The Hogan Family
Encyclopedia
The Hogan Family is an American television situation comedy
that aired from March 1, 1986 to July 20, 1991. It was produced by Miller-Boyett
.
The show was originally titled Valerie and starred Valerie Harper
as a mother trying to juggle both her career and the raising of her three sons while her husband, an airline pilot, was seldom around. Harper was written out of the series after the second season because of a dispute with the show's producers. Sandy Duncan
joined the cast as the children's aunt, who moved in and effectively became their surrogate mom. During the show's third season (Duncan's first as the show's star), the series was known as Valerie's Family: The Hogans, and after this was known simply as The Hogan Family.
The Hogan Family was televised in the United States on NBC
from 1986 to 1990, and on CBS
from 1990 to 1991.
, a suburb of Chicago
. The title character struggled with everyday family problems while her husband Michael (Josh Taylor
), who was a pilot
, was seldom around as a result of his demanding work schedule (at least in the early seasons). Her children were 16-year-old David (Jason Bateman
), and 12-year-old fraternal twin sons Willie (Danny Ponce) and Mark (Jeremy Licht). Valerie led a chaotic, but certainly not an unexciting life, thanks in part to the regular uproar caused by girl-crazy David, irresponsible Willie and brainy Mark (who, despite his spotless academic and behavioral record at school, started to rebel every once in a while). She was also a career woman, originally as the buyer of an auction house. Lending support to Valerie with matching wit and charm was her best friend, Barbara Goodwin (Christine Ebersole
). The family dog, Murray, died in a first season storyline.
In season two, Harper and producer/boyfriend Tony Cacciotti had increasing creative control over the show, and the candy-coated tinges of storytelling were completely replaced by realistic humor. Barbara was no longer in evidence, as the role of close friend and cohort was now occupied by next-door neighbor Annie Steck (Judith Kahan
), also a family woman raising teenage daughter Rebecca (played in one episode by Paula Hoffman). The other next-door neighbor, busybody Patty Poole (Edie McClurg
), began appearing occasionally, as did David's friend Rich (Tom Hodges). A jock with a big-man-on-campus attitude, Rich was especially known for familiarly calling David by the nickname "Hogie" (or "Hoagie"). Valerie had switched careers, now working as a freelance graphic artist, so she could have even more flexibility in being there for the kids.
Like most American sitcoms in the 1980s, the series sometimes dealt with moral issues, but not in a heavy-handed fashion. In the episode "Bad Timing", which first aired February 7, 1987, David and a former girlfriend debate whether to have sex. The episode featured the first prime-time use of the word condom
. Parental advisory warnings were issued in ads for the episode and NBC placed an advisory before the episode aired stating that parents may want to watch the episode with their children. Some of NBC's affiliates either aired the show outside of prime-time or refused to air it at all. The episode was later released to home video, especially for teachers and health educators to use as a tool to promote safe sex
.
. They also planned to shift back to the more family-oriented slapstick
stories that had been a secondary component of their previous sitcoms at Paramount; the success of their second Lorimar project, ABC
's Perfect Strangers
(which premiered 25 days after Valerie), was their motivation. Valerie Harper disagreed with this decision, as did Tony Cacciotti, as this was not the type of show she wanted to do. The two groups argued during a good portion of the 1987 filming hiatus, after which Harper was dismissed and her character was written out of the show as having died in a car accident. NBC explained that the series would take on difficult issues facing the family during the grieving process.
Harper took both NBC and Lorimar to court for breach of contract. Her case against NBC was dismissed, but in late summmer 1988, Harper won her case against Lorimar and she was awarded $1.4 million in damages.
to devote his full attention to this series). Mrs. Poole moved up to being a regular character, becoming a major scene-stealer on the show with her "gosh-golly" sweetness that belied an unbelievable hipness. Her jovial husband, Peter, was played by Willard Scott
on an infrequent basis. Another of David's buddies, goofy, awkward Burt Weems (Steve Witting) joined this season (he had previously made guest shots during the last few Valerie episodes), appearing as often as the super-cool Rich.
The season's third episode, "Burned Out" (aired October 5, 1987), helped better explain the family's grief following Valerie's death. In that episode, a lamp stored in the attic develops a short circuit, sparking a fire that badly damages the house. While many keepsakes and mementos of the family's were destroyed in the attic and second floor, the piece that had the greatest emotional effect was a charred framed photo of Valerie. David found it in his room while the fire damage was being inspected, and immediately broke down in tears. Sandy came into the room to comfort him, and as the scene changes, it is presumed that the two shared their grief for Valerie. The Hogans, meanwhile, stay with the Pooles while their home is repaired. The episode had a commercial tie-in with the McDonalds Corporation, who financed the expenses accrued in damaging the set for the fire. As a sponsor that evening, McDonald's
commercials aired promoting fire safety.
At the end of the third season, as Harper's lawsuit hearings continued, the network dropped Valerie's name from the title completely. This was partially to avoid further legal actions involved in continuing to use the original star's name, and also to move on from the very public and sensational attention being drawn to her dismissal. In June 1988, during summer reruns of the third season, the show was retitled The Hogan Family.
