Step by Step was an American television sitcom which was aired on ABC from September 20, 1991 to August 15, 1997 and with a network change moved to CBS from September 19, 1997 to June 26, 1998. The show starred Patrick Duffy and Sasha Mitchell of Dallas, Suzanne Somers of Three's Company, and Staci Keanan of My Two Dads. Image File history File links Step_by_step_opening. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Miller-Boyett Productions was a production team consisting of Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett that mainly developed television sitcoms in the 1980s and 90s. ... Miller-Boyett Productions was a production team consisting of Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett that mainly developed television sitcoms in the 1980s and 90s. ... Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949 in Townsend, Montana) is an American television actor. ... Somers, from the opening credits of Threes Company (early seasons). ... Brandon Spencer Lee Call (born November 17, 1976) is an American actor. ... Staci Keanan (née Anastasia Sagorsky) is an American actress, born on June 6, 1975, in Devon, Pennsylvania. ... Angela Watson during her modeling days Angela Watson was the youngest born of a farmer, and she was raised in a small town with a popluation of 800. ... Christine Helen Lakin (born January 25, 1979, in Dallas, Texas) is an American actress. ... Christopher Jon Castile (born June 15, 1980 in California) is an American child actor. ... Josh Byrne (born on February 15, 1984 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor best known for his role as Brendan Lambert on the ABC/CBS family sitcom Step by Step a role he played for six out of the shows seven seasons, with his one year disappearance... Sasha Mitchell in Kickboxer 2 Sasha Mitchell (born July 27, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor, best known for his role as Cody on the television series Step by Step. ... Patrika Darbo Patrika Darbo (born April 6, 1948 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American actress. ... Peggy Rea (born March 31, 1921) is an American character actress known for her many minor roles in television series, commonly playing overbearing, matronly characters. ... Jason Christopher Marsden (born January 3, 1975 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA) is an American screen and voice actor largely known for numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series. ... Bronson Pinchot (right) as Balki with Mark Linn-Baker as Larry on Perfect Strangers. ... Emily Mae Young (born Febuary 14, 1990) is an American actor who starred on the television series Step by Step from 1996 to 1998. ... Alexandra Adi (born on April 13, 1971 in New York state) is an American actress who most recently starred in the horror film, Mortuary, directed by Tobe Hooper. ... Jeff Juday, an American actor, most famous for his character Flash for one season on the sitcom Step By Step. ... This article is list of episodes from the 1991-1998 ABC (and later, CBS) situation comedy Step by Step. ... Miller-Boyett Productions was a production team consisting of Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett that mainly developed television sitcoms in the 1980s and 90s. ... Miller-Boyett Productions was a production team consisting of Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett that mainly developed television sitcoms in the 1980s and 90s. ... The American Broadcasting Company ( oftenly known as ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... A situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. ... The American Broadcasting Company ( oftenly known as ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A network change is when a usually long-running television show changes networks. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949 in Townsend, Montana) is an American television actor. ... Sasha Mitchell in Kickboxer 2 Sasha Mitchell (born July 27, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor, best known for his role as Cody on the television series Step by Step. ... The Southfork Ranch, home of the Ewing family The original cast of Dallas. ... Somers, from the opening credits of Threes Company (early seasons). ... For the Entourage episode, see Threes Company (Entourage). ... Staci Keanan (née Anastasia Sagorsky) is an American actress, born on June 6, 1975, in Devon, Pennsylvania. ... My Two Dads was a sitcom that starred Staci Keanan (Step by Step), Paul Reiser (Mad About You), and Greg Evigan (B.J. and the Bear). ...

Overview

The premise of the show, which was set in Port Washington, Wisconsin, is about rebuilding one's life one step at a time after things have fallen apart. Frank Lambert, a divorced contractor who had custody of his three children, impulsively marries Carol Foster, a widowed beautician who had three children of her own. Both of them residents of Port Washington, the two met while vacationing separately in Jamaica. Their children, needless to say, were surprised and angered when they learned of the marriage. Port Washington is a city in and the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... A contractor is a legal term for one who enters into a binding agreement to perform a certain service or provide a certain product in exchange for valuable consideration, monetary, goods,services, even barter arrangements. ... A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. ... Cosmetology is the treatment of skin, hair and nails and includes, but is not limited to, manicures, pedicures, application of artificial nails, special occasion hairstyling, shampooing hair, cosmetic application, body hair removal, chemical hair relaxers or straighteners, permanent waves, coloring and highlighting of hair, and hair extensions or wig treatments. ...

