Step By Step is a television sitcom that first aired in 1991 and finished in 1998. The series ran for a total of seven seasons with one-hundred and sixty episodes. It was a successful family sitcom and regarded as a new age Brady Brunch. The show is about two single parents, each with three children, who meet while vacationing in Jamaica and return to Wisconsin married. The show focuses on the two families (and the oblivious-to-the-obvious cousin) getting along in life as one big happy family. Along the way there are lots of sticky situations and laughs. When I was younger and Step By Step was airing on television as part of ABC's TGIF lineup, I enjoyed its light-hearted, family-oriented comedy weekly. Many years later, I find the show is still amusing, but not nearly as hilarious as I once found it.

This review covers the Television Favorites: Step By Step release, which is a compilation release of six episodes from Step By Step's seven year run. The episodes include "Pilot" and "Rules of the House" from season 1, "J.T.'s World" from season 2, "Christmas Story" from season 3, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from season 4, and "Your Cheatin' Heart" from season 7.

The first episode in the set "Pilot" marks the beginning of the series. In this pilot episode, Frank Lambert (Patrick Duffy) and Carol Foster (Suzzane Somers) return from vacation in Jamaica to Port Washington, WI. They have the task of informing their children that they have new parents. They want to pretend to date for some time and then fake wedlock years down the line, but the truth accidentally slips out. With nothing to hide, the Lamberts and the Fosters move in together to start their new lives as one big happy family. Unfortunately, the children are near polar opposites and they don't fit in with each other too well. On the Foster family, the children are smarter and more well-to-do. This includes the nerdy son Mark (Christopher Castile), the self-centered beauty queen Karen (Angela Watson), and the ingenious Dana (Staci Keanan). The Lamberts make up the screwballs, J.T. (Brandon Call) is the older brother who is more of a troublemaker than an academic, the youngest Brendan (Josh Bryne) who is still trying to figure out the basics of life, and the tomboy Alicia (Christine Lakin) who likes to be called Al.

The next episode in the set is "Rules of the House". This story features Carol imposing common household rules for both families to maintain order. This includes a chore chart for everyone and limitations on things like television time. This episode turns out pretty hairy because the Lamberts (even Frank) react badly to the limited television time. They learn that strict rules may not always be the best way to maintain order and discipline.

In the season two episode "J.T.'s World", J.T. and Cody start a public access cable television show called J.T.'s World (think Wayne's World). They use the living room with Al, Brendan, and Mark as crewmen. At first, the show goes well. Unfortunately, Dana's attractive friend Lisa, played by guest star Elizabeth Berkley, gets between J.T. and Cody. J.T. has eyes for Lisa, but Lisa has eyes for Cody. J.T. reacts badly and the two cousins have a falling out.

"Christmas Story" is the first of two Christmas holiday episodes included in this compilation. In this season three episode, the Foster/Lambert family comes together in a clinch when things get bad. On Christmas Eve, Frank and Carol find out neither picked up Brendan's gift. They both thought each other was going to get it. Fortunately, Frank had been working on a job at a toy store. They go to Hartman's Toy Store to get the gift and while leaving money in the register, Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) finds them and takes them to jail. While it may seem Christmas is ruined, the kids pull together when they find out their parents are in jail and make the best of the holidays.

The season four episode "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is the second Christmas episode in this compilation. J.T. has some friends who are spending the Christmas holiday skiing and he wants to go. Frank, however, is less than receptive at the idea, but still allows J.T. to make the decision to go. Unfortunately for J.T., he immediately regrets his decision when gets to the mountains. He phones Cody for help, who in turns lets Frank know about J.T.'s change of heart. In the end, the family is reunited to celebrate the joyous holiday.

"Your Cheatin' Heart" is the final episode in the compilation. In this season seven episode, Dana and her sisters get the wrong impression about her boyfriend Rich (Jason Marsden). They become suspicious of him after he starts breaking dates with Dana. Their suspicious are confirmed when they spy on him and find him leaving the home of another woman. Of course, what they failed to realize is he was taking dance lessons.

Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to get reacquainted with the Lambert and Foster family. As I previously mentioned, I used to watch this show when it aired on television (along with the rest of ABC's TGIF lineup) and I used to really enjoy watching Step By Step. Years later, I can see way I liked the series, but I'm not completely sure it has aged well. The show is great for those looking for a very family-oriented comedy with several diverse, cliched characters, but the comedy sometimes felt a little too family-oriented to work for me. In the end, I think Step By Step is a television sitcom I would like to see more of on DVD, although full season sets and not compilations.

The DVD

Video:
The video presentation is given in its original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame color. Overall, the picture is acceptable considering its age, but it isn't a great looking transfer. The picture is rough with some minor color distortions and traces of edge enhancement.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. The sound quality is fairly good, providing clean and audible dialogue. There are also French and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:
There are no extras included in this release.

Final Thoughts:
Step By Step is a television sitcom that takes two very different families and puts them together under one room. Their personality conflicts produce many not-so-common situations that are usually worth a laugh. This DVD compilation offers six episodes from the series seven season run and it is a good way to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the show. When I first started watching the series when it first aired on television, I enjoyed it a lot. Years later, I find the show still enjoyable, but not nearly as strong as more current sitcoms. I find the comedy to be too family-oriented. In the end, I think Television Favorites: Step By Step is worth watching if you enjoy family-oriented sitcoms, but you might want to hold out for full season sets before investing hard earned money.