Remember back in the day when
Friday nights would roll around and you would monopolize the TV for two hours of TGIF fun, not moving until 20/20 came on? Those were simpler times when you were still too young to go terrorizing the neighborhood or try to
buy a six-pack with a fake i.d. Back then, D.J. was the hottest girl you knew and there was nothing creepy about three grown men living in a house together raising three young girls. Well, if any of this sounds familiar, and you have a taste for nostalgia, come with us on a trip down memory lane as we reminisce about the 15 Greatest Moments in TGIF history.
Family Matters (1989-1998)
"Steve Urkel Is The Sh*t"
Ultimate nerd Steve Urkel was introduced to Family Matters as a bit part half-way through the first season. However, it wasn't long until the entire series revolved around everyone's favorite socially challenged dork. The studio audience always cheered his arrival, much like that other oddball eccentric neighbor, Kramer from Seinfeld.
"The Earthquake Intro"
After the death of their mother, D.J., Stephanie and Michelle's father Danny Tanner (played by Bob Saget) enlists the help of his best friend Joey and brother-in-law Jesse in raising his brood of little ladies. Odds are he just needed help paying the mortgage on his spacious house in pricey San Francisco. Breakout child-actor babies Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen played the single character of Michelle Tanner, which was often the highlight of the show and is definitely the highpoint of their careers.
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993)
"The Dance of Joy"
One of the original TGIF comedies and bearer of mega-successful TGIF spin-off, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers followed the antics of Larry Appleton and his distant cousin, the linguistically-challenged Balki Bartokomous. This odd-couple living in the bustling metropolis of Chicago was the Friday night anchor of TGIF after originally airing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Boy Meets World - (1993-2000)
"Topanga Cuts Her Hair"
In an attempt to disprove her vanity, Topanga takes scissors to her hair and starts chopping locks off in front of her buddies Corey and Shawn. The look on the guys' faces is the same look I had when I too discovered that girls are crazy. Luckily, crazy looks good on Topanga. In fact, she can get crazy anytime she wants as far as I'm concerned.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
"Let Me Touch Something"
Speaking of crazy, in this episode, Corey realizes that after 17 years of knowing Topanga he hasn't gotten to hit it once! I guess his balls finally dropped and he discovered that he really does likes women after all. But really, 17 years??? Barbie and Ken were getting it on way before that, and they don't even have genitals!
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)
"Britney Spears And The Witch"
This is perhaps one of the most awkward Britney Spears moments since that time she attacked a car with an umbrella. Britney tries out her "acting" chops by doing what she does best, "singing" and dancing for Sabrina...a teenaged-witch. This is cringe-worthy television at its best. If you like watching car accidents you'll love this scene!
"Urkel Visits Full House"
I'm a sucker for cross-promotion. When Steve Urkel transported from Family Matters and guest-starred on an episode of Full House, it was almost as good as when Batman & Robin guest-starred on Scooby-Doo. Something about Urkel just makes you want to love him and throw him down a flight of stairs all at the same time.
"The Ladies Of Step by Step"
Step by Step was the 90's answer to the Brady Bunch, complete with smokin' hot chicks led by Queen MILF herself, Suzanne Somers. Each one of them had something to offer; the popular one, the booksmart feminist, and the tomboy. Good times!
"The Entire Show Only Lasted a Moment"
Gone too soon, Camp Wilder was one of the best shows on TGIF, but got canned 20 episodes in. This pre-Party of Five sitcom centered around Ricky Wilder, a nurse and single mother who was given the responsibility of caring for her teenage siblings after her parents died. Due to the parental-free, laissez-faire style of the household, neighborhood kids sought safe refuge at their home. Those neighborhood kids included future Oscar-winner Hillary Swank, soon-to-be heart-throb Jared Leto, along with Jay Mohr and brother Brody himself, Jerry O'Connell.
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992-1997)
"The Intro"
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, centered around an ex-NBA player (Mark Curry) who lived with two women, (Dawn Lewis and Holly Robinson Peete) in Oakland, CA. Here, Mr. cooper found himself far from the lime-light and while being thrust into the flourescent light of their local high school as a substitute teacher/basketball coach. To go from the NBA to high school basketball coach was kind of a stretch, but at least the show allowed Raven-Symone to continue collecting a paycheck until she hit it big (again) on the Disney circuit with That's So Raven. Plus, the intro was awesome.
"Any Moment with Stacy Dash"
I guess some Hollywood execs were feeling charitable when they decided to give the entire out-of-work cast from the movie a job playing the same characters on the small screen. Alicia Silverstone would've been there too if she hadn't been busy sabotaging her own career by playing "Batgirl" in the movie Batman & Robin. Thankfully, the series gave us the chance to stare at Stacy Dash just a little while longer.
Two of a Kind (1998-1999)
"The Attic"
TGIF just couldn't get enough of these pesky tikes. This time the Olsen twins got to play opposite each other as twin daughters to their single father. What is it about these poor girls always having to grow-up without a mother figure? It's as if Hollywood execs had it out for them or something. The twins ultimately proved conservative groups everywhere wrong by becoming stellar products of un-traditional T.V. families (if you ignore the cocaine and eating disorders), earning more money than all of us reading this blog combined.
"Not the Momma!"
As someone who grew up an avid
Fraggle Rock fan, I was nearly beside myself when I heard about
Dinosaurs coming to TGIF. Nevermind the fact that it was a D-List version of The Simpsons using Elmo's voice for the baby. It had animatronics!
"Tyra Banks as Nicole Mattews"
Before suddenly waking up and realizing it was on the UPN network,
The Hughleys, starring D.L. Hughely, aimed to be the next
Cosby Show as part of the TGIF line-up. Apparently, ABC didn't have the same vision, probably because they're a bunch of racists.
Click Here to See a Clip
Brother's Keeper (1998-1999)
"We don't even remember this show."
Remember Brother's Keeper? Neither do we. But apparently it made a big enough impact to be recycled into what we now know of as Two and a Half Men on CBS. I guess they were just missing the douchebags the first time around.