I have never figured why Step By Step existed or how it became a hit for ABC? Did ABC hope that Step By Step would capture the same success as Family Matters or Full House or was it to give Patrick Duffy a chance at a sitcom star? The only honest reason why Step By Step became a hit was because of Suzanne Somers and also to make Staci Keenan a big teen star because it's shocking that she did Step By Step in 1991 after My Two Dads ended it's run in 1990 so I think Step By Step was gonna launch Staci's career even more. What I also think was in all honesty Step By Step was meant to be a monster hit because when you put classic TV stars in a sitcom as the leads they make the sitcom a hit which is Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers teaming up as an ingredient in the ABC sitcom soup. But I think ABC had high hopes for Step By Step as they knew it would become a hit just like Full House did in 1987. but when CBS aired it Step By Step went downhill. But UP or METV should air Step By Step reruns soon because this show needs popularity again

I think you got it: Duffy and Sommers were both popular stars. I also think the Brady Bunch had proved more popular in syndication than it was in first run, so they might have thought it a good idea to try that format again.

I know that Step by Step was part of a deal that Patrick Duffy made with Lorimar when he agreed to come back to Dallas (this was when the show did the infamous "Bobby Ewing isn't really dead and the entire 9th season was just a dream of Pam Ewing's" storyline). In the deal, Lorimar would have to produce a show starring Patrick once Dallas finally ended, which it did in the spring of 1991. That show was of course, Step by Step, which debuted later that fall.

My mom and I first saw Step By Step reruns in syndication and I think in my eyes ABC wanted to make this sitcom be more like The Hogan Family and when you look at Miller-Boyett Productions in their sitcoms they always seemed to follow the same recycled formula which was family sitcom + big stars in the roles= smash hit and that worked for Step By Step. What I also can't figure out is why they picked the same singer "Jesse Frederick" who also sang the Full House and Family Matters theme songs to perform the theme song to Step By Step and they could've had a famous singer sing the theme song. I guess Miller-Boyett thought Jesse Frederick was their good luck charm and they thought he would sing a good theme song but if you listen to the theme song of Step By Step it sounds like a ripoff of the Perfect Strangers theme song. But I think Miller-Boyett saw that if the same success worked for Family Matters Perfect Strangers The Hogan Family and Full House they thought the same magic would work for Step By Step

Step by Step existed because the cast and crew was severely lacking access to elevators.

To me, everyone who made the show what it was did an awesome job on it. What I love is how each parent took in the kids who were from the earlier relationship. I love when Carol defended Brenden in the season three closing episode. She was like, "Are you calling my son a crybaby? Don't insult my family!" :) :) :)

God bless you always!!!

Holly (a girl who still can't believe that Suzanne Somers is gone)

It existed because it was a damn good show lol

Still holds up well in 2026 too