Reminiscing: TGIF: The 5 Best Shows From the Line-Up
For the month of September, we’re going to reminiscence on some favorite TV shows, movies, etc. In today’s entry we’re looking at five of my favorite shows that aired on ABC’s TGIF.
It’s Friday night, and the mood is right. We’re gonna have some fun show you how it’s done, TGIF.
And with that opening theme, one of my favorite blocks of television began. Every week I eagerly awaited Friday evenings so I could watch ABC’s TGIF line up. From 1999 to 2000, Friday nights from 8 to 10 pm reigned supreme and featured some of my favorite shows growing up. Shows such as Full House, Perfect Strangers, Clueless and Dinosaurs hold a special place in my heart, but out of the many that came and went or were permanently part of the TGIF family, only five shows became my favorite.
1. Family Matters
This show introduced me to one of my favorite characters on TV, Steve Urkel. Who can’t quote “Did I do that?: or remember the Urkel Dance? Anytime Carl would tell Steve “Go home, go home, GO HOME!” I would laugh so hard. I loved Steve, because he was the first black nerd I was introduced to on television, and he was funny, smart, and caring.
I truly enjoyed watching the Winslows and their extended friends and family. It was an entertaining show and is in my opinion one of the best sitcoms of all time.
2. Boy Meets World
I remember watching the pilot episode not on TGIF but on Fox as it was part of the after school lineup (when I was a kid, the local stations would play cartoons in the afternoons during the weekdays). After watching it, I was hooked and stayed that way until the final episode of the series. I grew up right along with Corey, Shawn, and Topanga and watched them blossom into awesome adults.
I also fell in love with Cory’s quirky brother Eric and Mr. Feeny became one of my favorite father-figures on tv. I haven’t had a chance to watch Girl Meets World yet (I believe it’s on Netflix), but I’m sure it carried the heart and soul of its predecessor.
3. Sister, Sister
Watching twin sisters Tia and Tamara Mowry on this show was always a treat. I loved how they broke the fourth wall either together or separately, by talking directly to the viewers about what was going on in the story line involving them and sometimes other main characters like Roger.
Roger, played by Jerome Isaac Jones aka Romeo of the 90’s R&B group Immature, (who I was also a fan of) was also one of my TV crushes. Jackée Howard and Tim Reid, who play the twins’ parents, perfectly complete the cast and make the show enjoyable to watch.
What makes this show particularly special for me is that I wrote to Tia and Tamara’s fan club and they sent me back an autographed picture of them that I still have hanging on my wall!
NEWSFLASH! A Sister Sister reboot might be happening!
4. Step by Step
This sitcom dealt with a blended family and was entertaining from the first episode to the last. Watching the family come closer together as they learned more about each other and embrace their differences made for great TV. One highlight of the show was cousin Cody and his scenes enriched each episode.
5. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
I loved Melissa Joan-Hart on Clarrisa Explains It All, so when I found out she was starring in this new show I had to watch.
Sabrina was already having a hard time fitting in among her high school peers, but things got more interesting when she found out that she was a witch. As a high student who didn’t fit in, I could relate to Sabrina. By watching Sabrina chant spells to help out her friends or improve something about herself, only for the spells to backfire and learn from her mistakes, I learned that it was okay to be myself.
TGIF was an important part of my childhood growing up and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I will cherish the memories forever. You can catch some of these shows on Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
