about the show

The premise of the show, which was set in Port Washington, Wisconsin, is about rebuilding one's life one step at a time after things have fallen apart. Frank Lambert, a divorced contractor who had custody of his three children, impulsively marries Carol Foster, a widowed beautician who had three children of her own.

Carol's children were 16-year-old daughter Dana, who was smart but tried to be perfect; 14-year-old Karen, an aspiring model who was very vain; and Mark, an 11-year-old nerd who was into computers. Frank, meanwhile, was the father of 15-year-old John Thomas (aka J.T.), a slacker; Alicia (who always went by Al so you would never actually hear her called by the name Alicia), an 11-year-old tomboyish all-American girl; and 7-year-old Brendan, a shy, carefree youngster. Carol took Frank's last name, though her children kept the Foster surname.

Stories depicted typical situations of a new family trying to get to know each other and become friends. That was often easier said than done, especially in the case of J.T. and Dana who could barely stand each other.

The title of the show has a double meaning. One meaning deals with main idea of the show, which is getting married again after a divorce/death of a spouse and putting your life back together. The other meaning is that every member of the family is step to half of the rest of the family, such as stepbrother, stepmother, stepsister, stepfather, stepdaughter, and stepson.