I created this thread so we could share memories of ABC's 1989-2000 TGIF Friday comedy block.

These comedies were part of the TGIF line up

Full House (1989-1991)

Family Matters (1989-1997)

Perfect Strangers (1989-1992)

Just the Ten of Us (1989-1990)

Going Places (1990-1991)

Baby Talk (1991-1992)

Dinosaurs (1991-1993)

Step by Step (1991-1997)

Billy (1992)

Camp Wilder (1992-1993)

Getting By (1993)

Where I Live (1993)

Home Free (1993)

Boy Meets World (1993-2000)

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1993-1997)

Sister, Sister (1994-1995)

On Our Own (1995)

Muppets Tonight (1996)

Aliens in the Family (1996)

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2000)

Clueless (1996-1997)

You Wish (1997-1998)

Teen Angel (1997-1998)

Hiller and Diller (1998)

Two of a Kind (1998-1999)

Brother's Keeper (1998-1999)

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (1999)

The Hughley's (1999-2000)

Odd Man Out (1999-2000)

The TGIF comedy block was a 1990s staple and I'm sure the 1990s kids/teens here have good memories of some of these shows. 

I'll start with clips from a memorable episode that will be celebrating it's 30th anniversary on November 12.

 

Best block ever 😂😂

Anybody remember that night TGIF went back in time? On Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Sabrina created a time ball that Salem ate which sent everybody back to the 60s. And somehow he ended up on every show that night and sent everyone back to a different time period. Boy Meets World went back to the 40s, You Wish went back to the 50s and Teen Angel went back to the 70s

Urkel TGIF crossovers

I would've loved a Family Matters/Perfect Strangers crossover with Urkel meeting Balki.

Edited September 22, 20241 yr by kalbir

Ugh, Steve Urkel.... 🤢

One of the worst characters ever created for any tv-show throughout history.

3 hours ago, I Am A Swede said:

Ugh, Steve Urkel.... 🤢

One of the worst characters ever created for any tv-show throughout history.

Come on now, don't knock Urkel. He was the breakout character that saved Family Matters from cancellation.

3 hours ago, kalbir said:

Come on now, don't knock Urkel. He was the breakout character that saved Family Matters from cancellation.

I’ve always been curious about that.

Were those pre-Urkel episodes that poorly rated? 

6 hours ago, kalbir said:

Come on now, don't knock Urkel. He was the breakout character that saved Family Matters from cancellation.

A quick, painless death is always better than long, slow torture.....

4 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I’ve always been curious about that.

Were those pre-Urkel episodes that poorly rated? 

Family Matters season 1 was Friday 8:30 pm, the lead out from Full House.

Pre-Urkel episodes

September 22, 1989: The Mama Who Came to Dinner (series premiere), rating 13.9, 38th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch on NBC and Snoops on CBS.

September 29, 1989: Two Income Family, rating 12.8, 41st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

October 6, 1989: Short Story, rating 14.0, 27th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with Major League Baseball playoffs.

October 13, 1989: Rachel's First Date, rating 13.1, 37th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

October 20, 1989: Straight A's, rating 14.2, 24th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

November 3, 1989: Basketball Blues, rating 13.7, 37th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS replaced Snoops with A Peaceable Kingdom.

November 10, 1989: Body Damage, rating 12.9, 39th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

November 17, 1989: Mr. Badwrench, rating 13.0, 35th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with Back to the Future.

November 24, 1989: Stake-Out, rating 11.3, 46th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS replaced Snoops with Ice Stars Review.

December 1, 1989: False Arrest, rating 13.9, 33rd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

December 8, 1989: The Quilt, rating 14.3, 26th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

Season 1 Urkel episodes

December 15, 1989: Laura's First Date, rating 11.3, 56th for the week. CBS replaced Snoops with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and wins 8-9 pm time slot.

January 5, 1990: Man's Best Friend, rating 14.4, 35th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS pulled Snoops from the schedule and new Friday 8 pm show is Max Monroe: Loose Cannon.

January 12, 1990: Baker's Dozen, rating 15.5, 32nd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Max Monroe: Loose Cannon.

January 19, 1990: The Big Reunion, rating 16.0 (season high), 21st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with True Blue.

February 2, 1990: The Party, rating 15.3, 24th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS replaced Max Monroe: Loose Cannon with You Don't Look 40, Charlie Brown.

February 9, 1990: The Big Fix, rating 13.9, 30th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS pulled Max Monroe: Loose Cannon from the schedule and new Friday 8 pm show is The Bradys.

February 23, 1990: Sitting Pretty, rating 14.3, 31st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and The Bradys.

March 16, 1990: In a Jam, rating 13.5, 31st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS cancelled The Bradys after the March 9, 1990 episode and March 16 CBS broadcast Why Charlie Brown? and Bugs Bunny Special.

