Family Matters
| Family Matters | |
|---|---|
 Family Matters title card | |
| Created by | William Bickley Michael Warren |
| Developed by | Thomas L. Miller Robert L. Boyett |
| Starring | Reginald VelJohnson Jo Marie Payton Rosetta LeNoire (1989-1997) Darius McCrary Kellie Shanygne Williams Jaimee Foxworth (1989-1993) Telma Hopkins (1989-1993) Bryton McClure (1990-1997) Jaleel White (1990-1998) Orlando Brown (1996-1998) Judyann Elder (1998) Shawn Harrison (1991-1996) Shavar Ross (1992-1993) Michelle Thomas (1993-1998) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 215 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Thomas L. Miller Robert L. Boyett William Bickley Michael Warren (seasons 2-7) David W. Duclon (seasons 3-8) |
| Running time | 25 Minutes (approx.) |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC, CBS |
| Release | September 22, 1989 – July 17, 1998 |
Family Matters was an American sitcom about a middle-class, African-American family living in Chicago. The series aired from September 22, 1989 to May 9, 1997 on ABC and, with a network change, moved to CBS on September 19, 1997 to July 17, 1998.
The show, a spinoff of Perfect Strangers, originally focused on the character of Perfect Strangers', Harriette Winslow, and her family: husband Carl Winslow, a police officer; rebellious son Eddie Winslow (so much so that he was grounded practically every other episode); smart daughter Laura Winslow; and youngest child Judy Winslow. They had opened their home to Harriette's sister Rachel Crawford and her son Richie Crawford after the death of Rachel's husband, as well as Carl's streetwise mother Estelle Winslow. The Winslows' nerdy next-door neighbor, Steve Urkel, was introduced midway through the first season and quickly became the focus of the show.
History
Early years
Family Matters was originally envisioned as a working-class version of The Cosby Show. Many of the shows' characters are analogues of Cosby Show characters: eldest Winslow child Eddie (Darius McCrary) is adapted from Theo Huxtable, middle child Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) was reminiscent of Vanessa Huxtable, and little Judy (Valerie Jones in the pilot, Jaimee Foxworth thereafter) was derived from Rudy Huxtable. It is also interesting to note that Michelle Thomas who played Myra Monkhouse in later seasons had a role on The Cosby Show as Theo's girlfriend, Justine. The kids, along with their policeman father Carl (Reginald VelJohnson), elevator operator mother Harriette (Jo Marie Payton), aspiring writer aunt Rachel Crawford (Telma Hopkins) and her young son Richie (twin infants Joseph and Julius Wright during the first season, Bryton McClure thereafter), and Carl's feisty Mother Winslow (Rosetta LeNoire), found themselves in typical sitcom family situations.
Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) was the most famous character on the show. Introduced midway through the first season, the bespectacled Urkel, complete with high-pitched voice and suspenders, was the ultimate nerd; he was highly intelligent, but was very clumsy. His trademark line, "Did I do that?" (whenever he caused an accident) became a catchphrase imitated across the United States. ABC even hosted contests in which viewers were asked to send in their best impression of Urkel in order to win a grand prize.
Originally intended to be a one time only character, White's portrayal of Urkel was so enthusiastically received, that he became a permanent part of the cast; in fact, several scripts had to be hastily rewritten to include Urkel, while new opening gags were added on already completed shows.
The show's original theme was the Louis Armstrong classic, What a Wonderful World, but after four episodes it was scrapped, and As Days Go By would be the theme for the rest of the series until 1995, when the show's theme was cut. The longer version for As Days Go By can be heard on ABC Family featuring scenes from the show, including Urkel's pratfalls.
On-going Themes/Gags
It didn't take long for the show to develop an idiosyncratic set of on-going plot elements, which certainly added both tension and comedy, even if they did so at the expense of credibility.
A curiously large number of episodes threw the major characters into life-or-death situations (Carl falling into a frozen pond, Steve falling out of a hot-air balloon, Eddie and the gang hanging precariously from a fire escape), which were usually resolved within a few minutes.
Another recurring theme was the humor derived from gratuitous property damage. Whether Urkel was knocking over a lamp, breaking the Winslows windows on several occasions, crashing his Isetta into the Winslow's house, or completely destroying Carl's garage shelves, having inventions going wrong and ending up destroying a piece of the house, breaking something was a tried and true way to get a laugh.
It's also notable that a significant number of episodes fell back on that old standard, pie-throwing.