In the fall of 1988, David went off to Northwestern University, and his escapades with Rich and Burt became a major focus (Hodges and Witting now appeared in the opening credits). At one point during freshman year, David began to feel the strain of Mike's household curfew rules, which he felt should not have applied to him any longer since he was in college, and with the family's blessing, moved into Rich and Burt's tiny apartment near campus. The three had a hard time co-existing, so before long David voluntarily moved back home. Willie and Mark entered high school that year, where they encountered a more fueled sibling rivalry due to their different identities. They also competed for the attention of many girls, except in times where Mark would take up with a classmate who was similar to him, that Willie naturally could not stand. The twins eventually got an after school job at local fast-food chain Bossy Burger. For them, having Sandy around at home and school was a help, as they looked to her as a friend and ally, rather than just as a mother figure. Everyone was in the dating scene by now, with Mike and Sandy's forays into romantic dinners and singles clubs providing somewhat disastrous (yet humorous) results. Sandy's ex-husband Richard made a few guest appearances, as played by Steve Vinovich
. Mike's former Air Force
Colonel and flight trainer, Skip Franklin (Gerald Gordon) was another guest star continuing his repeat appearances in this stage of the series, having originated the role on the third episode of Valerie in 1986. Colorful, boisterous Skip returned each time with another major dilemma on his hands, usually involving the many women in his life, while at the same time, influencing the Hogan boys with his extreme macho behavior.
During Duncan's tenure with the show, no mention was ever made to that of Mike and Sandy's other sister, Caroline, who was played in the Valerie pilot by Francine Tacker
. In her only guest appearance, Caroline was portrayed as being glamorous and just as successful as her airline pilot brother, although it was not explained as to what she did, or if she had a family of her own. (The only indication of any sort of home companionship was Valerie's mention of Caroline having a "cleaning lady".)
As season five opened, the Hogans and Pooles, along with Burt and Rich, took an excursion to Paris
. There, David met and fell in love with a woman who, unbeknownst to him, was a princess. When the two are seen tooling around the city, government agents believe that the princess has been kidnapped, and target David, causing him and everyone else to be on the lam from them. Such foreign-themed story lines would become a convention on other Miller/Boyett shows such as Family Matters and Step By Step. While the rest of the gang returned to Oak Park, Rich stayed abroad to explore more of Europe, and was no longer with the cast. Later that season, in early 1990, Mark began dating a pretty, proper girl named Cara (Josie Bissett
), while Willie found a love interest in free-spirited party girl Brenda (Angela Lee). That March, after a showdown with Principal Edwards (guest star Jon Cypher
), which led to a nasty mailed resignation letter she started to regret, Sandy found herself promoted to Vice Principal.
At the start of The Hogan Familys sixth and final season, John Hillerman
joins the cast as Sandy and Michael's father, Lloyd. The season premiere has Mike, Sandy, and the boys visit Lloyd in California, upon hearing that he and his wife (Mike and Sandy's mother) have just been divorced. Lloyd clearly has trouble with the events, and at one point in the hour-long episode, goes missing, with the family fearing that he might have been killed boating during a storm. The senior Hogan materializes safe, and in the end, follows the family to Oak Park. During the same season, Cara and Brenda become full-time regulars, as Mark and Willie (respectively) become steady with them. Also that fall, the twins lose their job at Bossy Burger after Willie pressures Mark to skip work with him in order to see a concert (Sandy and Mrs. Poole filled in for them that evening, impromptu). Eventually, in the episode "A Sneaking Suspicion" (aired July 10, 1991), Mark and Willie get new jobs at a shoe store in the local mall.
Early in the season, Sandy Duncan was reunited with Valorie Armstrong
, her former co-star on Funny Face
. Armstrong made a guest appearance as Mrs. Gordon in the episode, "The Baby Stops Here" (September 29, 1990).
patients".
In a combination of shock and fear due to his confused knowledge of the disease, David struggles to come to terms with Rich having AIDS. He avoids the situation until Sandy comes forward and reveals to David that a friend of hers died of AIDS several years earlier. David, Burt and the rest rally around Rich, who at first wanted little to no attention but soon opened up, and try to make the most of the time they had with him. As the episode concludes, the timeline advances three months, with Sandy and David speaking at the high school's assembly about HIV
and AIDS. David touches upon his experiences with Rich, dispels common myths associated with the disease and how to prevent it, and breaks the news of Rich's passing one night earlier. The decision to bring Rich back for one final appearance, and to bring closure to his character in such a nature, was Tom Hodges', as he wrote the episode.
Four unaired episodes had been produced before it was put on hiatus. During the hiatus, no further episodes were made (as evidenced by producers Ronny Hallin and Shari Hearn, who had only returned and arrived respectively at The Hogan Family as its sixth season began, defecting over to ABC's Miller/Boyett series Going Places in January 1991); by the spring, production was shut down indefinitely. A situation not uncommon among long-running shows that begin to fade in the ratings, The Hogan Family was not given the chance to end with a proper finale. When the leftover episodes took to air, they were scheduled on Wednesday nights for two consecutive weeks, July 10 and 17th, 1991, before the last two episodes of the series aired in an hour-long block on Saturday, July 20, 1991. The 1990 Christmas
show (which had not made it to air the previous December) was the final original episode of The Hogan Family produced, and the last network broadcast of the show, that aired at 8:30/7:30 on Saturday, July 20th.
