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The Death of TGIF

Channel Serfer

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For children of the 1990s, there was only one place to be on Friday nights - in front of the television set watching ABC's TGIF. Originally conceived by the network as a way to promote their low-rated Friday lineup of family sitcoms, TGIF took on a life of its own - transcending the category of marketing to become a defining cultural symbol. And while it commanded an audience of over 20 million weekly viewers during its peak, the programming block struggled to maintain its relevance as the television landscape evolved, eventually meeting its demise.

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20 Comments

@unidentifieduser2290 6 months ago

Best feeling in the world as a kid was to leave school knowing you will start your weekend with TGIF and Saturday morning cartoons.

@teetee6857 5 months ago (edited)

Nothing like getting out of school on Friday, Mom getting takeout, letting us go to the video store to rent a game and going home in time to watch TGIF!! Then getting up Saturday morning to a big bowl of cereal and cartoons!!! Omg ! Take me back!!! Life was too good!

@JadaSnax 5 months ago

43 years old now and videos like these always makes me emotional 😢 miss these days so much

@jonathanarmstrong7099 5 months ago

Pizza Hut, Nintendo, and TGIF. 80S Nostalgia

@matthewfunk6435 6 months ago

tgif, SNICK, Toonami, all these TV blocks that made viewing feel like an experience. It was like a weird little community

@mattypenta 6 months ago

During the peak years of my childhood, TGIF was a major part of my week. It was part of a weekend trifecta of the most important must see television as far as I was concerned: TGIF on friday night, saturday morning cartoons (mostly Fox Kids), and SNICK on saturday nights. I've never enjoyed television again as much as I did during those years.

@Ashley__Rose 6 months ago

Who else is super depressed after watching this, wishing just for one Friday night they could go back to how things were 💔

@grandmufftwerkin9037 6 months ago

I always enjoyed the TGIF Halloween specials in the early to mid 90s.

@LunarCore1 6 months ago

Family Matters, Boy Meets World and Step by Step were the heart of TGIF

@nittygritty7503 5 months ago

Few would understand what it be like to sit down with all your snacks and watch the best lineup of television every Friday

@Sammydx1 6 months ago

I miss the family living room. All of us together. We lived in our Grandparents house. I miss those early 90s innocence.

@robertfitch4050 5 months ago

Did not realize Family Matters was a spin off of Perfect Strangers

@dhay03 5 months ago (edited)

Dinosaurs was a bigger hit than what was giving credit for. It lasted for 4 season and primarily got canned because it was too expensive to produce and the show was moved out of its TGIF time slot. Also, even though it was short lived, I remember the Muppets having a show on TGIF that wasn’t mentioned either. Muppets Tonight I think it was called.

@derrickdorsey247 6 months ago (edited)

I'm 43 I remember I used to get so mad when TGIF wasn't being shown because of college basketball. It only happened once or twice a season but it still pissed me off. 😂

@juliannehannes11 5 months ago

I wish Roku would have a TGIF channel

@OutsideTheRopes 5 months ago

TGIF was special. I have lot a memories of me and my mom watching all these shows together. If we weren't at home, we recorded them on VHS.

@dr.snakes 6 months ago

Some of these shows became way too surreal. Steve Urkel turned into a warlock who could manipulate time, space, and his own DNA. Beavis & Butthead showed up on Step By Step.

What a time to be alive.