Valerie

I remember watching Valerie when it first aired. And I remember the huge deal when she left the show, and it continued on. It was one of those rare shows that keep going even after the title character has left the program. I don't remember if I followed the show on it's entire run.

Fast forward to 2021. Over the years I've been a huge fan of Jason Bateman's work in the movies. He's one of the best straight man comedians on the big screen today.

I'm flipping the channels and come across the Hogan Family on TV. Mind you, it's at the Sandy Duncan years. I'm actually enjoying this show. It's not irreverent comedy like Arrested Development, or gut busting hilarious like Seinfeld. I would put it more in the 'feel good' category. I guess it's more of a male-oriented program, considering it's about 3 sons and their father (and aunt), so I can relate to a lot of the issues they talk about.

So if you want to watch something that's entertaining, and like I said, feel good TV, give this show a shot. Give it a shot again, if you hated it back in the day, too. Maybe as you've gotten older, you can appreciate the more simpler times in this sitcom.

First of all, back in late-1985, early 1986, NBC was originally gonna name the show "The Hogan Family," but later changed their mind and opted for a name that reflected its original famed star "Valerie Harper." Thus, it was retitled "Valerie."

After, the famed contract dispute over her salary, Valerie Harper left the show, or was fired - depending who's side of the story you hear- thus the show was renamed "Valerie's Family: The Hogan's." This angered "Valerie Harper" very much, and she sued the producers for still using her name as the title of the show without her permission.

Thus, the producers opted to revert back to the original suggested production title: "The Hogan Family."

In reality they were always 'The Hogan Family.'

The transition from "Valerie" to "Valerie's Family" to "The Hogan Family" is surprisingly smooth. However, the content is just not there; which is a shame because I absolutely love this cast and the set. This show was also one of the very first shows to feature an AIDS storyline. That is certainly commendable. I enjoyed maybe 4 or 5 episodes out of the entire series.

I know that the Hogan's, and Valerie before it, didn't represent state of the art comedy, being utterly formulaic and looking like the very template for family sitcoms, but darn it, it was nice. The family was nice, the house was nice, the plots were nice. Nice, warm, fuzzy, safe family viewing. Sometimes I want hard-edged, risky comedy, but sometimes I just wanna watch TV safe in the knowledge that every episode will have a group-hug type ending. It's the perfect remedy if you're ever feeling a bit oppressed by all the stuff that's going on in the world right now. The comedy is still nice enough, but boy have the clothes and hairstyles dated!

I have a bunch of episodes on tape but would love to get more.

how can you say that the hogan family was a great show, Mark and Dave and the other guy. that was a good show, it reminded me of my neighbors. i had to register just to tell everyone how good this show was. you know what else where good shows? pete & pete, salute your shorts, and "fun house". too bad there not in syndication anywhere:(