, which concluded with the end of Happy Days
in 1984, producers Tom Miller and Bob Boyett moved to a new home at Lorimar Television, a partnership between the two and the studio which commenced on October 1 of that year. Miller and Boyett had ideas about venturing into hour-long comedy/dramas with Lorimar, at a time where a decline in the popularity of half-hour situation comedies was perceived. However, by the time they began at Lorimar, NBC had struck ratings gold with The Cosby Show
, and sitcoms were in vogue once again. The pair, who were launching their new Miller/Boyett Productions nameplate sans long-time partner Eddie Milkis, re-shifted their focus to sitcoms.
For their first Lorimar project, Miller/Boyett had Valerie Harper in mind for a starring vehicle. Harper quickly struck a deal with the producers and announced her return to series television, the first time since the conclusion of Rhoda
in December 1978. Developed during the 1984-85 season and picked up by NBC, the series was known from conception as Close to Home. It had the same format as what made it to the air, that of a modern mother juggling many responsibilities while her husband was often away. For the latter role in particular, NBC still wanted someone with visual and personal appeal despite the limited scenes, and tapped Days of our Lives
star Josh Taylor to play Harper's airline pilot husband. Taylor's part-time status on the sitcom enabled him to continue his role as Chris Kositchek on Days.
Additionally, popular teen star Jason Bateman, suddenly available after the cancellation of his NBC series It's Your Move
, and Danny Ponce, who had been playing Jason Avery on Knots Landing
for the previous two seasons, were added as two of Harper's kids. Newcomer Jeremy Licht rounded out the brood. Broadway actress Christine Ebersole was cast as Harper's best friend, a strong enough presence that the star could play off of. The series was to feature a more genuine sense of realism, which Tom and Bob had in mind for their dramedy concepts. However, this was combined with the smart, character-driven humor that Harper was aiming for, as she and then-boyfriend (later husband) Tony Cacciotti were given ample creative control on her new series.
The pilot for Close to Home was shot in the summer of 1985, and aside from a few changes called for during testing, was given the green light by NBC for a backup premiere that fall (to immediately replace a new September half-hour entry that could have failed). Subsequent episodes were slated to shoot when Jeremy Licht came down with chicken pox, derailing the shooting and ultimately, the premiere. This gave the creative team extra time to tweak the format, and when Licht was well again, production resumed with changes NBC approved of. As the initial season of episodes progressed shooting, NBC and Harper gave into a common temptation of star power, and retitled the series Valerie, which it debuted as on March 1, 1986.
Valerie was the first series Miller/Boyett created without the aid of Eddie Milkis. The show was produced by Miller/Boyett and Tal Productions, Inc. (which stood for Tony and Val) in association with Lorimar Television (as Lorimar Productions for season 1 and Lorimar-Telepictures for season 2).
producer Irma Kalish, who helmed the final season. Rich Correll served as co-producer for the first two seasons and later became consulting producer.
, Peter Baldwin
, Howard Storm
, and beginning in 1988, Jason Bateman, who was thus the youngest-ever director to be registered into the Directors Guild of America
(at age 18).
and composed by Charles Fox
. The lyrics were written by Stephen Geyer
. This was the only Miller/Boyett series from the Lorimar/Warner Bros. era to have not used the songwriting, composing and underscore talents of Jesse Frederick
and Bennett Salvay. "Together Through the Years" was covered by the death metal band Cannibal Corpse and often performed at their live concerts.
The series uitlized four different credit fonts during its six seasons. Originally, the principal typeface for all credits was in orange, black-embossed, italicized Bookman Old Style font. Its usage, ceased when the second season of Valerie went into production, later showed up on three more Lorimar programs; the 1989 NBC sitcom Nearly Departed, and ABC's Family Matters and Getting By
(the latter two of which were direct sister shows to Valerie, as they were Miller/Boyett series). During the second season of Valerie, the font used in the title sequence and first and final scenes was a gold, condensed version of Cooper Black font. Second season closing credits were in a Windsor
font (also seen on All in the Family
and Who's the Boss?
). Seasons three through six switched to the traditional Cooper Black font, now set in yellow and used in all credits.
As was the case with Perfect Strangers, the first season did not use the familiar Miller/Boyett Productions logo (in Century 751 type), that had been developed when the producers moved to Lorimar; the "Miller * Boyett Productions" byline appeared in the show's main font instead. The proper logo made its debut in the second season, with the main byline accompanied on the side by a larger "M/B" in the same font. In seasons three through six, the byline dispensed the "M/B" (This full version of the Miller/Boyett logo would reappear as a stand-alone vanity plate on their shows from 1996-98).
in New York, WTXF in Philadelphia, WSBK-TV
in Boston and KTXA
in Dallas.
