TGIF: 25 Classic Sitcoms That Aired On ABC's Friday Night Block

TGIF may have stood for “Thank God It’s Friday,” but ABC put its spin on 1980s and 1990s TV shows with a block of family-friendly sitcom programming known as “Thank Goodness It’s Funny,” with some of the most iconic TGIF shows. TGIF quickly became one of the popular TV blocks of the week and gave birth to some of the most beloved comedy shows of all time. TGIF scored several hits while struggling to find a place for others. TGIF shows continue to live on in the hearts and minds of children who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s.

This programming block was responsible for some of the most wholesome, fun, and uplifting family-friendly sitcoms ever to grace television. The characters in these memorable shows continue to stand the test of time, but not all the shows on the block enjoyed the same success. Some of them are memorable hits like Family Matters, whereas others like Teen Angel didn’t get off the ground. Regardless, TGIF shows have a legacy that harkens back to a better, more positive, uplifting time.

25 Married To The Kellys (2003-2004)

1 Season, 22 Episodes

Married to the Kellys was a shortlived sitcom from the second era of TGIF after the block was briefly renamed by ABC to Working Comedy between 2000 and 2001. The show aired after George Lopez in the fall 2003 season, and while it’s definitely memorable for fans of sitcoms as a format, Married to the Kellys simply didn’t take off the way many other TGIF shows did.

Married to the Kellys was set in Kansas and focused on Tom (Breckin Meyer), a native New Yorker who moves to Kansas with his Midwestersn wife, Susan (Kiele Sanchez). The TGIF show only lasted for 22 episodes, and wasn’t picked up by ABC for another season. It was replaced by The Big House by the time the following Spring had rolled around, though it in retrospect, Married to the Kellys was vastly superior to the 6-episode show that replaced it.

24 Life With Bonnie (2002-2004)

2 Seasons, 44 Episodes

Like several other TGIF shows from the block’s second run, Life with Bonnie was a sitcom that doubled as a star platform for the cast lead, in this cae Bonnie Hunt (who played a fictionalized almost-version of herself, Bonnie Malloy). The show focused on Bonnie as she attemped to navigate the demands of being both a mom of two kids and a high-profile daytime TV show talkshow host.

Like many of the lesser-known TGIF shows, especially those from the second era, Life with Bonnie didn’t do much to reinvent the wheel and came across as a relatively straightforward sitcom. This may have been why it only lasted for two seasons, since it felt like something of a throwback to earlier decades as a time when sitcoms as a genre were undergoing a lot of changes as TV moved into the post-Friends era.

23 George Lopez (2002-2007)

6 Seasons, 120 Episodes

George Lopez was one of the most successful shows in the second TGIF block, lasting for six seasons between 2002 and 2007 (outlasting TGIF itself in this regard). Like Life with Bonnie, George Lopez was a platform for its cast lead, in this case the titular George Lopez. Lopez was joined by the likes of Constance Marie, Valente Rodriguez, Luis Armand Garcia, Masiela Lusha, and several others in the ensemble cast (several of whom returned for the crossover episode of Lopez vs. Lopez).

The formula for George Lopez clearly worked, as it helped launch the career of George Lopez, and the show got a spiritual successor of sorts years later in the form of the sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez. George Lopez was also nominated for and won a variety of awards during its run, including multiple Imagen Foundation awards and the ASCAP Film and Television Music Award for Top TV series in 2003.

22 8 Simple Rules (2002-2005)

3 Seasons, 76 Episodes

Some forget that 8 Simple Rules counts as a TGIF show, since it wasn’t moved to ABC’s Friday night lineup until its 3rd season (which followed the death of star John Ritter). The original name of the show was 8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter, which reveals much about the premise.

8 Simple Rules focused on Ritter’s Paul Hennessy (and, following the actor’s death, on-screen wife and eventual widower Cate Hennessy, portrayed by Katey Segal), two parents whose teenage daughter Beach (Kaley Cuoco) is insistent on dating. It was a surprisingly heartfelt sitcom, especially after Ritter’s death, with the Hennessy family navigating the grief of losing their father and husband Paul. It’s also a show that can be credited with launching the career of Kaley Cuoco, who would, of course, go on to star in The Big Bang Theory as Penny.

21 Less Than Perfect (2002-2006)

4 Seasons, 81 Episodes

8 Simple Rules isn’t the only TGIF show to star a future The Big Bang Theory cast member. The 2002-2006 sitcom Less Than Perfect was one of the defining shows of the TGIF block in the early 2000s, with the cast led by Sara Rue – who would go on to appear in TBBT as Leonard’s short-lived girlfriend, Dr. Stephanie Barnett. Rue stars in Less Than Perfect as Claude, a quirky assistant for the anchorman of a fictional news network.

