TGIF (ABC)
Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot) during an interstitial for TGIF (1989)
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| Network | ABC |
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| Launched | September 22, 1989 (original run) September 26, 2003 (second run) |
| Closed | September 8, 2000 (original run) September 16, 2005 (second run) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Format | Friday night sitcom block |
| Running time | 2 hours (with commercials) |
| Original Language(s) | English |
TGIF is the name of a defunct American prime time television programming block that aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), initially from 1989 to 2000. The name comes from the initials of the popular phrase ""; however, the stars of the lineup touted the abbreviation as meaning "Thank Goodness It's Funny." The block mainly featured situation comedies aimed at a family audience.
It marked one of the first attempts by a major network to brand a programming block, with the goal of encouraging young viewers to watch the entire lineup, instead of just a particular show. The "TGIF" block dominated the ratings in the 18–49 demographic for most of the 1990s. However, ratings began declining in the latter half of the decade. ABC revived the "TGIF" brand in September 2003, with its second run lasting only two seasons. For both the 1989 to 2000 and 2003 to 2005 runs, the block served as a lead-in to the long-running newsmagazine 20/20, whose placement on Fridays predates the original launch of TGIF and has remained part of ABC's Friday to this day.
Family-friendly comedies, which featured families with children as major characters, were a staple of ABC's programming dating back to the network's earlier sitcoms from the 1950s onward, such as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (which premiered in 1952), Leave It to Beaver (which moved to ABC in 1958, after spending its first season on CBS), The Donna Reed Show (which premiered in 1958), The Flintstones (which premiered in 1960, but was largely an adult-oriented animated comedy until the birth of Pebbles in 1963), The Brady Bunch (which premiered in 1969), and The Partridge Family (which premiered in 1970; that series and The Brady Bunch became part of the Friday night lineup at that time). All of these shows are considered television classics to this day.
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