The Hogan Family: The Sitcom That FIRED Its Star — Then Got BIGGER Without Her

The Hogan Family was a HUGELY successful NBC sitcom -- and it didn't start as The Hogan Family. It began as Valerie as was built around Emmy-winning star Valerie Harper. That was, until, an UGLY contract battle led to the unthinkable: the show firing its own title star. In this video, I break down the rise of Valerie, Jason Bateman’s breakout popularity, the backstage fight over money and creative control, Harper’s shocking firing, Sandy Duncan’s arrival, and the even bigger surprise — the ratings actually IMPROVING after Harper was gone (which established the power dynamics in Holly for decades to come). This is the rise, chaos and surprising survival of Valerie/Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family (yes, it had three titles).