Carol's children were 16-year-old daughter Dana, who was smart but tried to be perfect; 14-year-old Karen, an aspiring model who was very vain; and Mark, an 11-year-old nerd who was into computers. Frank, meanwhile, was the father of 15-year-old John Thomas (aka J.T.), a slacker; Alicia (who always went by Al), an 11-year-old tomboyish all-American girl; and 7-year-old Brendan, a shy, carefree youngster. Carol took Frank's last name, though her children kept the Foster surname. Look up nerd in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Slacking in the park The term slacker was commonly used in the United States in World War I and World War II to describe men who were avoiding the military draft. ... A tomboy is typically described as a girl who behaves according to the gender role of a boy, though the term is also applied to women. ...

Stories depicted typical situations of a new family trying to get to know each other and become friends. That was often easier said than done, especially in the case of J.T. and Dana who could barely stand each other. In many ways, however, many of the situations mirrored that of The Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch was an American television situation comedy, based around a large blended family. ...

The title of the show has a double meaning. One meaning deals with main idea of the show, which is getting married again after a divorce/death of a spouse and putting your life back together. The other meaning is that every member of the family is step to half of the rest of the family, such as stepbrother, stepmother, stepsister, stepfather, stepdaughter, and stepson.

Step by Step cast photo (1994)

The show's biggest change came in 1995, when Carol announced she was pregnant. In the 1994-1995 season finale, she gave birth to Lilly, the only kid to take both the Foster and Lambert surnames. Like Chrissy Seaver, Nicky Banks, and Andrew Keaton, Lilly (Emily Mae Young) was suddenly aged five years after one season as a newborn infant. Image File history File links StepByStep. ... Image File history File links StepByStep. ... Growing Pains was an American television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from 1985 to 1992. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Family Ties was a popular American television sitcom which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. ... Emily Mae Young (born Febuary 14, 1990) is an American actor who starred on the television series Step by Step from 1996 to 1998. ...

The show lasted for seven seasons and the main cast changed as the storyline progressed. Frank's nephew, Cody, whom J.T. idolized and Dana liked even less than J.T., left Port Washington in 1996 to travel the world (series star Sasha Mitchell, whose character became a major character during the second season, was forced out following allegations of domestic abuse). Mitchell returns in the 1998 back in the money episode. In 1997, J.T.'s friend Rich Halke (Jason Marsden, who became a permanent fixture in the opening credits) moved in with the family after becoming Dana's boyfriend; also during that time, Al took a serious interest in acting. Sasha Mitchell in Kickboxer 2 Sasha Mitchell (born July 27, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor, best known for his role as Cody on the television series Step by Step. ... Abuse is a general term for the misuse of a person or thing, causing harm to the person or thing, to the abuser, or to someone else. ... Jason Christopher Marsden (born January 3, 1975 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA) is an American screen and voice actor largely known for numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series. ...

Along with Family Matters, Step by Step moved to CBS in the fall of 1997, as that network attempted to build its own Friday night lineup of family-friendly situation comedies called the CBS Block Party. The ratings, which had been declining for several seasons, continued to fall and the show ended its run in July 1998. There was no official series finale, though the last show was about Frank and Carol considering selling the house. Family Matters is an American sitcom about a middle-class, African-American family living in Chicago. ...

Josh Byrne (Brendan Lambert) appeared less and less as the show moved on (especially after Lilly was born). When the show moved from ABC to CBS, his character was ultimately discontinued and he was dropped from the show.

Episodes

Main article: List of Step by Step episodes

This article is list of episodes from the 1991-1998 ABC (and later, CBS) situation comedy Step by Step. ...

Theme song and opening credits

The theme to Step by Step is called "Second Time Around", written by Jesse Frederick and Bennett Salvay (who wrote the themes to other Miller-Boyett series including Full House and Family Matters) and was performed by Jesse Frederick and Theresa James. As the seasons progressed, the theme song and opening credits became shorter. The full opening sequence used in the first season only, lasted 1 (minute):46 (seconds). Starting with the second season, the fourth verse and a portion of the sixth verse were cut and the guitar portion of the beginning of the theme was taken out in the fourth season. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Family Matters is an American sitcom about a middle-class, African-American family living in Chicago. ...

