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America's Funniest Home Videos

America's Funniest Home Videos (AFV) is an American television series on ABC built around humorous home video clips submitted by viewers.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

America's Funniest Home Videos (AFV) is an American television series on ABC built around humorous home video clips submitted by viewers. The program began as a 1989 special and launched as a regular weekly series in 1990. It is based on a Japanese TV format and has remained one of ABC's long-running entertainment franchises.

Format

The program presents short clips sent in by viewers, with many videos featuring everyday mishaps, comedic accidents, pets, children, and practical jokes. Episodes typically frame these clips as a contest, with selected entries competing for prizes.

History

America's Funniest Home Videos began as a Thanksgiving special in 1989 and then premiered as a regular series in January 1990. It is adapted from a Japanese television segment that used a similar viewer-submitted home-video format.

Hosts and presentation

The show has been associated with several hosts over its run, beginning with Bob Saget. Later hosts included John Fugelsang, Daisy Fuentes, Tom Bergeron, and Alfonso Ribeiro.

Reception and longevity

The series became a durable prime-time franchise for ABC and remained in production across multiple decades. Its long run reflects the enduring appeal of short, family-oriented clip-based comedy.

Key facts

  • The show features viewer-submitted videos, often showing accidental physical comedy, pets, children, and staged pranks.
  • It originated from a segment on the Japanese variety show Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan.
  • It first aired as a special in 1989 before becoming a weekly ABC series in 1990.
  • The series has been hosted by several presenters over time, including Bob Saget, Tom Bergeron, and Alfonso Ribeiro.
  • ABC has continued to broadcast the franchise for decades, making it one of the network's longest-running unscripted programs.
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Canadian context

The series has aired in Canada through North American television distribution and is also familiar to Canadian audiences as a long-running American family-entertainment program.

Frequently asked questions

What does AFV stand for?
AFV stands for America's Funniest Videos, the shortened name commonly used for America's Funniest Home Videos.
When did America's Funniest Home Videos start?
It first aired as a special in 1989 and then began as a regular weekly series in January 1990.
What kind of videos are shown on AFV?
The show features humorous viewer-submitted clips, especially accidents, slapstick moments, pets, children, and pranks.
Who created the show?
The series is credited to Vin Di Bona.
What show inspired AFV?
It was based on a segment from the Japanese variety show Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan.
Which network broadcasts AFV?
America's Funniest Home Videos has aired on ABC since its debut.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_Funniest_Home_Videos
    Supports: Basic identity, abbreviation AFV, format, debut history, inspiration from Japanese variety show
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Americas-Funniest-Home-Videos
    Supports: Series overview, viewer-submitted tapes, ABC debut
  3. ABC — https://abc.com/show/86b1d55a-b3d4-48ce-943b-d78779671fab
    Supports: Official network description of the show
  4. Smithsonian Institution — https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1372047
    Supports: Early winning entry, original host Bob Saget, cultural context of the show
  5. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098740/
    Supports: Release date, long-running series identification, host and title information