Full House, Family Matters, and Step By Step were all produced by the same people, had several of the same writers over the years, and even swapped a few of the same guest stars. Which of these classic TGIF series did you prefer?

I loved them all. For about 10 years straight, I thought Full House and Family Matters were THE best shows TGIF ever had (until Boy Meets World came along). I started liking Step By Step more than the other two towards the end of it's run. Then I liked Full House more (again). Now I think Family Matters is the best one (again).

So, my favorite changed several times over the years - but Family Matters gets the upper hand again.

Full House

I watched them all from beginning to end. I pick Step by Step.

Full House :thumbsup:

Family Mattters!

Step by Step...never got in to Full House and haven't seen a lot of Family Matters.

Family Matters! I couldn't wait until friday night at 8:00. :D

Out of the three, Full House is my favorite. I don't have the DVD's yet, but I might get the complete series box set. It doesn't air in syndication where I live, I haven't seen an episode since TBS aired them.

Out of the three, Full House is my favorite. I don't have the DVD's yet, but I might get the complete series box set. It doesn't air in syndication where I live, I haven't seen an episode since TBS aired them.
You can find the Complete Series box set for $120. ;)

I loved all three as a kid, but I can't tolerate watching any of them now. If I was forced to choose one, I'd go with Step by Step.

Good thread, since these shows were really the most alike on ABC at the time. I went with Family Matters, although I like all 3 shows.

Full House could really get annoying A LOT, and way too sappy at times (I can understand the sappy scenes in some episodes, but in every one?), and Step by Step could really have some boring episodes (especially towards the last season, where everyone seemed to move out and they had all those music-related episodes). Family Matters was really good for about 7 seasons straight.

You can find the Complete Series box set for $120. ;)

I thought this was the greatest deal . . . my Best Buy store had the Complete Series on sale for $89.99. You can't beat that for all 8 seasons plus great packaging, so I picked it up, even though I already own all 8 seasons-LOL

I thought this was the greatest deal . . . my Best Buy store had the Complete Series on sale for $89.99. You can't beat that for all 8 seasons plus great packaging, so I picked it up, even though I already own all 8 seasons-LOL
When was this sale? :confused:

Good thread, since these shows were really the most alike on ABC at the time. I went with Family Matters, although I like all 3 shows.

Full House could really get annoying A LOT, and way too sappy at times (I can understand the sappy scenes in some episodes, but in every one?), and Step by Step could really have some boring episodes (especially towards the last season, where everyone seemed to move out and they had all those music-related episodes). Family Matters was really good for about 7 seasons straight.
I agree with all of that! :wave:

(Though I *think* Full House might have had the richest characters out of all three shows...)

I agree with all of that! :wave:

(Though I *think* Full House might have had the richest characters out of all three shows...)

richest as in money-wise? You're probably right. Even though Jesse's music career wasn't huge, and Joey couldn't have gotten that much money as a standup, they always seemed to have money around.

When was this sale? :confused:

It was at my local store on Black Friday. . . they were having great deals, and almost every DVD they had was on sale. I picked up that plus a few other DVD's for under $20. Sure, I woke up at 6am to go, but it was worth it.

richest as in money-wise? You're probably right. Even though Jesse's music career wasn't huge, and Joey couldn't have gotten that much money as a standup, they always seemed to have money around.
:lol:

Well, they did have the most money, since all the adults in the family were entertainers for a living.

I actually meant rich as in character development, etc. What I should have said was they probably had the most memorable characters - though Steve, Carl, and Cody are definitely stand outs. I think more people know who Michelle Tanner is and less people know who Lilly Lambert is. More people know Stephanie Tanner than Al Lambert, etc.

It was at my local store on Black Friday. . . they were having great deals, and almost every DVD they had was on sale. I picked up that plus a few other DVD's for under $20. Sure, I woke up at 6am to go, but it was worth it.
That's it - I'm moving to your town! :D

:lol:

Well, they did have the most money, since all the adults in the family were entertainers for a living.

