1990’s

Back in the 1950’s up until the 1980’s, Friday night was THE night for television. ABC aired shows like “The Brady Bunch”, “The Flintstones”, and “Leave It To Beaver”, all which are now considered classics in their own right. Then, the 80’s came. All networks had trouble getting shows to pull in a large amount of viewers on a night that had become synonymous with social activity and being outside the house. ABC needed something to make them stand out.

So, in the late 80’s, the ABC team (specifically Jim Janicek) created a family friendly comedy block on Friday nights. Usually consisting of 4 half-hour sitcoms, these shows encouraged families to sit around the TV and relax after a long work/school week. During the 1989-1990 season, they started officially branding it as TGIF.

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