ABC Family
currently holds the U.S. syndication rights to the program and began airing episodes twice daily in September 2006. They have discontinued running the show since then. The Crossroads Television System
currently holds the Canadian syndication rights and airs the show Wednesday nights.
The theme was shortened in the opening credits when the show was in syndication. During the Valerie seasons, the title sequence becomes slow motion at the scene where Mike and the boys begin to tackle Valerie in their football game. The Hogan Family title is displayed here for syndication. For the third season episodes, the title shot from seasons four and five is used for reruns, where The Hogan Family is displayed over the Hogans carrying their picnic items through the park. This deleted the scene where Sandy runs out to the baseball diamond to try and get the bases unloaded. The latter was where the Valerie's Family title was shown on NBC airings, with The Hogans appearing over the park-walking scene.
The only episode to retain the Valerie title in syndication was "Bad Timing" (2/8/87), which also kept the original parental advisory disclaimer that followed the airing on NBC. Even when the special episode was later released to home video, with The Hogan Family title being featured on the cassette cover, the Valerie title was not eliminated from the opening sequence.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired from March 1, 1986 to July 20, 1991. It was produced by Miller-Boyett
Miller-Boyett Productions
Miller-Boyett Productions was an American television production company that mainly developed television sitcoms from the 1970s through the 1990s...
.
The show was originally titled Valerie and starred Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
as a mother trying to juggle both her career and the raising of her three sons while her husband, an airline pilot, was seldom around. Harper was written out of the series after the second season because of a dispute with the show's producers. Sandy Duncan
Sandy Duncan
Sandra Kay "Sandy" Duncan is an American singer, dancer and actress of stage and television, recognized through a blonde, pixie cut hairstyle and perky demeanor...
joined the cast as the children's aunt, who moved in and effectively became their surrogate mom. During the show's third season (Duncan's first as the show's star), the series was known as Valerie's Family: The Hogans, and after this was known simply as The Hogan Family.
The Hogan Family was televised in the United States on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from 1986 to 1990, and on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1990 to 1991.
Seasons 1 and 2
For its first and second seasons the show was known as Valerie, and its stories revolved around the show's star, Valerie Harper. Harper played the mother of the Hogan family, Valerie Hogan, who lived in Oak Park, IllinoisOak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The title character struggled with everyday family problems while her husband Michael (Josh Taylor
Josh Taylor
Josh Taylor is a long-time American comedy and dramatic television actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Chris Kositchek and Roman Brady on the long-running American dramatic serial Days of our Lives and as Michael Hogan, the father figure on NBC's long running situation comedy The...
), who was a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, was seldom around as a result of his demanding work schedule (at least in the early seasons). Her children were 16-year-old David (Jason Bateman
Jason Bateman
Jason Kent Bateman is an American television and film actor. After appearing in several 1980s and 1990s sitcoms including It's Your Move, and The Hogan Family, Bateman came to prominence in the early 2000s for playing Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, for which he won a TV Land, a Golden...
), and 12-year-old fraternal twin sons Willie (Danny Ponce) and Mark (Jeremy Licht). Valerie led a chaotic, but certainly not an unexciting life, thanks in part to the regular uproar caused by girl-crazy David, irresponsible Willie and brainy Mark (who, despite his spotless academic and behavioral record at school, started to rebel every once in a while). She was also a career woman, originally as the buyer of an auction house. Lending support to Valerie with matching wit and charm was her best friend, Barbara Goodwin (Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole is an American actress and singer.-Early life:Ebersole was born in Winnetka, Illinois, where she attended New Trier High School...
). The family dog, Murray, died in a first season storyline.
In season two, Harper and producer/boyfriend Tony Cacciotti had increasing creative control over the show, and the candy-coated tinges of storytelling were completely replaced by realistic humor. Barbara was no longer in evidence, as the role of close friend and cohort was now occupied by next-door neighbor Annie Steck (Judith Kahan
Judith Kahan
Judith Kahan , is a longtime American actress and television writer. Although she has been mostly seen on film and television, she has done a number of theatre shows, including a co-starring role as Fredrika Armfeldt on the original Broadway show of A Little Night Music from 1973-1974.-Actress:*...
), also a family woman raising teenage daughter Rebecca (played in one episode by Paula Hoffman). The other next-door neighbor, busybody Patty Poole (Edie McClurg
Edie McClurg
Edie McClurg is an American character actress. She is known for her perky North Central dialect , common to persons from Middle America.-Career:...
), began appearing occasionally, as did David's friend Rich (Tom Hodges). A jock with a big-man-on-campus attitude, Rich was especially known for familiarly calling David by the nickname "Hogie" (or "Hoagie"). Valerie had switched careers, now working as a freelance graphic artist, so she could have even more flexibility in being there for the kids.
Like most American sitcoms in the 1980s, the series sometimes dealt with moral issues, but not in a heavy-handed fashion. In the episode "Bad Timing", which first aired February 7, 1987, David and a former girlfriend debate whether to have sex. The episode featured the first prime-time use of the word condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
. Parental advisory warnings were issued in ads for the episode and NBC placed an advisory before the episode aired stating that parents may want to watch the episode with their children. Some of NBC's affiliates either aired the show outside of prime-time or refused to air it at all. The episode was later released to home video, especially for teachers and health educators to use as a tool to promote safe sex
Safe sex
Safe sex is sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. It is also referred to as safer sex or protected sex, while unsafe or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in without precautions...
