# Step by Step (1991)

> Two widowed single parents marry after a chance vacation meeting and must merge their large families into one household.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2486

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 160
- Episode runtime: 20 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, family
- Created by: Michael Warren, William Bickley
- Network: ABC, CBS
- Cast: Patrick Duffy, Suzanne Somers, Brandon Call, Staci Keanan, Christine Lakin, Angela Watson, Christopher Castile, Josh Byrne
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101205/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: subtle
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: wholesome, cozy, comedic, hopeful, breezy

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series as mixed, with warm family humor and a likable blended-family premise praised while the middle seasons draw lower marks.

## Synopsis

Step by Step (1991-1998) is an American family sitcom created by Michael Warren and William Bickley, produced by Warner Bros. Television. Patrick Duffy plays Frank Lambert and Suzanne Somers plays Carol Foster Lambert, two single parents who marry after meeting on vacation and suddenly become the heads of a large blended household. Their children, including J.T. Lambert (Brandon Call), Dana Foster (Staci Keanan) and Alicia Lambert (Christine Lakin), must learn to share bedrooms, rivals and rules under one roof. Each twenty-minute episode is built on everyday domestic friction, such as sibling squabbles, school dilemmas and parental clashes, resolved within a single half hour. The show runs for seven seasons in a case-of-the-week format rather than a continuing serial. Its tone is warm, cozy and gently comic, with a hopeful view of family life. Set in a contemporary American suburban home, it sits in the tradition of multi-camera family sitcoms. Fans of The Brady Bunch and Full House will find the same blend of wholesome humor and blended family heart.

## Shows like Step by Step

- [Empty Nest (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/2682)
- [Trophy Wife (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/52647)
- [Sister, Sister (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/3574)
- [Eight Is Enough (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/4165)
- [My Two Dads (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/1758)
- [Still Standing (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/374)
- [Bonus Family (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61854)
- [Fuller House (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/56452)
- [According to Jim (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/1637)
- [Shifting Gears (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/174769)

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