Aliens in the Family didn't last long on TGIF.* The former ran for six weeks before being moved to Sunday nights (Season 2 aired on Disney Channel in 1998) while the latter got pulled after two weeks (burned off on Sunday nights, reruns aired on ABC Saturday Mornings in the Summer of 1996).
@@rememberwhenchannel NEVA! Tbh when I found that out I was blown away myself and I swear for the longest time I thought that for Sonic Underground they had gotten two other people to voice Manic and Sonia but nope it was Urkel voicing all three of the Hedgehogs
4:18 "Did I miss an episode explaining this? Urkel is apparently an incredible basketball player? The Urkel I know and love would not be able to hit a deep 3 like that." Um, you missed TWO episodes. Season 3 "Making The Team" where Urkel comes in and wins the b-ball game Season 5 "Grandmama" where Urkel team up with Grandmama to win the streetball tournament
I remember that alien show. They showed one episode I thought and then it was cancelled. Seems like the baby was a proto-Stewie Griffin. Seeing it again now after so many years, I can't see how, this fever dream would be appealing to anyone or funny.
Step by Step was never one of my favorite shows but I do remember the premiere like it was yesterday and I always had a huge crush on Suzanne Somers👄💙🔥
Laura's hair cut was just so awful lol your channel is great, hits the nostalgia real nice I'll probably binge all your vids, the uh oh vid hooked me just cuz I remember always cheering for the red team and Patricia was hot lol
That Step by Step episode you didn’t mention that is the first episode without the Cody character. Apparently at the time Sasha Mitchell was released from the show due to his alleged domestic abuse to his then wife. That’s when its ratings began to drop
I remember aliens in the family. God I hated the puppetry Also you did miss an episode about Urkel and his basketball prowess. It's the episode featuring Larry Johnson as Grandmama
Hmm, never realized all the kids were from both parents. I thought the show was like a alien version of step by step where the 3 humans were the fathers and the 3 aliens were the mothers