.
Season 2: Harper leaves
By the end of the 1986-87 season, with the show as a solid hit, Miller/Boyett decided that they wanted to divert more of the show's attention to the young cast members, particularly to Bateman, who had been teetering on the edge of teen heartthrob status since his two years on Silver SpoonsSilver Spoons
Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987...
. They also planned to shift back to the more family-oriented slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
stories that had been a secondary component of their previous sitcoms at Paramount; the success of their second Lorimar project, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Perfect Strangers
Perfect Strangers (TV series)
Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean...
(which premiered 25 days after Valerie), was their motivation. Valerie Harper disagreed with this decision, as did Tony Cacciotti, as this was not the type of show she wanted to do. The two groups argued during a good portion of the 1987 filming hiatus, after which Harper was dismissed and her character was written out of the show as having died in a car accident. NBC explained that the series would take on difficult issues facing the family during the grieving process.
Harper took both NBC and Lorimar to court for breach of contract. Her case against NBC was dismissed, but in late summmer 1988, Harper won her case against Lorimar and she was awarded $1.4 million in damages.
Valerie's Family: The Hogans
When the 1987 - 1988 season premiere aired, the show was retitled Valerie's Family: The Hogans. The timeline of the third season began six months after Valerie's death. NBC's decision to continue the series without Valerie Harper was controversial at the time, but the series survived the departure of its main star and the show continued its run on the network for three more seasons. Taking Harper's place in the household was Sandy Duncan as Michael's sister, Sandy, who had moved in with her brother to help the family in their time of loss. She took a job as a guidance counselor at the high school the boys attended following her recent divorce. In the wake of his wife's death, Michael was now home more often (Josh Taylor left his role on Days of our LivesDays of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
to devote his full attention to this series). Mrs. Poole moved up to being a regular character, becoming a major scene-stealer on the show with her "gosh-golly" sweetness that belied an unbelievable hipness. Her jovial husband, Peter, was played by Willard Scott
Willard Scott
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.-Early years:...
on an infrequent basis. Another of David's buddies, goofy, awkward Burt Weems (Steve Witting) joined this season (he had previously made guest shots during the last few Valerie episodes), appearing as often as the super-cool Rich.
The season's third episode, "Burned Out" (aired October 5, 1987), helped better explain the family's grief following Valerie's death. In that episode, a lamp stored in the attic develops a short circuit, sparking a fire that badly damages the house. While many keepsakes and mementos of the family's were destroyed in the attic and second floor, the piece that had the greatest emotional effect was a charred framed photo of Valerie. David found it in his room while the fire damage was being inspected, and immediately broke down in tears. Sandy came into the room to comfort him, and as the scene changes, it is presumed that the two shared their grief for Valerie. The Hogans, meanwhile, stay with the Pooles while their home is repaired. The episode had a commercial tie-in with the McDonalds Corporation, who financed the expenses accrued in damaging the set for the fire. As a sponsor that evening, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
commercials aired promoting fire safety.
The Hogan Family
In the fall of 1988, David went off to Northwestern University, and his escapades with Rich and Burt became a major focus (Hodges and Witting now appeared in the opening credits). At one point during freshman year, David began to feel the strain of Mike's household curfew rules, which he felt should not have applied to him any longer since he was in college, and with the family's blessing, moved into Rich and Burt's tiny apartment near campus. The three had a hard time co-existing, so before long David voluntarily moved back home. Willie and Mark entered high school that year, where they encountered a more fueled sibling rivalry due to their different identities. They also competed for the attention of many girls, except in times where Mark would take up with a classmate who was similar to him, that Willie naturally could not stand. The twins eventually got an after school job at local fast-food chain Bossy Burger. For them, having Sandy around at home and school was a help, as they looked to her as a friend and ally, rather than just as a mother figure. Everyone was in the dating scene by now, with Mike and Sandy's forays into romantic dinners and singles clubs providing somewhat disastrous (yet humorous) results. Sandy's ex-husband Richard made a few guest appearances, as played by Steve Vinovich
Steve Vinovich
-Biography:Vinovich was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Jennie J. , a secretary, and Stephen J. Vinovich, an insurance salesman.-Filmography:*Cold Case *8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter...
. Mike's former Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
Colonel and flight trainer, Skip Franklin (Gerald Gordon) was another guest star continuing his repeat appearances in this stage of the series, having originated the role on the third episode of Valerie in 1986. Colorful, boisterous Skip returned each time with another major dilemma on his hands, usually involving the many women in his life, while at the same time, influencing the Hogan boys with his extreme macho behavior.
During Duncan's tenure with the show, no mention was ever made to that of Mike and Sandy's other sister, Caroline, who was played in the Valerie pilot by Francine Tacker
Francine Tacker
Francine Tacker is an American actress known for her brief appearance in the television series Dallas as Jenna Wade. Tacker was the second actress to play the character, succeeding Morgan Fairchild and preceding Priscilla Presley...
