Although Patrick Duffy may not originally have been seen as a comedic asset, the “Dallas” star’s blooper reel for the series helped land him the second-biggest role of his career. Duffy was considering leaving “Dallas” around his Season 9 sabbatical from the show, so producer Leonard Katzman told iconic sitcom creators Thomas L. Miller and Robert Boyett — who, together as Boyett-Miller Productions, were responsible for the beloved TGIF programming block on ABC in the 1990s — that there was going to be a potential departure within the legendary cast, someone who would be a solid choice for a TV comedy.
“They, in unison, said, ‘Larry Hagman’s leaving ‘Dallas’?’ And he said, ‘No, Patrick Duffy’s leaving ‘Dallas.” They said, ‘He’s not funny.’ Leonard said, ‘He’s the funniest guy on the entire set!'” Duffy revealed to Entertainment Weekly. Katzman went on to give Miller, Boyett, and sitcom creator William Bickley the outtakes reel from “Dallas” (which we ranked as one of the best shows set in Texas). That led Bickley to bring Duffy in to discuss playing the patriarch in “Step by Step.”
Patrick Duffy’s sitcom work was almost as well known as Dallas
However, it would be five years before “Dallas” would get canceled after 14 seasons and star Patrick Duffy was actually free to work on another series, despite initially leaving “Dallas” for one season. But as soon as the door was fully open, the actor began working on “Step by Step.” Duffy played Frank Lambert, who marries the show’s matriarch, Carol Foster (Suzanne Somers), after a vacation fling in Jamaica. The series focuses on their efforts to blend families and garnered some comparisons to the 1960s hit “The Brady Bunch” during its seven seasons on air.
The series was part of ABC’s popular TGIF block, so it cultivated a solid audience over the years — and that consistent exposure made being one of the leading adults on the series a very fruitful experience for Duffy and his already high viewer credibility. That said, nothing gold can stay, so when the show saw a ratings drop during Season 7, ABC canceled it. But interestingly enough, it got one more revival season on CBS after the network picked it up in an effort to build out their own version of the TGIF model. Officially going off the air in 1998, “Step by Step” became the second-longest job for Duffy, and one of his most recognizable.