Science Fiction
The show's later seasons introduced many over-the-top inventions from Steve Urkel that turned it from a down-to-earth family show into a science-fiction based show. These plotlines helped to bend the reality of the show as it seemed hard to believe that the lives of the characters would continue so normally with the discovery of such groundbreaking inventions. These inventions included Steve's Urkel Bot, an intelligent robot that fell in love with Laura and briefly became a police officer, Steve's transformation chamber, that turned him into Stefan as well as other odd characters, Steve's shrinking machine, and his teleportation pad. Oddly enough, these inventions were really the only unrealistic elements of the show and all the other plotlines in the episode were far more reality based.
These stories strained credulity more and more in the show's later seasons, and the series gradually developed a self-aware sense of humor on the subject. In the season 8 episode "Father Time," Carl casually shrugs off Urkel's invention of a time-travel device, citing all Steve's previous impossible creations and insisting a time machine is "no big deal" in comparison.
Comical show, serious issues
While most of the episodes were wildly comical (some likened the show to a black version of Laurel and Hardy), there were episodes on serious topics, such as teen alcoholism, dysfunctional families, racism, sexism, cancer, death, dyslexia, school bullying, and gun violence (this also resulted in a short school shooting where one of Laura's friends was shot). Several episodes also focused on Carl's job as a policeman, and the danger inherent in such a career. There was also an early episode centered around Harriette and Rachel's father (portrayed by Paul Winfield), who tried to reunite with his daughters after abandoning the family when they were very young (their mother had told them that their father was killed when his fighter plane was shot down).
Original characters leave the show
As the focus of the show began to center more and more around Urkel (and occasionally Stefan), other, original characters were shunted to the periphery of the show. By 1993, the actresses who portrayed two members of the Winslow household, namely Judy (Jaimee Foxworth) and Rachel (Telma Hopkins) left the show. Hopkins (as Rachel) made guest appearances until 1997, but no explanation was ever given for Carl and Harriette's youngest child mysteriously disappearing though she was mentioned once in a later episode as still being upstairs cleaning her room (this was something of a meta-joke, as the last time Judy is seen, she goes upstairs to her room, never to come down again). The real reason was that Judy was never popular with fans and rarely had an entire episode centering on her character. In the third and fourth seasons, she was little more than a background character, appearing in episodes merely to fulfill contractual obligations, and often not getting a single line. Because of this, she was completely written out of the show.
In later seasons, other characters disappeared. Shawn Harrison's character Waldo was said to have gone off to culinary school, giving his character some closure. Bryton McClure, who played Richie, started to appear less once 3J was introduced and disappeared by the last season. Rosetta LeNoire, who played Mother Winslow, was gone by the last season as well, after she married Fletcher. Jo Marie Payton-Noble, the original actress who played Harriette, left before the last season as she disliked how the show placed so much emphasis on Steve Urkel and his sub-characters (Stefan, Myrtile, O.G.D., etc.). Many believe this is a case of the series jumping the shark. According to a Parade viewer question asking why she was replaced, Jo Marie Payton-Noble also wanted to write or direct an episode, but never could. She was replaced by Judyann Elder.
Cancellation
During its final season, the show moved to CBS, and in December 1997 actress Jo Marie Payton left, with Judyann Elder taking over her role as Harriette. Family Matters ranks as one of the longest running African American sitcoms along with The Jeffersons and The Cosby Show.
The show never had a proper series finale. The tenth season, which was supposed to feature the marriage of Steve and Laura, never entered production. The ratings had been on a steady decline for the last couple of years, and CBS decided to cancel the show (as well as Step by Step) after only one season on the network. After the season wrapped, the sets were dismantled, much to the surprise of the cast and crew. The Season Nine finale, a two-parter, ended up becoming the de-facto series finale; although not an official finale, it did succeed in featuring the several types of plots prominent throughout the years. It was not only a "very special episode," but also put equal emphasis on Steve and the Winslows, featured a comic storyline, and incorporated an outlandish plot centered around Urkel and his inventions: Steve goes into outer space with a pair of NASA astronauts to test one of his inventions, and Harriette, attempting to protect a newly deputized Eddie, arranges for him to be given a beat reading parking meters--which puts him in the middle of a shoot-out.
Deck the Malls Episode; Last of the Cast
In the season nine Christmas episode "Deck the Malls", Estelle Winslow, Rachel Crawford, and Richie Crawford all appear for the last time. It is also Jo Marie Payton's last appearance as Harriette. Many consider this the true finale, as it features the entire cast. After this episode the show's continuity, once again, takes a major dip. Rachel never returns and Richie has also disappeared without a trace, presumably gone to live with his mother.