Rue starred alongside the likes of Zachary Levi, Andy Dick, Andrea Parker, Sherri Shepherd, Eric Roberts, Will Sasso, and Patrick Warburton, meaning this TGIF show had one of the strongest casts of any of the block’s sitcoms retrospectively. Most reviews cited Sara Rue’s performance as carrying Less Than Perfect, however, so it’s little surprise that it’s not remember among the all-time-great TGIF shows despite being a relatively solid sitcom in its own right.

20 On Our Own (1994–1995)

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.

The series lasted only one season and remains mostly forgotten.

On Our Own stole a few ideas from films like Mrs. Doubtfire in an attempt to play up the zany comedy, but a major restructuring of the TGIF show just three months into its first season was a clear indicator that the formula wasn’t working. The series lasted only one season and remains mostly forgotten. It did launch the careers of Jussie Smollett (Empire) and Jurnee Smollett (Eve’s Bayou).

19 Baby Talk (1991–1992)

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, irritating, and unfunny. After being shuffled around various TGIF shows’ timeslots to try and boost ratings, the series got the chop after two seasons. There were some big names in the cast, both from the past (Scott Baio of Happy Days fame) and stars from the future (George Clooney, two years before his breakout role on ER), so fans of those actors might enjoy it.

18 Family Matters (1989–1997)

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 more on Urkel and his chaotic storylines, leaving the rest of the family behind, but it manages to maintain a healthy degree of its charm. Family Matters is one of the most memorable TGIF shows and remains popular today.

Family Matters
aired its final season on CBS.

In 2020, a report indicated that people watched more than 11 billion minutes of the sitcom in the previous year on streaming (via The Wrap), showing that it remains entertaining. The series won three NAACP Image Awards, and its first five seasons averaged over 20 million viewers an episode.

17 Step By Step (1991–1997)

7 Seasons, 160 Episodes

Step by Step is The Brady Bunch for ’90s audiences, starring Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers as 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 of characters, including martial arts expert Sasha Mitchell as the dimwitted cool guy. It helped that the main cast were TV veterans, with Duffy a star on Dallas and Somers from Three’s Company. Bronson Pinchot from Perfect Strangers also had a small role. The show lasted six seasons on TGIF before moving to CBS for its final season in 1997.

16 Clueless (1996–1998)

3 Seasons, 62 Episodes

Alicia Silverstone’s Hollywood sleeper hit Clueless managed 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.

Clueless
moved to UPN after its first season.

Alicia Silverstone chose not to reprise her role for the TGIF show, which might have been a factor in its limited three-season run. Only one of those seasons was on the TGIF schedule, though, as it moved to UPN for the second and third seasons after ABC canceled it. The Clueless brand remains popular and was almost turned into a new drama series on Peacock in 2021, although that ended up falling apart.

15 Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place (1998–2001)

4 Seasons, 81 Episodes

Long before he starred as Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds starred in one of the more loveable TGIF shows that 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 became a death blow for the show. The show remains a cult favorite all these years later thanks to Reynolds’s role on TV as well as a young Nathan Fillion, long before people fell in love with him on Firefly, Castle, and The Rookie. Interestingly, its time as a TGIF show was its lowest ratings as it ended up excelling on Wednesday nights before the move.

14 Full House (1987 – 1995)

8 Seasons, 192 Episodes

Full House kept 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 into his San Francisco home to help him raise his three daughters.

As the girls grew up, so too did the men of the house, who became all-star dads in their own right.The sequel series, Fuller House, starring the grown-up Tanner kids, is on Netflix. That sequel helped keep the TGIF show fresh in fans’ minds and brought it to a new generation to discover its unique brand of humor. While it had mixed critical reviews, it was one of the anchor shows on TGIF, and the child cast won several Young Artist Awards for their performance.

13 The Hughleys (1998-2000)

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 ended up being one of the last shows to grace the long-running TGIF lineup before it was rebranded. The show finally left ABC after its second season for UPN, where it aired the final two seasons in 2001 and 2002. The show even pulled out all the stops for its finale by bringing in Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland as Darrly’s niece.

12 Boy Meets World (1993–2000)

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.

With seven seasons and 158 episodes, it left its mark on TV and brought home several Young Arsts Awards for the cast.

The show had a profound impact on young boys growing up in the ’90s who had trouble adjusting to everything from bullying to peer pressure and other pitfalls. With seven seasons and 158 episodes, it left its mark on TV and brought home several Young Arts Awards for the cast. It also spawned a sequel series in 2012 called Girl Meets World, which is about Cory’s daughter Riley.

