The Hogan Family

Infobox Television
show_name = The Hogan Family
show_name_2 = "Valerie" (1986-1987)
"Valerie's Family: The Hogans" (1987-1988)


caption = The original cast of "The Hogan Family".
format = Sitcom
runtime = 30 minutes
(with commercials)
creator = Charlie Hauck
executive_producer = Charlie Hauck (1986-1987)
Thomas L. Miller
Robert L. Boyett
Irma Kalish (1990-1991)
starring = Valerie Harper (1986-1987)
Sandy Duncan (1987-1991)
Jason Bateman
Danny Ponce
Jeremy Licht
Christine Ebersole (1986)
Judith Kahan (1986-1987)
Edie McClurg (1986-1991)
Tom Hodges (1987-1989)
Steve Witting (1987-1991)
Angela Lee (1990-1991)
Josie Bissett (1990-1991)
John Hillerman (1990-1991)
and Josh Taylor

country = USA
network = NBC (1986-1990)
CBS (1990-1991)
first_aired = March 1, 1986
last_aired = July 20, 1991
num_seasons = 6
num_episodes = 110

"The Hogan Family" is an American television situation comedy that aired from March 1, 1986 to July 20, 1991, from Warner Bros. Television.

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 left the series after the second season because of a dispute with the show's producers, and her character was killed off. 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.

"Valerie"

For its first and second seasons, the show was known as "Valerie", and its stories revolved around the show's star, Valerie Harper. She played Valerie, the matriarch of the Hogan family, who struggled with everyday family problems while her husband, Michael (Josh Taylor), was a pilot who was seldom around due to his demanding schedule (at least in the early seasons). Other stars included Jason Bateman as her eldest, girl-crazy son David, and Danny Ponce and Jeremy Licht as her fraternal twin sons Willie and Mark (Mark was the brainy one, Willie the irresponsible one).

In the season two 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 discretion warnings were issued in ads for the episode. [cite web | author=Associated Press| year=1987| title= ALBANY TV STATION CANCELS NBC SHOW OVER CONDOM ISSUE | work=New York Times| url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DE113BF93BA35751C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink | accessdate=2008-08-14] [cite web | author=Lewin, Tamar| year=1987| title= NEW SEX MORES ARE CHILLING TV ARDOR | work=New York Times| url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DB173CF93BA35750C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink | accessdate=2008-08-14]

During the 1987 summer taping hiatus, Harper had a disagreement with the show's producers, after which she was dismissed and her character was written out of the show as being killed in a car accident. NBC explained that the series would take on difficult issues facing the family during the grieving process.

"Valerie's Family: The Hogans / The Hogan Family"

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 despite the departure of 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. Later, the network dropped Valerie's name from the title completely, partially to avoid further legal issues involved in continuing to use the original star's name and partially to move on from the very public and sensational attention being drawn to her dismissal. One notable episode in the third season helped to better explain Valerie's departure; when an electrical fire burns down the house, virtually all the photographs and mementos of the family's matriarch were destroyed, causing the family to express grief.

In 1990, NBC informed the producers that it would cancel the series due to declining ratings. CBS then picked it up, making it one of the rare programs to jump networks. In the final 13-episode season on CBS, Michael and Sandy's father Lloyd (John Hillerman) moved in with the family. In a 1990 episode, Sandy Duncan was reunited with Valorie Armstrong, her former co-star on Funny Face, when the latter made a guest appearance as Mrs. Gordon.

The theme song, "Together Through the Years", was performed by Roberta Flack and composed by Charles Fox.

Syndication

ABC Family currently holds the U.S. syndication rights to the program, and began airing episodes twice daily in September 2006, however this only lasted for several weeks.

DVD releases

References

External links

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* [http://www.sitcomsonline.com/thehoganfamily.html The Hogan Family at Sitcom Online]
* [http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/hogan-family-general-comments/920 Jump The Shark - The Hogan Family]