An ode to the amazing TGIF lineups of the ’90s

Happy Throwback Thursday, everyone! The most important weekly holiday in the world, of course! As you know, Throwback Thursday is the best day of the week and the only time you can share old pictures of yourself (except of course, Flashback Friday and Wayback Wednesday and everyone’s favorite Sometimelongago Saturday) and bask in the glow of your adorable baby photos.

I LOVE #TBT, so each week I’m going to start providing a look back at something from the past that I love or that we should re-appreciate or just think about for old time’s sake! This here will be my #TBT corner of the Internet starting today. 

So let’s jump in to the first installment which is all about “TGFI Line-ups!!” * announcement horns like I’m a king *

If this were an essay for school I would put this quote at the start of this column:

Lisa: All right! It’s time for ABC’s “TGIF” line-up!

Bart: Lis, when you get a little older, you’ll learn that Friday is just another day between NBC’s “Must See Thursday” and CBS’ “Saturday night craporama”.

The Simpsons, “The Springfield Files,” 1997

I was and am a HUGE TV fan and deeply relate TV shows to my life and let them influence me in thousands of ways that are far too embarrassing to mention. But one of my all-time favorite things was ABC’s TGIF line-up. Obviously this changed through the years, but growing up this was the best thing for me because it gave kids a specific thing to do on Friday nights. We were kids! We weren’t going out!

TGIF began officially on September 22, 1989 and ended on September 8, 2000. So it basically shaped my entire childhood and adolescence. For better or worse. For those unaware, TGIF was a block of programming on ABC that was perfect and aired on Friday nights. Even if one of the shows was a dud (I don’t remember ANYTHING from Just the Ten of Us though I am sure I watched it), it didn’t matter because if you just waited a half hour, another show would be on! Much like Saturday morning cartoons, it worked because it was on and you could watch it mindlessly.

The run of TGIF that holds the MOST special place in my heart is the Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper/Sister, Sister years. But also I loved when Full House was on TGIF. And I also loved when the Clueless TV show and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch were on. So really, I loved it all!

TGIF became so important it spurred Must See TV Thursday and I have to think must have influenced ABC’s current TGIT line-up, which I also adore. TGIF was referenced on The Simpsons and an episode that’s also an X-Files crossover so basically my favorite 30 minutes of television.

One night I was trying to watch TGIF when it got rudely interrupted by a car chase in Los Angeles. I went to the kitchen to get a snack, my parents asked me why I wasn’t watching TGIF anymore and then I promptly got in trouble for not telling my parents that hugely important news (which would also be referenced on The Simpsons) was occurring right at that moment. Whoops. I just was mad I couldn’t watch TV anymore. . .

Since Friday nights are widely seen as a dead zone for TV shows I love thinking about how Friday night used to be my favorite night of TV watching.

If you have any suggestions for #TBT hit me up in the comments or on Twitter!

(main image , via, via)

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