History Series / StepByStep

''Step by Step'' is one of the many TGIF comedies on [[Creator/AmericanBroadcastingCompany ABC]] that aired from 1991 to 1998. Although at least partially designed as a vehicle for young actress Creator/StaciKeanan (and carrying along with her even younger costar Christopher Castile from their previous series ''Going Places''), star billing for the show went to Creator/PatrickDuffy and Creator/SuzanneSomers as the parents Frank Lambert and Carol Foster. These two played a couple who, ''[[Series/TheBradyBunch Brady Bunch]]''-style, marry and merge their two households. In an intentional subversion of ''The Brady Bunch'', however, their respective children know and dislike each other already, and [[BlendedFamilyDrama forging a single happy family unit out of the conflicts]] so engendered drove many of the show's earlier plots. Even so, like its spiritual predecessor this DomCom employed just about every trope in the book.

''Step by Step'' is one of the many TGIF comedies on Creator/{{ABC}} that aired from 1991 to 1998. Although at least partially designed as a vehicle for young actress Creator/StaciKeanan (and carrying along with her even younger costar Christopher Castile from their previous series ''Going Places''), star billing for the show went to Creator/PatrickDuffy and Creator/SuzanneSomers as the parents Frank Lambert and Carol Foster. These two played a couple who, ''[[Series/TheBradyBunch Brady Bunch]]''-style, marry and merge their two households. In an intentional subversion of ''The Brady Bunch'', however, their respective children know and dislike each other already, and [[BlendedFamilyDrama forging a single happy family unit out of the conflicts]] so engendered drove many of the show's earlier plots. Even so, like its spiritual predecessor this DomCom employed just about every trope in the book.

* HiredForTheirLooks: J.T. hires a beautiful model as a housekeeper despite the fact that she's terrible at it. She eventually quits when she realizes this fact.

* RupturedAppendix: The very first episode has an appendix scare happen with Al. She says her stomach hurts before school but her father Frank, believing she doesn't want to go (in part because because of the conflict between their families over his recent remarriage to Carol and thier moving in together), doesn't believe her. Her new stepmother Carol does and takes her to the hospital, where she's discovered to have appendicitis. The scare is the start of bringing the newly blended families together.

* BestedAtBowling: Complete with Frank and his construction associate forced to dance in Fairy costumes as per the terms of the wager. (Had he won, Carol and Jean-Luc would have had to serve as their wait staff on Poker Night).

* HollywoodDateless: J.T. until he started dating Sam.

** Ivy and Penny Baker, model-like Carol's noticeably fat mother (Peggy Rea) and sister (Patrika Darbo) who were also her work partners) vanished without a trace after the first season (also killing in midway a StalkerWithACrush plot, as Carol's sister was obviously jealous of her pretty sister and wanted Frank for herself thus she always creeped him out by constant flirts, which Carol either ignored or never noticed). One explanation for why the characters were dropped was that the two characters failed to catch on with viewers.
** Brendan Lambert, Frank's youngest son played by Josh Byrne, who departed after the sixth season. Early in the series, he was presented as a carefree but chubby boy and did get a few storylines (one involving Minnesota Twins great Harmon Killebrew), but eventually he was relegated to a glorified extra and -- after baby sister Lily was age-advanced to speaking age -- was eventually dropped altogether. (Although his absence is never explained, Frank and Carol acknowledge they still have seven children.)

** Dana and Karen have a few moments of humiliations, sometimes playing straight SlapstickKnowsNoGender.

* DrivenToSuicide: In "The Ice Cream Man Cometh," Cody's best friend George is in mourning over his recently deceased wife, goes skydiving and intends not to pull the parachute cord. Cody manages to talk him down.

** Another time, beating up an entire bar while protecting Dana and her friend.

* GameOfNerds

* RecliningVenus: In "What's Wrong with this Picture?", Dana volunteers to pose for a painting by Jayne [=McNeil=], a famous feminist abstract artist who's even more arrogant than she is. Jayne then asks her to pose nude, and Dana agrees, thinking that since it's an abstract painting she won't be recognizable. Upon arriving with her entire family to the charity auction where the painting will be auctioned off, Jayne informs her that she's decided to switch to a photorealistic style. When the painting is unveiled it clearly depicts Dana reclining on a sofa fully nude, partially obscured from the audience only by [[SceneryCensor Frank's head]].

* RecliningVenus: In "What's Wrong with this Picture?", Dana is asked to pose for feminist abstract artist Jayne McNeil. Feeling honoured, Dana accepts. Jayne then asks her to pose nude. Convinced that the painting will be abstract and she won't be recognizable, Dana agrees. She later invites her family to the charity auction where the painting will be unveiled. Unbeknown to Dana, Jayne decided to switch to photo-realism. Dana, portrayed half sitting, half lying nude on a sofa, is very recognizable. The painting itself is only shown in an UnrevealAngle.

** Dana. She can be extremely rude especially to Cody and J.T. but in the end she cares about her family. She was even instrumental in getting J.T. back together with Sam.

* StalkerWithACrush: ''The entire series is set up by Frank being this.'' Specifically, after Frank learned (presumably during a appointment at her salon) that Carol would be taking a vacation, he proceeded to [[https://www.hulu.com/watch/7a06ccad-8368-42f3-869c-5d9bccb1bb53 collect all of her trip information from her travel agent, and then purchased both the same flight and hotel, with the explicit intention of courting her.]] Needless to say, whatever Frank did afterward was enough to talk Carol into a shotgun marriage. But it gets worse: when Carol starts second guessing her decision on the grounds that theirs may be only a physical attraction, Frank's response is to '''confess his actions to Carol's face.''' Even more disturbing is that [[StalkingIsLove Carol takes this as a genuinely romantic gesture which removes both her own doubts and Frank's token "guilt".]] Frank then plots to ''fabricate a normal relationship in hopes of hiding the affair from their children, which Carol quickly and happily agrees to!'' The final kicker: Frank then ''outright asks Carol how long people date before they engage/marry,'' confirming a complete lack of understanding regarding how stable/healthy relationships actually work. [[SarcasmMode Yeah, Real nice catch there, Carol.]] [[note]]This also '''very strongly''' suggests that [[UnfortunateImplications Frank pulled the exact same stunt on his first wife]], making J.T., Al and Brendan the direct products of his predatory behavior.[[/note]]

* OutnumberedSibling: Mark and Al.

** In 1994, Cody takes Karen (and Dana and Al) to a college frat party, where Karen strikes up a quick friendship with a cute guy. When the two are alone, he tries to advance on her, and she has to rely on Cody and the other brothers to run the would-be rapist off.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cast_8.jpg]]