. In her only guest appearance, Caroline was portrayed as being glamorous and just as successful as her airline pilot brother, although it was not explained as to what she did, or if she had a family of her own. (The only indication of any sort of home companionship was Valerie's mention of Caroline having a "cleaning lady".)
As season five opened, the Hogans and Pooles, along with Burt and Rich, took an excursion to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There, David met and fell in love with a woman who, unbeknownst to him, was a princess. When the two are seen tooling around the city, government agents believe that the princess has been kidnapped, and target David, causing him and everyone else to be on the lam from them. Such foreign-themed story lines would become a convention on other Miller/Boyett shows such as Family Matters and Step By Step. While the rest of the gang returned to Oak Park, Rich stayed abroad to explore more of Europe, and was no longer with the cast. Later that season, in early 1990, Mark began dating a pretty, proper girl named Cara (Josie Bissett
Josie Bissett
Josie Bissett is the stage name of Jolyn Christine Heutmaker , an American actress best known for her role as Jane Mancini on the television series Melrose Place.-Early life :...
), while Willie found a love interest in free-spirited party girl Brenda (Angela Lee). That March, after a showdown with Principal Edwards (guest star Jon Cypher
Jon Cypher
-Biography:Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1949 and Brooklyn College in 1953. He made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role...
), which led to a nasty mailed resignation letter she started to regret, Sandy found herself promoted to Vice Principal.
Network switch
In 1990, after spending three of the last four years on Monday nights at 8:30/7:30c (having been on Sundays before that), NBC informed the producers to cancel the series due to declining ratings. CBS picked up the series, making it one of the rare programs to jump networks. They placed the series on Saturday nights at 8:30/7:30c, with a new Miller/Boyett sitcom, The Family Man, as its lead-in.At the start of The Hogan Familys sixth and final season, John Hillerman
John Hillerman
John Benedict Hillerman is an American actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.-Early life:...
joins the cast as Sandy and Michael's father, Lloyd. The season premiere has Mike, Sandy, and the boys visit Lloyd in California, upon hearing that he and his wife (Mike and Sandy's mother) have just been divorced. Lloyd clearly has trouble with the events, and at one point in the hour-long episode, goes missing, with the family fearing that he might have been killed boating during a storm. The senior Hogan materializes safe, and in the end, follows the family to Oak Park. During the same season, Cara and Brenda become full-time regulars, as Mark and Willie (respectively) become steady with them. Also that fall, the twins lose their job at Bossy Burger after Willie pressures Mark to skip work with him in order to see a concert (Sandy and Mrs. Poole filled in for them that evening, impromptu). Eventually, in the episode "A Sneaking Suspicion" (aired July 10, 1991), Mark and Willie get new jobs at a shoe store in the local mall.
Early in the season, Sandy Duncan was reunited with Valorie Armstrong
Valorie Armstrong
Valorie Armstrong is an American actress most notably recognized from her role as Perkins family matriarch, Marisa Perkins on NBC's soap opera Santa Barbara during 1984-1985. Her other roles include various guest-starring roles on TV shows...
, her former co-star on Funny Face
The Sandy Duncan Show
Funny Face and The Sandy Duncan Show are two sitcoms aired by CBS starring Sandy Duncan as part of its 1971 and 1972 fall lineups, respectively...
. Armstrong made a guest appearance as Mrs. Gordon in the episode, "The Baby Stops Here" (September 29, 1990).
Rich returns from Europe
In the December 1, 1990 episode, "Best of Friends, Worst of Times", Tom Hodges reprised the role of Rich after over a year's absence from the show. The main plot begins with David and Burt shooting a video project for one of their college courses, at the local hospital in Oak Park. In the midst of their work with various patients on-camera, Rich shows up in the waiting room greeting an older man (guest star Al Fann), when David and Burt discover him. Rich is happy to see them, but his expressions also indicate nervousness and a rush to avoid his friends. David says that he and Burt had been trying to get in touch with him for months, and Rich explains that he had stayed over in Europe for an extended time, alluding to the fact that he had met a woman while out there. After the three initially reunite, the older man whom Rich was first seen talking to tells David that he can find Rich in the wing "with all the other AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients".
In a combination of shock and fear due to his confused knowledge of the disease, David struggles to come to terms with Rich having AIDS. He avoids the situation until Sandy comes forward and reveals to David that a friend of hers died of AIDS several years earlier. David, Burt and the rest rally around Rich, who at first wanted little to no attention but soon opened up, and try to make the most of the time they had with him. As the episode concludes, the timeline advances three months, with Sandy and David speaking at the high school's assembly about HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS. David touches upon his experiences with Rich, dispels common myths associated with the disease and how to prevent it, and breaks the news of Rich's passing one night earlier. The decision to bring Rich back for one final appearance, and to bring closure to his character in such a nature, was Tom Hodges', as he wrote the episode.