Characters
Carl Otis Winslow
Played by Reginald VelJohnson
Carl is the husband of Harriette, Son of Estelle, Brother-in-Law of Rachel and Father of Laura, Judy and Eddie. He holds his position as King of the Castle (self-proclaimed "Big Kahuna") very seriously; however he is easy to admit defeat to Harriette when involved in typical marital disputes.
Carl is an officer for the Chicago Police Department. He takes his job seriously, and it is often suggested that he is very good at what he does, despite the fact that his boss, Lt. Murtaugh is very incompetent. Fitting into his character, he has an avid love for donuts and other junk food. This plays into the fact that he is overweight, and in several stories throughout the series, Carl's physical health plays a role.
In first season episodes, he is a police sergeant; he is eventually promoted to lieutenant and eventually captain.
Carl is constantly annoyed by his pesky neighbor, Steve Urkel, who has a very high level of respect for Carl, who affectionately calls him "Big Guy." Although Steve is relentlessly annoying and has cost the Winslow family tons of time and money resulting from his own clumsy demeanor, Carl is often there to back Steve up and help him out in times of distress.
Carl is very protective of his children, especially his daughters, and is very strict when it comes to Eddie taking responsibility for his actions. More than once, this has led to serious conflict with his children (and one time, caused Eddie to move out).
Carl is the only main character who appeared in every episode of Family Matters.
- Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton 1989-1998, Judyann Elder 1998) Carl's wife, Rachel's siter ,and the mother of Eddie, Larua and Judy. Harriette is a very conservative and strong-willed woman. She holds her role in society as a mother and as a working woman with high regard. Harriette is very reluctant to tell people what they want to hear, as she is very frank and upfront about her feelings. She is very constructive in her demeanor and attitude. She was director of security for the Chicago Chronicle. She had previously worked at the newspaper as an eleavtor operator, but was laid off when she asked for a raise. She applied for the security position, but her former boss was reluctant to hire her due to her lack of education. Harriette explained that despite a lack of schooling, she was more than able to accept the job. She remained at the job for four years, until she was fired for refusing to reduce her security staff during a budget crisis. She was later a service clerk at Ferguson's Department Store, a job she got soon after losing her job at the Chronicle. She is promoted to head of sales, replacing an ill-tempered, condescending department head.
- Edward "Eddie" Arthur James Winslow: (Darius McCrary) A casual NBA, NFL fan and jock, Eddie is the only son and the oldest child of Carl and Harriette. During the early years of the series. he was a high school student with sometimes stereotypical traits of a high school bum (e.g., poor grades, membership on the basketball team, irresponsible behavior). Eddie frequently had a stormy relationship his father, especially concerning Carl's strict rules. Eddie's best friends were Waldo Faldo and Urkel, during the first two seasons, he was also friends with Rodney Beckett, a white classmate. Initially, his relationship with Urkel - who considered Eddie his "best bud" and often called him "Eddo", it was little more than out of pity (seeing him as nothing more than an unpopular nerd). Urkel remained loyal to Eddie, and he eventually accepted him as a true friend. Eddie eventually moved into his own apartment, and enrolled at the Police Academy and was hired by the Chicago Police Department as a rookie officer.
- Laura Lee Winslow (Kellie Shanygne Williams) the oldest daughter of Harriette and Carl, and the object of Steve's affections, it is suggested that she makes high grades, in addition to her beauty. Laura generally had little patience for Steve's antics, but her seeming hatred of him only seemed to egg him on further. She eventually learned to love Steve, and they became engaged.
- Judith "Judy" Winslow: (Jaimee Foxworth) The younger daughter and youngest child of Carl and Harriette, It is suggested that she enjoys a close relationship with Laura. She attended elementary school, and later Junior High. During her years on the show, the name of her schools are not referred to in the series. She later disappeared from the series altogether, with no explanation given for her disappearance. She was also never popular amongst fans.
- Estelle Winslow (Rosetta LeNoire) The family matriarch, and mother of Carl, she moveds into the Winslow houshold during the series' pilot episode, to the chargrin of Carl, since it will usurp his authority. Despite her old age, she was very active, frequently going on dates and commenting about her "man hungry" demeanor. Unlike her family, Estelle generally likes Steve and is always happy to see him. Estelle is widowed, her husband, Sam (a Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot during World War II) had died some time ago. She eventually began dating a man named Fletcher Thomas; Carl at first was reluctant to accept his mother finding new love, but by the time Estelle and Fletcher are married, he grows more accepting.