The scenes comprising the opening credits were filmed at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. A CGI ocean is inserted into space where the park's parking lot would be as the camera pans away from the park. [1] The closest real theme park near Port Washington would be Six Flags Great America in Gurnee Illinois, an hour and a half drive. Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park located just west of the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. ... A typical stretch of Valencia Boulevard. ... Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects. ... Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... Six Flags Great America is Chicago and Milwaukees Six Flags theme park located in Gurnee, Illinois. ...

The first three seasons, the credits started with the family van passing behind a sign that said "Port Washington, Wisconsin. Population: 9,338." That was cut out after season three and after that, the sequence started with the roller coaster zooming down the track toward the camera. The opening sequence featured the Lambert-Fosters at an amusement park (J.T. playing a test your strength game, Al and Karen sliding into a ball pit, etc.). The names of most of the cast slid from both sides of the screen (though some slid from one side). In the first three seasons near the end of the sequence it featured the entire family except for Mark and (Ivy or Cody) on a roller coaster before cutting to a shot of the coaster as the camera zooms out with the producer credits shown. Another part of the sequence cut was when Carol and Frank were standing on a bridge next to a water coaster and they get splashed as it comes down the slide.

By the sixth season (the show's final season on ABC), the theme song was completely scrapped. The names of cast members and the producers' names were shown in the opening teaser. However, when the show was moved to CBS for its seventh and final season, along with Family Matters, the opening theme song was back, only this time with all but the fifth verse and part of the sixth verse left. This sequence featured the amusement park but the cast were shown in still pictures on a picture reel, like one from a photo booth. The only producer credits in this sequence were that of Thomas Miller and Robert Boyett.

Today the Show, can be seen for a full hour on ABC Family, at 1. [previously took a 2 week brake, when it was replaced by Sister Sister, however on July 2, it returned to ABC Family, and Sister Sister was pushed back to the morning hours]

Trivia

On two episodes, there are a duo of male actors who resemble the cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-Head and act like them too. Some like to consider this a live-version cameo of the "actual" characters.

• Steve Urkel from Family Matters makes two guest appearances on the show: one in the show's first season and the second on the show's last season.
• The name of Jason Marsden's character Rich Halke was actually taken from a crew member on the series. The real Rich Halke (also credited as Richard P. Halke) worked as a writer and story editor on the series in seasons two and three.
• The Bakers (Carol's sister and mother) from the first season were written out because of a focus group's findings about the audience interest in those two characters.
• Cody, played by Sasha Mitchell, was written out of the show because Disney, owners of ABC, wanted to distance themselves from the arrest of Mitchell on domestic violence charges by his wife. Mitchell would later be acquitted of those charges.^{[citation needed]}
• An episode in the final season shows Al in a play. Frank gives her advice for remembering lines and refers to the two main guys in "Dallas" hiding their lines in different places on set. Patrick Duffy (Frank), played one of the "guys" on Dallas.
• Both Patrick Duffy and Sasha Mitchell previously worked together on Dallas, in fact playing uncle and nephew on both shows (as Bobby Ewing and James Beaumont, respectively).
• Patrick Duffy agreed to continue doing "Dallas" as long as Lorimar promised to give him a show after Dallas ended. This was the show.
• In an attempt to keep the comic relief of Cody around after Sasha Mitchell left the show, writers added three characters: Rich Halke (Dana's boyfriend and J.T.'s best friend, introduced in 1995), Jean-Luc (played by Bronson Pinchot, Carol's hairsylist partner whose role should remind people slightly of his role in the movie Beverly Hills Cop; he was a fixture in the 1996-97 season), and Flash (a klutzy employee of Frank's, played by Jeff Juday, who only appeared a few times in the 1995-96 season). Out of these three characters, Rich was the only one to stay around after one season, and had his actor's name (Jason Marsden) billed into the main starring credits at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. Cody was brought back to the show for the final few episodes in a last ditch attempt to boost ratings, but it was too late.
• Some episodes focused on Cody having to use his surprising martial arts ability to help someone out in a situation. Sasha Mitchell was once a world champion kickboxer and is a black belt in Taekwondo.
• The first season's opening credits, a brown-haired child is seen. This could be explained by the fact that Christopher Castile was the second actor picked to play Mark Foster, and that a previous child actor was dismissed. From season two and beyond Castile is featured in the opening credits.
• Dave Coulier was rumored to be ready to join the show as Suzanne Somers brother after Sasha Mitchell ran into legal trouble.