THE HOGAN FAMILY

Show Type: Sitcom

First Telecast: March 1, 1986

Last Telecast: July 20, 1991

Theme Music: "Together Through the Years," by Charles Fox and Stephen Geyer. Sung by Roberta Flack.

Broadcast History:

March 1986, Saturday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

March 1986 – July 1986, Monday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

June 1986 – September 1986, Monday 8:00-8:30 on NBC

September 1986 – November 1986, Sunday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

November 1986 – January 1987, Sunday 8:00-8:30 on NBC

January 1987 – March 1987, Sunday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

March 1987 – June 1990, Monday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

September 1990 – December 1990, Saturday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

July 1991, Wednesday 8:00-8:30 on CBS

July 1991, Saturday 8:00-9:00 on CBS

Cast

Valerie Hogan (1986-1987)..... Valerie Harper

Sandy Hogan (1987-1991)..... Sandy Duncan

David Hogan (Age 16)..... Jason Bateman

Willie Hogan (Age 12)..... Danny Ponce

Mark Hogan (Age 12)..... Jeremy Licht

Michael Hogan..... Josh Taylor

Barbara Goodwin (1986)..... Christine Ebersole

Annie Steck (1986-1987)..... Judith Kahan

Mrs. Patty Poole..... Edie McClurg

Peter Poole (1987-1989)..... Willard Scott

Rich (1986-1989)..... Tom Hodges

Burt (1987-1991)..... Steve Witting

Cara (1990-1991)..... Josie Bissett

Brenda (1990-1991)..... Angela Lee

Lloyd Hogan (1990-1991)..... John Hillerman

SYNOPSIS

Uproar on and off the screen marked this family sitcom, originally called Valerie. The premise was straightforward enough – take one harried Mom (Valerie), juggling part-time career and full-time responsibility for running a household due to the frequent absence of her husband (Michael), an international airline pilot; add one rambunctious teenager (David) and two super-cute fraternal twins (Willie & Mark). All that was missing was a dog, or a feisty maid.

Valerie did have a career of sorts, first as the manager of an auction house and later as a graphic artist. However, most of the action took place in her suburban Oak Park, Illinois, home (near Chicago), where girl-hungry David ("the man of the house"), fun-loving Willie, and brainy Mark could always be counted on to stir things up. Barbara was Valerie's understanding friend, and Mrs. Poole the busybody neighbor.

In the fall of 1987, Valerie Harper abruptly left the show in a well-publicized dispute with the producers. NBC decided to continue without her, re-titling the series Valerie's Family (some suggested “Where’s Valerie?” or “Who’s Valerie?” might be more appropriate). Later, in June of 1988, it became The Hogan Family. Valerie was written out of the series as having died, Michael’s divorced sister Sandy, a high school counselor, moved in to serve as a sort of surrogate mom.

Stories began to focus more on the kids, especially teenager David, who the producers hoped would become the TV heartthrob. Others joining the cast included: David’s pals Rich and Burt, and Mrs. Poole's jovial husband Peter, played on an infrequent basis by Today Show weatherman Willard Scott.

By the fall of 1988, everyone in the house had entered the dating scene, including Sandy and Michael (who was now home more often). David enrolled at nearby Northwestern University; later, the twins began working at a local fast-food establishment, Bossy Burger. Dates came and went like side orders of fries, but toward the end of the run, Cara was Mark's steady girlfriend, while Brenda was Willie's. In the fall of 1990, Grandpa Lloyd Hogan (Sandy’s and Michael’s father) joined the household, moving from Los Angeles after his own divorce.

In addition to dating and fun around the kitchen, The Hogan Family sometimes tackled more serious subjects, as when David nearly ended his friendship with Rich by stopping the latter from driving home from a party while drunk or when David and Burt discovered something more shocking – that their buddy Rich had AIDS.

BACK