11 Sabrina The Teenage Witch (1996–2003)

7 Seasons, 163 Episodes

This more family-friendly take on the Sabrina comics 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 teenage girl, Sabrina juggles school, love, and witchcraft with hilarious results.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch
finished its run on The WB.

The series was popular, with the cat Salem finding his way into several TGIF shows. ABC ended up canceling the show after its fourth season, and The WB picked it up to extend its run by three more seasons. The series remained popular, spawning video games and books, as well as an animated series and the eventual Netflix reboot, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

10 Dinosaurs (1991–1994)

4 Seasons, 65 Episodes

Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs was an ambitious venture. A potent satire, the show features a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs living around 60 million BC, who aren’t all that dissimilar from a typical blue-collar American family. Using bodysuits and puppetry, the Sinclair family’s relatable issues are acted out on screen in a way that captures kids’ attention despite its mature take on issues.

Dinosaurs’
final episode began the Ice Age.

Using humor as a vehicle, Dinosaurs tackles issues ranging from sexism to consumer culture, and, of course, the extinction of the species, which was planned out in advance. The voice cast included some familiar names, including Jessica Walter (Archer), Sally Struthers (All in the Family), and Kevin Clash (Elmo from Sesame Street). It lasted four seasons, but the second half of the final season was in syndication. The series won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Series.

9 Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (1992–1997)

5 Seasons, 101 Episodes

Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper went through a few script changes during its four-season run as one of the TGIF shows. The series’ star, Mark Curry, plays a former basketball player turned substitute teacher. The show’s tone went from adult-oriented to family-themed as it progressed, probably contributing to its longevity. Set in the San Francisco Bay Area, much of the series takes place at Oakbridge High, where Curry’s character is employed.

Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper included many of the standard sitcom topics: romance, career development, and family. It achieved success using a pre-established formula. The show has a few major names that enjoyed great success, with Raven-Symoné as the biggest star following her role as Olivia on The Cosby Show. She enjoyed her biggest breakout later with That’s SO Raven on Disney Channel.

8 Sister, Sister (1994–1999)

6 Seasons, 119 Episodes

Real-life twins Tia and Tamera Mowry star in this textbook sitcom with a typical ’90s trope to drive the story. In Sister, Sister, the Lowrys play twins separated at birth who reunite as teenagers. Set in metro Detroit, the girls meet by chance at a mall when they’re 14, setting off a story that lasts until 1999. They work with their adoptive parents to eventually move into the same house, where they can grow up together.

Sister, Sister
finished its run on The WB.

As the series progresses, Tia and Tamera get boyfriends, go to college, and track down their biological parents, all through the use of their sisterly bond. Much like other TGIF shows, this one didn’t last on ABC and ended up moving to The WB in 1996. It still ran for six seasons, although four of them were on the new network. It picked up four Emmy nominations, all after leaving ABC, and won one for Lighting Direction.

7 Perfect Strangers (1986–1993)

8 Seasons, 150 Episodes

An odd-couple comedy with hilarious physical comedy tacked on for good measure, Perfect Strangers was an instant hit when it arrived on ABC’s TGIF block. It tells the story of two distant cousins who reconnect in Chicago. Mark Linn-Baker plays Larry Appleton, an ambitious would-be photojournalist, and Bronson Pinchot plays Balki Bartokomous, a native of an obscure island named Mypos.

Family Matters
is a
Perfect Strangers
spinoff series.

The fish-out-of-water formula is played perfectly, with Balki trying to absorb as much American culture as possible, and Larry attempting to keep him from ruining his life. The duo’s on-screen chemistry is incredible, and their comedic timing is spot-on every episode. What many people don’t know is that Family Matters is a Perfect Strangers spinoff series, with Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton) starting out on this show. Perfect Strangers had eight seasons, although its final season was only six episodes.

6 Just The Ten Of Us (1988–1990)

3 Seasons 47 Episodes

Just the Ten of Us shined a light on a large Catholic family living in Eureka, California, and is one of the earliest TGIF shows in ABC’s lineup. A large slice-of-life sitcom, the series starred comedian Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Lubbock, a father of eight and husband to Deborah Harmon’s character Elizabeth. This series is a spin-off of another well-known family comedy – Growing Pains. Kirchenbauer plays the same character in both shows.

Just the Ten of Us
won a Primetime Emmy Award.

Unfortunately, the premise didn’t lead to long-term success, and the TGIF show was canceled after just three seasons. The show also starred Nightmare on Elm Street star Heather Lagenkamp (Nancy) as one of Coach Lubbock’s teenage daughters. This was one of the first TGIF series, and it lasted three seasons before finally getting a cancellation. It did win one Primetime Emmy Award in its run.