- Steve Urkel: (Jaleel White) Steve Urkel was an stereotypical nerd, with large, thick eyeglasses, "high-water" pants held up by suspenders. And a high-pitch nasal tone voice and snorting laugh. While highly intelligent, he was also quite accident-prone, (spawning his catch-phrase, "Did I do that?") and socially awkward. He was also known for his crush on Laura Winslow, and constantly attempting to win her affections. He also frequently got on Carl's nerves. He was also known for his signature "Urkel Dance", a novelty dance that Steve frequently performed. He has also created numerous inventions, that were otherwise considered impossible especially for the 90's. He first appeared in the first season episode Larua's First Date. He also had an alter-ego, Stefan Urquelle.
Myrtle Mae Urkel
A supporting character who made many appearances throughout the show's run, Myrtle was Steve's cousin from the deep South. Myrtle's father "Big Daddy" owns a peanut farm, making that particular branch of the Urkel family very wealthy. Myrtle had an obessession with Eddie the way Steve had with Laura. Unlike Steve, who respected Laura's personal space and accepted the fact she dated other guys (though not happily), Mrytle crossed most boundaries to an extreme, causing Eddie to be terrified of her. When Greta became Eddie's girlfriend, she and Myrtle would get into fights, going to extremes at times. In a dream sequence, when Eddie is paid to marry Myrtle, Greta crashes the wedding and engages in a catfight with Myrtle.
Myrtle Urkel is played also by Jaleel White.
Rachel Crawford
Played by Telma Hopkins (1989-1993, occasionally appearing 1994-1997)
Rachel was Harriette's widowed sister. She moved in with the Winslows shortly after her husband Robert died (the series never showed any flashback of him). She is the mother of Richard "Richie" Crawford. A budding singer, she is also an entrepreneur, opening "Rachel's Place" (a hangout for teen-agers, much in the vein of Arnold's from Happy Days) in 1990, which replaced Leroy's, a similar hamburger joint that Urkel burned down.
Rachel is seen throughout the first four seasons; after a year's absence, she made occasional appearances during the rest of the show's run.
Richie Crawford
Played by Joseph and Julius Wright (credited as Joseph Julius Wright) (1989-1990); and Bryton McClure (1990-1998)
Richard "Richie" Crawford was the only son of Robert and Rachel Crawford; Robert dies before Richie's first birthday, which in part prompts Rachel's move into the Winslow household. There, Carl effectively fills the "father" role left vacant by Robert's death.
Richie is 1 year old in first-season episodes, and age-advanced to four thereafter. He is a typical mischievous child and idolizes Urkel; in fact, due to the nerd's constant visits and unrelenting crush on Laura, Richie calls Urkel "Uncle Steve."
In later episodes, Richie becomes friends with a young orphan named 3J (whom the Winslows eventually adopt).
3J
Played by Orlando Brown (1996-1998)
3J — Jerry Jamal Jameson — was a young orphan whom Carl and Harriette adopted early in the 1996-1997 season. He was introduced as Urkel's Little Brother (in an episode paying homage to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program), and later is friends with Richie. His streetwise, smart-mouthed demeanor is a cover for his loneliness and desire to have a stable, permanent family; his birth mother had given him up for adoption shortly after he was born, and frequently had moved around. The Winslows, seeing that he needed love, decide to adopt him. 3J effectively fills the void left with Judy's unexplained departure three years earlier.
Myra Monkhouse
Played by Michelle Thomas (1993-1998)
Myra was introduced midway through the fourth season as a possible girlfriend for Urkel. She was the cousin of Laura's then-boyfriend, Ted, who set up the date to get the nerd out of his way.
Myra is a very attractive girl that is attracted to nerdy boys and polka music. During her relationship with Steve Urkel, she grew to become infatuated with him. When Laura and Steve get engaged, Myra grows furious at her loss. She pairs up with Stefan Urquelle (Jaleel White) and both set out to win them back. Stefan fails as well as Myra, though she continues to try multiple times. Because the show was cancelled without a series finale, Myra's fate, or whether or not she continues to try to win back Steve's affection, was unknown. Had the show had a tenth season and a series finale, she probably would have been removed since Thomas died five months after the ninth season ended.
