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

MovieStillsDB Updated Aug 30, 2026, 6:45 PM EDT Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering everything from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi epics. Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the TV and movies team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time. Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check. Sign in to your ScreenRant account 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 has a legacy that harkens back to a more uplifting time in TV history, bringing families together on a typically lackluster night for programming. The shows in the block are some of ABC's best. 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 Release Date 2003 - 2004-00-00 Network ABC Writers Don Lake Cast David Alan Grier David Bellows Charlie Stewart Charlie Malloy 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 Release Date 2002 - 2007-00-00 Network ABC Directors Joe Regalbuto, John Pasquin, Bob Koherr, Gerry Cohen, Lee Shallat Chemel, Sheldon Epps, Barnet Kellman, Philip Charles MacKenzie, Katy Garretson, Amanda Bearse, Andy Cadiff, Andy García, Don Scardino, Mark Cendrowski Writers Jim Hope, Luisa Leschin, Rachel Sweet, Bob Borden, John R. Morey, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Allen J. Zipper, Jay Kogen, Lawrence Broch, Mike Upchurch, Bruce Helford Cast George Lopez George Lopez Constance Marie Angie Lopez 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 Release Date 2002 - 2005-00-00 Seasons 3 Creator(s) Tracy Gamble 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 Release Date 2002 - 2009-00-00 Network ABC Directors Ted Wass Writers Christine Zander, Terri Minsky, Chuck Tatham, Rob LaZebnik, Claudia Lonow, Steve Holland Cast Sara Rue, Sherri Shepherd, Andrea Parker, Zachary Levi, Andy Dick, Eric Roberts, Will Sasso, Patrick Warburton, Josh Braaten, Jim Marshall, William Ragsdale, Christopher Mauldin, French Stewart, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, George Wyner, Diana Maria Riva, John Eric Bentley, Jonna Tamases, Nicole Sullivan, Michael Boatman Seasons 5 Main Genre Comedy Creator(s) Terri Minsky 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 Release Date 1994 - 1995-00-00 Network ABC Directors Joel Zwick, Kelly Sandefur, John Tracy Writers David Chambers, David W. Duclon, Greg Garcia Cast Ralph Louis Harris Joc Jerrico Jojo Smollett Mr. Terwilliger Jazz Smollett Jordee Jerrico Jussie Smollett Aunt Jelcinda Main Genre Comedy Creator(s) David W. Duclon 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 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 Release Date 1991 - 1992-00-00 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 Release Date 1989 - 1998 Network ABC, CBS Directors Rich Correll, John Tracy, Joel Zwick, Peter Baldwin, James O'Keefe, Gerren Keith, John Bowab, Kelly Sandefur, David W. Duclon, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Ganz Cast Reginald VelJohnson Carl Winslow Darius McCrary Eddie Winslow 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. 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 Release Date 1991 - 1998-00-00 Network ABC Directors Patrick Duffy, Rich Correll, Joel Zwick, John Tracy, Mark Linn-Baker Writers Adam Markowitz, Liz Sage, Matt Ember, Bob Colleary, Robin J. Stein, Scott S. Gorden, Brian Bird, Garrett Donovan, John Wierick, Neil Goldman, Pamela Eells, Sally Lapiduss Cast Suzanne Somers Lilly Foster-Lambert Seasons 8 Creator(s) William Bickley, Robert L. Boyett 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 Release Date July 19, 1995 Runtime 97 minutes Director Amy Heckerling Clueless is a 1995 comedy film that follows Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and popular high school student in Beverly Hills, who navigates adolescence while matchmaking friends and discovering her own feelings. The film offers a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Emma, set in a contemporary American high school. Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures 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. 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.