Cancellation
That December, due to dismal ratings, CBS dropped the show from its weekly schedule. The series did not return until eight months later, in July 1991, when it finally aired the remaining episodes left for the season. In the interim, CBS announced they had not renewed the show for a seventh season, and were airing the leftover episodes twice a week in July (The Family Man was scheduled the same that summer, not for reasons of burning off a series losing ratings and money, but in the continued quest to find it an audience).Four unaired episodes had been produced before it was put on hiatus. During the hiatus, no further episodes were made (as evidenced by producers Ronny Hallin and Shari Hearn, who had only returned and arrived respectively at The Hogan Family as its sixth season began, defecting over to ABC's Miller/Boyett series Going Places in January 1991); by the spring, production was shut down indefinitely. A situation not uncommon among long-running shows that begin to fade in the ratings, The Hogan Family was not given the chance to end with a proper finale. When the leftover episodes took to air, they were scheduled on Wednesday nights for two consecutive weeks, July 10 and 17th, 1991, before the last two episodes of the series aired in an hour-long block on Saturday, July 20, 1991. The 1990 Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
show (which had not made it to air the previous December) was the final original episode of The Hogan Family produced, and the last network broadcast of the show, that aired at 8:30/7:30 on Saturday, July 20th.
Production
After a long run at Paramount TelevisionParamount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
, which concluded with the end of Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
in 1984, producers Tom Miller and Bob Boyett moved to a new home at Lorimar Television, a partnership between the two and the studio which commenced on October 1 of that year. Miller and Boyett had ideas about venturing into hour-long comedy/dramas with Lorimar, at a time where a decline in the popularity of half-hour situation comedies was perceived. However, by the time they began at Lorimar, NBC had struck ratings gold with The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, and sitcoms were in vogue once again. The pair, who were launching their new Miller/Boyett Productions nameplate sans long-time partner Eddie Milkis, re-shifted their focus to sitcoms.
For their first Lorimar project, Miller/Boyett had Valerie Harper in mind for a starring vehicle. Harper quickly struck a deal with the producers and announced her return to series television, the first time since the conclusion of Rhoda
Rhoda
Rhoda is an American television sitcom, starring Valerie Harper, which ran for five seasons, from 1974 to 1978 airing in 109 episodes. The show was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which Harper between the years 1970 and 1974 had played the role of Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky,...
in December 1978. Developed during the 1984-85 season and picked up by NBC, the series was known from conception as Close to Home. It had the same format as what made it to the air, that of a modern mother juggling many responsibilities while her husband was often away. For the latter role in particular, NBC still wanted someone with visual and personal appeal despite the limited scenes, and tapped Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
star Josh Taylor to play Harper's airline pilot husband. Taylor's part-time status on the sitcom enabled him to continue his role as Chris Kositchek on Days.
Additionally, popular teen star Jason Bateman, suddenly available after the cancellation of his NBC series It's Your Move
It's Your Move
It's Your Move is an American sitcom starring Jason Bateman, Tricia Cast, Caren Kaye, Ernie Sabella, David Garrison, and Garrett Morris. The show originally aired on NBC from 1984 to 1985.-Premise:...
, and Danny Ponce, who had been playing Jason Avery on Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
for the previous two seasons, were added as two of Harper's kids. Newcomer Jeremy Licht rounded out the brood. Broadway actress Christine Ebersole was cast as Harper's best friend, a strong enough presence that the star could play off of. The series was to feature a more genuine sense of realism, which Tom and Bob had in mind for their dramedy concepts. However, this was combined with the smart, character-driven humor that Harper was aiming for, as she and then-boyfriend (later husband) Tony Cacciotti were given ample creative control on her new series.
The pilot for Close to Home was shot in the summer of 1985, and aside from a few changes called for during testing, was given the green light by NBC for a backup premiere that fall (to immediately replace a new September half-hour entry that could have failed). Subsequent episodes were slated to shoot when Jeremy Licht came down with chicken pox, derailing the shooting and ultimately, the premiere. This gave the creative team extra time to tweak the format, and when Licht was well again, production resumed with changes NBC approved of. As the initial season of episodes progressed shooting, NBC and Harper gave into a common temptation of star power, and retitled the series Valerie, which it debuted as on March 1, 1986.
Valerie was the first series Miller/Boyett created without the aid of Eddie Milkis. The show was produced by Miller/Boyett and Tal Productions, Inc. (which stood for Tony and Val) in association with Lorimar Television (as Lorimar Productions for season 1 and Lorimar-Telepictures for season 2).
Producers
The executive producers (besides Miller and Boyett) were Tony Cacciotti (Valerie Harper's husband since 1987), series creator Charlie Hauck (for the first season only) and Out of the BlueOut of the Blue (1979 TV series)
Out Of The Blue is an American fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC during the fall of 1979. It is chiefly notable as having featured a Mork & Mindy crossover, and for the controversy surrounding its status as a spin-off of Happy Days....
producer Irma Kalish, who helmed the final season. Rich Correll served as co-producer for the first two seasons and later became consulting producer.
Directors
Directing credits included James BurrowsJames Burrows
James Edward Burrows is an American television director who has been working in television since the 1970s.-Biography:...