I actually meant rich as in character development, etc. What I should have said was they probably had the most memorable characters - though Steve, Carl, and Cody are definitely stand outs. I think more people know who Michelle Tanner is and less people know who Lilly Lambert is. More people know Stephanie Tanner than Al Lambert, etc.

They did have unique characters, but I think more people know the characters on Full House because more people know Full House as a show more than they do Step by Step. Sure, SBS was a good show, but it's characters seem to blend into the background. If you look back at TV shows in the 90's, Step by Step wouldn't come to most people's minds.

I pick Full House, b/c I still watch that show and its one of my old time favorites.. :D

All were great funny shows. Sometimes I really found Michelle annoying but really Full House was a great show. Step By Step was really funny I like Suzanne Somers on three's company and she was great here as well. Who could forget STEVE EURKEL he was the coolest nerd around. But I'd probably have to go with Full House.

I remember being a kid and loving all three of these shows. But as an adult the only show I care for out of the three is Step by Step.

Family Matters for me.

This was a hard decision because I like all 3 shows, but Full House can get on my nerves sometimes. I mean I don't like the fact that Jesse and Becky didn't really displine Nicky and Alex and it can be to sappy sometimes. I really like Step by Step because Cody is hilarious and I think the later seasons are really good, but I chose Family Matters because there were never really any boring episodes and they all taught you something and it was just good all the way through.

This was a hard decision because I like all 3 shows, but Full House can get on my nerves sometimes. I mean I don't like the fact that Jesse and Becky didn't really displine Nicky and Alex and it can be to sappy sometimes. I really like Step by Step because Cody is hilarious and I think the later seasons are really good, but I chose Family Matters because there were never really any boring episodes and they all taught you something and it was just good all the way through.

Exactly. Step by Step could really get boring at times, and Full House was kiddie-central (seriously, who ran the house . . . the kids or the 4 adults?). Family Matters, though, always kept you laughing and was always a good show. Plus, it had those serious adult storylines while having the kid-storylines at the same time, which I always felt was the best way to do it when you have a big cast like they did.

They did have unique characters, but I think more people know the characters on Full House because more people know Full House as a show more than they do Step by Step. Sure, SBS was a good show, but it's characters seem to blend into the background. If you look back at TV shows in the 90's, Step by Step wouldn't come to most people's minds.
Right, and after having so many characters, all of them had decent amount of lines and plots, and none of their characters ever got the shaft (Well Steve, but it was his own choice) SBS and FM had characters with really small rolls, and even unexplained dissapearing, like Brendan, and FM was the worst Judy, Rachel, Richie, Mother Winslow, Waldo it's insane! The show really lost it's point in season five and was ridiculous. Full House was WAY more watchable than later seasons of FM! It was SO not an adult show!

Definently Family Matters. I have watched SBS and FH, but I never got in to them. Family Matters is easy to get in to and it was always funny and a unique show in itself. That was the TGIF show I waited for every Friday. That's all I would really watch on TGIF, and of course it was on TBS for a long time and now ABC Family at good times for me. However, even with all that, I'd never hesitate to watch FM.

Right, and after having so many characters, all of them had decent amount of lines and plots, and none of their characters ever got the shaft (Well Steve, but it was his own choice) SBS and FM had characters with really small rolls, and even unexplained dissapearing, like Brendan, and FM was the worst Judy, Rachel, Richie, Mother Winslow, Waldo it's insane! The show really lost it's point in season five and was ridiculous. Full House was WAY more watchable than later seasons of FM! It was SO not an adult show!

That's the good thing about Full House. Even though during the sixth and seventh seasons they had 11 cast members, every one of them got a line in the episodes. In FM and STB, some episodes only had half the actors in them, which never seemed fair to me.

I never really thought that any of these shows were any good, but I did sometimes watch Step By Step in high school to check out Karen and Dana. :lol:

My choice is "Family Matters". Even with Jody disappearing and all the changes over the years, Steve was such a good character, that all the flaws are rather easily forgotten. However, I can't stand "Full House". The girls were treated like crap. I've never seen a stricter father than Danny. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had laid his daughters over his knee and smacked them every night just for the heck of it! "Step by step" was cool though, almost as good as "Family Matters".

Full House! :)