Valerie (1986)

Debuting March 1, 1986. NBC, 8:30/7:30pm Central

Life is such a sweet insanity
The more you learn, the less you know
In the heart of every family
There’s a love that starts by letting go…

Originally a starring vehicle for Valerie Harper, Valerie told the saga of working mom Valerie Hogan raising her three sons alone with her airline pilot husband often away. Jason Bateman, Danny Ponce, and Jeremy Licht were Valerie’s boys and Josh Taylor was husband Michael. Neighbor Mrs. Poole (Edie McClurg) added additional comic relief.

Episodes mixed typical family sitcom tropes with more realistic issues. One notable episode depicted 16-year-old son David (Bateman) purchasing condoms in preparation for the possibility of being intimate with his girlfriend. Valerie opens David’s drugstore bag by mistake, prompting a frank discussion. The February 1987 episode was a very early use of the word “condom” on prime-time television, likely the first such mention on a sitcom, but contrary to popular belief, not the first mention altogether. The first reported use of the word on prime time went to Cagney & Lacey two months earlier on CBS when Mary Beth blurted out “We’re talking about condoms, Harv!” when discussing teenage son Harvey Jr. (Tony La Torre) being caught on the couch with girlfriend Tiffany. Previously the word has been skirted; back in September 1986, 15-year-old Kevin (Jonathan Ward) told his dad he used “something” during a heart-to-heart talk on ABC’s Heart of the City. This new freedom was a stark contrast from just 9 years earlier when even the euphemisms “protection” or “responsible” couldn’t be used on James at 15, airing on the same network that gave us Valerie. Other episodes dealing with frank topics included a story with younger teens Mark and Willie renting an X-rated movie only to have it get stuck in the VCR, one that dealt with apartheid, and another that saw David’s friend Rich die of AIDS.

Valerie was Harper’s TV comeback after rising to fame playing Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The show also served to rocket Bateman to teen stardom. Premiering late in mid-season to ok ratings, it was renewed for the fall. Harper wanted to renegotiate her contract for more money and a larger percentage of future syndication. There are conflicting accounts as to the entire dispute, with one citing Harper’s ‘disruptive behavior’ and that she ‘lunged’ at executive producer Thomas Boyett. We do know that after Harper walked off the set early in third season filming, irritated NBC head Brandon Tartikoff had had enough and replaced her with the likeable Sandy Duncan.

For season three, the show returned as Valerie’s Family with the on-screen explanation that mom Valerie had died during the summer hiatus and the family would carry on with Aunt Sandy (Duncan), thus preventing any potential return of Harper. Brutal. The show’s title card soon added The Hogans after Valerie’s Family faded out, and by season four, it was called The Hogan Family. Meanwhile, after lawsuits and countersuits, Harper eventually was awarded $1.4 million and 12.5 percent of the show’s profits.

The series, produced by sitcom powerhouse Miller/Boyett, aired on NBC following ALF and with its agreeable theme sung by Roberta Flack, was synonymous with early Monday evening entertainment for five seasons. In 1990, NBC opted not to renew The Hogan Family, despite decent ratings. The show was then picked up by CBS for a shorter sixth and final season, airing on Wednesdays. The series ran for many years in syndication, and although popular, has never been released to home video or streaming. In recent years, it has aired on both Antenna TV and Rewind TV.

Valerie Harper died in 2019 at age 80. Roberta Flack died on February 24, 2025, at age 88.