, Peter Baldwin
Peter Baldwin (director)
Peter Baldwin is an American actor and director of film and television.Baldwin started his career as a contract player at Paramount Studios. He played the character Johnson in Stalag 17. He eventually became a television director with an extensive résumé. As well as directing all of the episode's...
, Howard Storm
Howard Storm (director)
Howard Storm is an American film, television director and actor.Storm's acting credits include The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Rhoda, Sanford and Son among other series....
, and beginning in 1988, Jason Bateman, who was thus the youngest-ever director to be registered into the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
(at age 18).
Theme music and presentation
The theme song, "Together Through the Years," was performed by Roberta FlackRoberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
and composed by Charles Fox
Charles Fox (composer)
Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His most heard compositions are probably the "love themes" , and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football.....
. The lyrics were written by Stephen Geyer
Stephen Geyer
Stephen Geyer , a songwriter, moved to Los Angeles in 1972 after attending Towson State College , in Maryland, as an art major. Since coming to L.A., Stephen has made a name for himself as the writer of hit songs, popular TV themes, TV and film scripts, a non-fiction author, and studio and...
. This was the only Miller/Boyett series from the Lorimar/Warner Bros. era to have not used the songwriting, composing and underscore talents of Jesse Frederick
Jesse Frederick
Jesse Frederick is a film and television composer best known for writing and performing the themes to popular television shows such as Perfect Strangers, Full House, Family Matters, and Step By Step.-Early years:...
and Bennett Salvay. "Together Through the Years" was covered by the death metal band Cannibal Corpse and often performed at their live concerts.
The series uitlized four different credit fonts during its six seasons. Originally, the principal typeface for all credits was in orange, black-embossed, italicized Bookman Old Style font. Its usage, ceased when the second season of Valerie went into production, later showed up on three more Lorimar programs; the 1989 NBC sitcom Nearly Departed, and ABC's Family Matters and Getting By
Getting By
Getting By is an American sitcom produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, with the format created by William Bickley and Michael Warren. The show debuted on ABC's TGIF block, running its first twelve-episode season from March 5, 1993 through May 21, 1993. Shortly after the spring season...
(the latter two of which were direct sister shows to Valerie, as they were Miller/Boyett series). During the second season of Valerie, the font used in the title sequence and first and final scenes was a gold, condensed version of Cooper Black font. Second season closing credits were in a Windsor
Windsor (typeface)
Windsor is an old style serif display typeface created in 1905 by Elisha Pechey for the Stephenson Blake type foundry. Capitals M and W are widely splayed, P and R have very large upper bowls. The Lowercase a, h, m and n of the Windsor font have angled right hand stems, e has an angled cross-stroke...
font (also seen on All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
and Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
). Seasons three through six switched to the traditional Cooper Black font, now set in yellow and used in all credits.
As was the case with Perfect Strangers, the first season did not use the familiar Miller/Boyett Productions logo (in Century 751 type), that had been developed when the producers moved to Lorimar; the "Miller * Boyett Productions" byline appeared in the show's main font instead. The proper logo made its debut in the second season, with the main byline accompanied on the side by a larger "M/B" in the same font. In seasons three through six, the byline dispensed the "M/B" (This full version of the Miller/Boyett logo would reappear as a stand-alone vanity plate on their shows from 1996-98).
Syndication
The Hogan Family even aired in U.S. syndication on local television stations, beginning in September 1990. Stations that carried the reruns included WPIXWPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York, WTXF in Philadelphia, WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV is a MyNetworkTV television station for eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that is licensed to Boston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter along the Needham and Wellesley town line southwest of the MA 9 and I-95 / MA 128...
in Boston and KTXA
KTXA
KTXA, virtual channel 21 , is an independent television station based in Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth designated market area. With its transmitter in Cedar Hill, KTXA is owned by CBS Corporation and is the sister station of CBS outlet KTVT .KTXA was originally an...
in Dallas.
ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
currently holds the U.S. syndication rights to the program and began airing episodes twice daily in September 2006. They have discontinued running the show since then. The Crossroads Television System
Crossroads Television System
Crossroads Television System, or CTS, is a privately held Canadian television system.CTS airs predominantly Christian-based religious programming, most notably 100 Huntley Street, The Michael Coren Show and LIFE Today with James & Betty Robison, as well as other religious and faith based...
currently holds the Canadian syndication rights and airs the show Wednesday nights.
The theme was shortened in the opening credits when the show was in syndication. During the Valerie seasons, the title sequence becomes slow motion at the scene where Mike and the boys begin to tackle Valerie in their football game. The Hogan Family title is displayed here for syndication. For the third season episodes, the title shot from seasons four and five is used for reruns, where The Hogan Family is displayed over the Hogans carrying their picnic items through the park. This deleted the scene where Sandy runs out to the baseball diamond to try and get the bases unloaded. The latter was where the Valerie's Family title was shown on NBC airings, with The Hogans appearing over the park-walking scene.
The only episode to retain the Valerie title in syndication was "Bad Timing" (2/8/87), which also kept the original parental advisory disclaimer that followed the airing on NBC. Even when the special episode was later released to home video, with The Hogan Family title being featured on the cassette cover, the Valerie title was not eliminated from the opening sequence.