ABC Restores TGIF, Betting That Nostalgia Will Woo Families Back to Fridays

One of the most successful programming brands returns, but will it still resonate?

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TV’s nostalgia craze is now extending beyond reboots and revivals like Magnum P.I. and Will & Grace. This Friday, one of television’s most famous programming blocks returns: ABC’s TGIF, which initially stood for Thank Goodness It’s Funny. From 1989-2000, the ABC brand entertained kids and their families on Friday nights with hit sitcoms like Full House, Family Matters and Perfect Strangers.

For children in the ’90s, “this was their whole social life on Friday night. Either they watched with their family or they would have sleepovers with friends,” said Rebecca Daugherty, evp of marketing for ABC.

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This story first appeared in the October 1, 2018, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.