Hey everyone!!

I'll try to keep this thread as concise as possible. Some info has come out regarding Family Matters moving from ABC to CBS and the situation behind it. In the General Sitcoma Discussion board in the "What shows changed networks during run" thread DSFan kinda just dumped this bit there and it seems to have just gotten buried there. I'm shocked the full story behind that move hasn't really been posted here on the Family Matters board!!

Here's the link to the info he posted there: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Matters

Here's a summary of the info it says on Wikipedia under the Changing Networks section:

It says that in early 1997 CBS purchased both Family Matters and Step By Step from ABC for 40 million dollars!! It also says there was tension between ABC and Miller-Boyett Productions because MB didn't think they'd be a big part of ABC going forward after Disney bought ABC. ABC promised to pay MB 1.5 million dollars an episode for a full 9th and 10th Season of Family Matters! Regarding Step By Step as best as I can tell, ABC agreed to pay for the entire 7th season of that show but it doesn't really specify anything past that.

So, with that bit of info along with additional info I've read here between several other threads here on the FM board, here's basically a summary of what caused the two shows to move to CBS and the aftermath of that so we have a nice compact summary of what happened....

-In '96, if not earlier tensions between ABC and Miller-Boyett Productions grow due to MB feeling they didn't have a big role in ABC's future due to the sale of ABC to Disney.

-As the '96-97 season went on and tensions grew, the question of renewal or no renewal for all the TGIF shows came up. I've read a few things that said at this point, ABC was considering giving a final 2 year renewal to Family Matters, Step By Step and Boy Meets World so all 3 could end together. Then, it went back and forth between yes for renewing FM and SBS and no renewal for either show.

-In early '97 from what I can tell the tensions between ABC and MB Productions reached their breaking point. It's probably then that ABC decided to let FM and SBS go. They ultimately gave the 2 year renewal to Boy Meets World since that wasn't produced by MB Productions. BMW ended 2 years later at the end of the renewal period as planned.

-Right around or very shortly after the decision to drop the two aging shows thanks to the tension, Les Moonves, head of CBS, who ironically started his career at WB/Lorimar was wanting to set up a CBS Friday night block to compete head on with TGIF. At that point he'd been looking for a few strong big name shows to anchor the block but had been having trouble with that. Once ABC dropped FM and SBS he knew he'd found his anchor shows for the new Friday night block and picked them up.

-The deal was a purchase price of 40 million dollars for both shows. ABC promised in the deal to pay MB Productions 1.5 million dollars an episode for a 9th and 10th season of Family Matters and 1.5 million an episode for season 7 of Step By Step if I'm understanding this right.

-The other two shows that would be part of what would be called the "CBS Friday Block Party" were The Gregory Hines Show and Meego, which brought Bronson Pinchot from Perfect Strangers back to TV.

-in September '97 the Block Party premiered...this was my last year of High School and things were much busier that year for me so I wasn't able to watch the shows like I wanted to. But, from what I remember this is what happened. That summer CBS advertised the crap out of the new block. They really advertised it well and hit the bulls eye on the marketing for it. By mid-season Gregory Hines and Meego both crashed and burned..a shame because Gregory Hines was really decent. The other two shows...I know they had Christmas episodes...then they got thrown on hiatus...swore there were a few episodes aired Spring of '98..then the cancellations came.

-In early Spring it was thought at least Family Matters would be renewed so that cast and crew-according to Reginald VelJohnson-was informed of that and told to get ready to start shouting Season 10. According to Wiki, scripts and episode synopses had already been written for season 10. According to Reginald right after they completed shooting on what shoulda been the season finale, they came to work to prepare for season 10 and were told they'd been cancelled and to go home. Even though both shows were cancelled at the same time there may have been some slight faint hope for FM so I'm guessing the cast/crew of Step By Step was informed first a bit before the final call was made on FM.

-Ratings for both shows that year they were on CBS were terrible, like swirling around and about down the toilet terrible. Most of the TGIF audience had grown up and life was getting far busier which caused the huge ratings decline.

So with all that said, my reaction to this info is holy CRAP! 40 million was a LOT back then..definitely a very high price to pay for both aging shows! I'm just in shock at the price Les paid! It leaves me even more saddened by the whole thing..Les was very excited at the pick up announcement and was confident both shows would easily get 2 more years there. It makes the handling of these cancellations even sadder 20 years later. CBS should really have allowed both shows proper Series Finales for the fans that stuck it out till the end considering what they paid in the deal. I do hope one day we'll get to see the episode synopses and maybe scripts for that season 10! Netflix should look into maybe pulling everyone back together and shoot some of those episodes with the success Fuller House has had!