March 23, 1990: The Candidate, rating 14.8, 23rd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS broadcast NCAA Men's Basketball.

April 20, 1990: Bowl Me Over, rating 12.7, 33rd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS broadcast Dolphins, Whales, and Us.

April 27, 1990: Rock Video (season 1 finale), rating 13.2, 30th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with Mancuso FBI. CBS broadcast Candid Camera Special.

Pre-Urkel episodes average 13.4. Urkel episodes average 14.1. Overall average 13.7. Family Matters was not in the 1989/90 Top 30.

The numbers show a boost with the Urkel episodes but there's also the factors of lead in Full House showing growth (going from below the Top 30 in 1988/89 to 22nd in 1989/90) plus NBC and CBS not offering much competition (Baywatch on NBC was one season and done, and CBS was in the midst of its third place primetime mess era where nothing was really working as far as new shows go).

 

On 9/30/2023 at 7:17 PM, kalbir said:

Family Matters season 1 was Friday 8:30 pm, the lead out from Full House.

Pre-Urkel episodes

September 22, 1989: The Mama Who Came to Dinner (series premiere), rating 13.9, 38th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch on NBC and Snoops on CBS.

September 29, 1989: Two Income Family, rating 12.8, 41st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

October 6, 1989: Short Story, rating 14.0, 27th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with Major League Baseball playoffs.

October 13, 1989: Rachel's First Date, rating 13.1, 37th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

October 20, 1989: Straight A's, rating 14.2, 24th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

November 3, 1989: Basketball Blues, rating 13.7, 37th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS replaced Snoops with A Peaceable Kingdom.

November 10, 1989: Body Damage, rating 12.9, 39th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

November 17, 1989: Mr. Badwrench, rating 13.0, 35th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with Back to the Future.

November 24, 1989: Stake-Out, rating 11.3, 46th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS replaced Snoops with Ice Stars Review.

December 1, 1989: False Arrest, rating 13.9, 33rd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

December 8, 1989: The Quilt, rating 14.3, 26th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Snoops.

Season 1 Urkel episodes

December 15, 1989: Laura's First Date, rating 11.3, 56th for the week. CBS replaced Snoops with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and wins 8-9 pm time slot.

January 5, 1990: Man's Best Friend, rating 14.4, 35th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS pulled Snoops from the schedule and new Friday 8 pm show is Max Monroe: Loose Cannon.

January 12, 1990: Baker's Dozen, rating 15.5, 32nd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and Max Monroe: Loose Cannon.

January 19, 1990: The Big Reunion, rating 16.0 (season high), 21st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with True Blue.

February 2, 1990: The Party, rating 15.3, 24th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS replaced Max Monroe: Loose Cannon with You Don't Look 40, Charlie Brown.

February 9, 1990: The Big Fix, rating 13.9, 30th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS pulled Max Monroe: Loose Cannon from the schedule and new Friday 8 pm show is The Bradys.

February 23, 1990: Sitting Pretty, rating 14.3, 31st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot over Baywatch and The Bradys.

March 16, 1990: In a Jam, rating 13.5, 31st for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS cancelled The Bradys after the March 9, 1990 episode and March 16 CBS broadcast Why Charlie Brown? and Bugs Bunny Special.

March 23, 1990: The Candidate, rating 14.8, 23rd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS broadcast NCAA Men's Basketball.

April 20, 1990: Bowl Me Over, rating 12.7, 33rd for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. CBS broadcast Dolphins, Whales, and Us.

April 27, 1990: Rock Video (season 1 finale), rating 13.2, 30th for the week. ABC wins 8-9 pm time slot. NBC replaced Baywatch with Mancuso FBI. CBS broadcast Candid Camera Special.

Pre-Urkel episodes average 13.4. Urkel episodes average 14.1. Overall average 13.7. Family Matters was not in the 1989/90 Top 30.

The numbers show a boost with the Urkel episodes but there's also the factors of lead in Full House showing growth (going from below the Top 30 in 1988/89 to 22nd in 1989/90) plus NBC and CBS not offering much competition (Baywatch on NBC was one season and done, and CBS was in the midst of its third place primetime mess era where nothing was really working as far as new shows go).

 

Thanks! 

I really liked a lot of those pre-Urkel episodes 

You're welcome @AbcNbc247

Family Matters was my favorite of the TGIF comedies and I stuck with it right until the end. I also liked Perfect Strangers and the first four seasons of Full House. I watched some of the first season of Step by Step but couldn't really get into it. I lost interest in Full House not long after it moved to Tuesday. Boy Meets World I watched here and there.

Edited October 2, 20232 yr by kalbir

Tomorrow (September 22) is the 35th anniversary of the launch of TGIF w/ Full House season 3 premiere, Family Matters series premiere, Perfect Strangers season 5 premiere, and a preview of Free Spirit. Just the Ten of Us season three premiere was the following week.

Promo for TGIF launch

TGIF first intro