Greta McClure
Played by Tammy Townsend (1995-1998)
Eddie's first steady girlfriend since early in the series (when the main girl in his life was Jolene) was Greta McClure, the daughter of his boss at the Mighty Weenie. Greta was a college student; her father was very strict with her and didn't exactly approve of Eddie. At one point, he cut off her funding to college, forcing her to resort to posing nude for art class. Greta is successfully able to fight off Myrtle Urkel, the "girl" who is vying for Eddie's effections.
Eddie's friends
Rodney Beckett
Played by Randy Josselyn (1989-1991)
During the early years of the show, Rodney was one of the series' few white recurring characters. He was pals with Eddie; the two were involved in typical teenaged capers.
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Played by Shawn Harrison as (1991-1996)
Waldo was the dim-witted best friend of Eddie. See Waldo Faldo for complete character biography.
"Weasel"
Played by Shavar Ross (1992-1994)
"Weasel" (real name Alex Park) was the streetwise friend of Eddie and Waldo (and to a lesser extent, Urkel), who was notorious for getting the guys into sticky situations, often through a hare-brained get-rich-quick scheme.
Laura's friends
Penny Peyser
Played by Ebonie Smith (1989-1990)
Penny was Laura's best friend during the first season of the series.
Maxine
Played by Cherie Johnson (1990-1998)
After Penny left the scene, Maxine followed, becoming Laura's main sidekick for the rest of the series run. Like Laura, she was pretty, popular and boy-crazy. From 1993-1996, she dated Waldo Faldo; despite his stupidity, the two remained loyal to each other throughout their relationship. Maxine had softer feelings for Urkel, unlike Laura (during the early years), a trait she inherited from her predecessor, Penny.
Carl's bosses
Lt. Murtaugh
Played by Barry Jenner (1990-1992)
During Carl's time as sergeant, Lt. Lieutenant Murtaugh was Carl's superior officer. He was boastful, arrogant and rather boneheaded. Took advantage of others, and desired to date Carl's sister-in-law, Rachel. Frequently, his behavior toward Rachel crossed the line of sexual harassment. He also showed an open disdain for Urkel, although they shared a song and Root Beer Floats and the end of one episode. His character was often used as a comic foil for Carl's straightman. Murtaugh legally changes his name every time he is promoted, and it is evidenced by an episode in which Murtaugh mentions he'd like to remain on a first name basis, and when Carl tells him he doesn't know his first name, Murtaugh replied with "Lieutenant!" After explaining, Carl asks what Murtaugh's name was before, and receives the harsh reply "Sergeant!" Murtaugh's punchlines were often replied with a serious deadpan expression from Barry Jenner. After the episode Farewell My Laura, in which Murtaugh is a character in Urkel's 40's Detective yarn, his character disappears. Appropriately, he was killed off along with everyone but Steve Urkel and Laura in the fantasy. The circumstances surrounding his departure are unknown.
Capt. Savage
Played by Sherman Hemsley (1994-1995)
Carl's second boss was Capt. Savage, who — like Lt. Murtaugh — was loud-mouthed, arrogant and boastful, although he did not exhibit sexual harassment-like behavior.
Commissioner Geiss
Played by Dick O'Neill (1996-1998)
When Carl began pursuing a promotion to captain, Commissioner Geiss was introduced. Like his predecessors, Geiss was openly disagreeable, but in a somewhat different way. Rather a curmudgeonly grouch, Geiss nevertheless took a shine to Carl, who went out of his way to impress him.
Teachers, etc.
Ms. Steuben
Played by Susan Krebs (actress)
Ms. Steuben had the unenviable job of being one of Urkel's junior high school teachers. She continually tried to elude her most ambitious but most irritating student, but much to her dismay, they managed to cross paths several times.
Principal Shimata
Played by Clyde Kusatsu
Equally harried by Urkel's antics was Vanderbilt High's principal, Edgar Shimata. He made relatively few appearances, but the respect Urkel showed him seemed not to be mutual.
Mr. Looney
Played by Tom Poston
Vanderbilt's perpetually confused janitor, Alfred Looney, appeared from time to time during Urkel's high school career, always available to cause commotion through his absent-mindedness and remind everyone that his last name is pronounced "Lou-né" (it's French).
References in popular culture
- In the South Park episode "Chickenpox", Cartman has a Steve Urkel sleeping bag.
- In the American Dad! episode "Stan of Arabia", a man showing Hayley around in a Saudi Arabian restaurant wears a shirt that has a picture of Steve Urkel, and under the picture is a word saying "Urkel".
- In "The Springfield Files" episode of The Simpsons, Homer compares an alien he encounters to Steve Urkel.