Just thought everyone would find this info very interesting and that I'd write the full story here in one compact place for all to read. Sorry for the lengthy post!!

It's okay. It was fun while it lasted.

They were even planning on bringing Judy back and even found another actress to play her

I love "FM" but I don't think it should've went on another season. The replacement of Harrierte was horrible.

I love "FM" but I don't think it should've went on another season. The replacement of Harrierte was horrible.

I agree completely with the terrible re-casting choice for Harriette. You could tell immediately from the 9th season premiere that the recasting choice was a terrible fit. I don't hate Judyann Elder, I actually felt sorry for her. She came in trying to take the place of JoMarje Payton who'd played the character for 8 years, she had enormous shoes to fill. She gave it her best shot but I think even she knew she could never replace JoMarie. I think she also knew she wasn't a good fit for the show but she still tried. I do think given the choice between recasting Harriette or killing her off, however, that re-casting was the best choice but they should have found a better choice.

As for if there was enough there for a final 10th season I believe there was. At the very absolute least both Family Matters and Step By Step both definitely deserved Series Finales for the fans who stuck it out till the end. If nothing else CBS should have slotted them both for Series Finales in September or sometime during Fall '98. I wanted to watch all of both shows that season..that was my last year of High School though. I'd been elected class president, then got nominated to Homecoming Court plus some Fridays I did go out with friends. So even my life had gotten much busier FAST. I was home for both show's Season Premiere night so I saw both shows season premieres along with Meego and Gregory Hines. Meego was a mistake. I was very pleasantly surprised with Gregory Hines though! I saw the next couple episodes of FM and SBS. After that I tried to catch them when I could and taped them. But by mid season it was a lost cause I was just too busy. :( I lament that still to this day! I wanted to see all of both shows that year-I'd been watching both since the beginning never missing an episode like so many did-and it bothered me that I couldn't that year. I will say it was extremely bizarre to see both shows on CBS instead of ABC! In fact the night of the Season Premieres I turned on ABC outta habit and suddenly remembered oh crap! They're on CBS now!

Really thinking about this, ABC should have given final 2 year renewals to both shows along with Boy Meets World. They would all have ended together and both would have gotten actual Series Finales. ABC missed a huge chance for a big tv event that would have been a huge deal. Regardless both shows needed and deserved Series Finales period regardless of what happened.

^^^ To me, Judy Ann Elder's best attempt at trying to be like the original Harriette was when she found out that Carl was given a rub down at a spa from a young and pretty girl...right after Carl had told her that his rub had come from a beefy girl who had a wanky eye. :D :D :D

God bless you and Judy always!!! :) :) :)

Holly

I'm not all surprised Les Moonves spent 40 million dollars for two aging shows. TV executives are notorious for liking the familiar. That's why there are so many TV shows based on movies and so many TV pilots starring actors and actresses with previous successful TV shows.

I agree completely with the terrible re-casting choice for Harriette. You could tell immediately from the 9th season premiere that the recasting choice was a terrible fit.

How could you tell from the season premiere? Jo Marie Payton appeared in the first half of the ninth season, and Judyann Elder didnt show up until episode 14.

How could you tell from the season premiere? Jo Marie Payton appeared in the first half of the ninth season, and Judyann Elder didnt show up until episode 14.

Thank you for the correction! That was so long ago now. The end of Season 8 and the beginning of 9 have really blurred together in my mind. I genuinely thought Judyann Elder was there that entire last year! I am sincerely sorry for the error and glad you corrected me! The other part of it is when it ended I thought it had only gotten either 13 or 18 episodes that last season! I'm finding out it got 22! I have the series both officially on DVD and unofficially, I thought I had it all unofficially but that version is missing half of Season 9 yikes! I'll be able to see the rest of it officially now. Thank you for the correction!

A Season 10 would have been nice.

A Season 10 would have been nice.
I honestly don't know if I could've watched another season with that new Harriette. The last few episodes of season 9 are hard enough to watch. It's not the actresses fault, but she was not Harriette Winslow.

I really think that 1997-98 (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=286256) was the beginning of the end for TGIF on ABC (http://benjamonsterstv.blogspot.com/2013/01/weekend-rewind-abc-1997-98-season.html). It's debatable over whether or not Miller-Boyett Productions got greedy when they took CBS' (http://benjamonsterstv.blogspot.com/2014/02/weekend-rewind-cbs-1997-98-season.html) $40 million offer to bring Family Matters and Step by Step over to them. But without those shows, all that ABC was left with on Friday nights were Boy Meets World (that in itself, was getting fairly close to the end of its respective run) and an oversaturation of supernatural/fantasy sitcoms: Sabrina the Teenage Witch, You Wish, and Teen Angel, the latter two wouldn't get a second season.