25 Things You Didn't Know About 'Family Matters'

Robert DeSalvo
Updated November 16, 2023 4.1M views 25 items

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Vote up the most interesting things you didn't know about ‘Family Matters.’

This list of Family Matters facts and behind the scenes trivia will take you back to the Winslow family's antics in the '80s and '90s. Family Matters is the third longest-running sitcom revolving around an African American cast in history. It aired on ABC for eight seasons and a final season on CBS for a total of 215 episodes.

The comedy is actually a spin-off of Perfect Strangers and focuses on police officer Carl Winslow and his family, but it became obvious early on that the Steve Urkel (played by Jaleel White in what was supposed to be a one-episode appearance) would steal the show. "Did I do that?" Yes you did, Steve.

Okay, so you might remember Urkel's catchphrase, but this list is all about the Family Matters behind the scenes deep cuts, from the change in actresses playing Harriette to the on-set tension over Urkel's popularity.

Vote up the most surprising and fascinating Family Matters facts that matter most!
 

  • 1
    116 VOTES

    The Real-Life Winslow House Still Looks Pretty Much The Same

    The Real-Life Winslow House Still Looks Pretty Much The Same
    Photo: Ben Schumin / via Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
    Although the interior of the Winslow house was created on set, the exterior is a real  house on Wrightwood Avenue in Chicago. Look familiar? It should, since it has been virtually unchanged since the show ended in 1998.
    116 votes
  • 2
    124 VOTES

    Urkel's Popularity Caused Tension On The Set

    Urkel's Popularity Caused Tension On The Set
    Photo: ABC
    As Urkel became more of a sensation and the focus of the show shifted, the rest of the cast wasn't too pleased. “Things were definitely strained in the early going,” Jaleel White explained to Vanity Fair. “There’s no sense in hiding that. There was a division between myself and the rest of the cast, but over nine years and 215 episodes, obviously relationships get better. I still talk to certain cast members to this day.”
    124 votes
  • 3
    142 VOTES

    Steve Urkel Moonlighted On Other Shows

    Steve Urkel Moonlighted On Other Shows
    Photo: ABC
    Steve Urkel, who was originally planned to appear in jut one episode, became so popular that Family Matters couldn't contain him. The character had crossover appearances on Full House, Step by Step, and Meego.
    142 votes
  • 4
    124 VOTES

    Steve Urkel Was Based On A Real Guy

    Steve Urkel Was Based On A Real Guy
    Photo: ABC
    When co-creator Michael Warren needed an appropriately goofy name for a nerd character, he was inspired by his friend Steve Erkel. When Urkel became a pop culture sensation, Erkel was in for years of prank phone calls.
    124 votes
  • 5
    119 VOTES

    Show Matriarch Rosetta LeNoire Was 85 When She Exited The Show

    Show Matriarch Rosetta LeNoire Was 85 When She Exited The Show
    Photo: ABC
    By the time she left the show, Rosetta LeNoire, who played Estelle "Mother" Winslow, was 85 years old. She passed away in 2002 at the age of 90.
    119 votes
  • 6
    106 VOTES

    Who Appeared In Every Single Episode?

    Who Appeared In Every Single Episode?
    Photo: ABC
    Reginald VelJohnson and Kellie Shaygne Williams, who played Carl Otis Winslow and Laura Lee Winslow, respectively, are the only actors to appear in all 215 episodes of the series. Take that, Steve Urkel!
    106 votes
  • 7
    103 VOTES

    Steve Urkel And Laura Winslow Were Supposed To Get Married In Season 10

    Steve Urkel And Laura Winslow Were Supposed To Get Married In Season 10
    Photo: ABC

    If Family Matters hadn't been cancelled, Carl's nightmare would have truly come true: plans for season 10 included the marriage of Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow. While fans never got to see a wedding, the two were engaged in the series finale.

    103 votes
  • 8
    83 VOTES

    Harriette And Carl First Appeared On Perfect Strangers

    Harriette And Carl First Appeared On Perfect Strangers
    Photo: ABC
    Family Matters was, in fact, a spin-off of the popular sitcom Perfect Strangers. Jo Marie Payton played Harriette Winslow on both series. Family Matters ended up lasting a full season longer than Perfect Strangers, on which Harriette was an elevator operator.
    83 votes
  • 9
    100 VOTES

    Jaleel White Had To Look As Young As Possible

    Jaleel White Had To Look As Young As Possible
    Photo: ABC
    Jaleel White grew up fast over the nine seasons Family Matters was on the air. To keep him looking as young as possible, White was required to shave daily and avoid any exercise that would bulk him up.
    100 votes
  • 10
    95 VOTES

    'Family Matters' Had A Near-Record Run

    'Family Matters' Had A Near-Record Run
    Photo: ABC
    At nine seasons Family Matters had the second longest run for a sitcom with a predominately African-American cast. The only show that tops it is The Jeffersons with 11 seasons. With 254 episodes, though, Tyler Perry's House of Payne beats both The Jeffersons (253 episodes) and Family Matters (215) despite running for only eight seasons.
    95 votes
  • 11
    101 VOTES

    Kellie Shanygne Williams Is Actually Older Than Her TV Older Brother

    Kellie Shanygne Williams Is Actually Older Than Her TV Older Brother
    Photo: ABC
    Even though Darius McCrary plays older brother Eddie (pictured, center), he is actually one month younger than Kellie Shanygne Williams (pictured, right). Williams plays Laura, the middle child.
    101 votes
  • 12
    94 VOTES

    Baby Richie Was Played By Twins

    Baby Richie Was Played By Twins
    Photo: ABC
    Similar to the situation on Full House with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the producers of Family Matters didn't want you to know that baby Richie was played by twins. The credit read "Joseph Julius Wright" instead of "Joseph Wright" and "Julius Wright." The twins thing happens a lot because of labor laws that put strict limits on how many hours child actors can work every day.
    94 votes
  • 13
    78 VOTES

    The Original Theme Song Was Louis Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World'

    The Original Theme Song Was Louis Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World'
    Photo: ABC Records
    If you were a fan of Family Matters, you know it's difficult to think of the show without hearing its theme song in your head. "As Days Go By" wasn't always the theme, though. The original theme music was Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," but it was switched out after the fifth episode.
    78 votes
  • 14
    76 VOTES

    Carl And Urkel Both Wrote Episodes

    Carl And Urkel Both Wrote Episodes
    Photo: ABC
    Stars Reginald VelJohnson and Jaleel White both contributed to the series as writers. VelJohnson is credited with the story for "The Substitute Son" in season six and the teleplay for season eight's "The Brother Who Came to Dinner," while White created the stories for "Grandmama" and "Home Again" in seasons five and eight.
    76 votes
  • 15
    76 VOTES

    The Winslows' Address Inexplicably Changed

    The Winslows' Address Inexplicably Changed
    Photo: ABC
    Though the family never moved to a new house, after several seasons their address changed from 263 Pinehurst Street to 263 Elm Street with no explanation.
    76 votes
  • 16
    87 VOTES

    Michelle Thomas Left Due To Illness

    Michelle Thomas Left Due To Illness
    Photo: ABC
    Michelle Thomas played Myra Monkhouse for several seasons of Family Matters. Her battle with stomach cancer caused her to exit the show shortly before it was cancelled. Tragically, she passed away within a year.
    87 votes
  • 17
    65 VOTES

    Jaleel White Was Almost A Huxtable

    Jaleel White Was Almost A Huxtable
    Photo: NBC
    Before becoming Steve Urkel, Jaleel White was up for the role of Rudy on The Cosby Show. Yes, Rudy was originally intended to be a little boy, but ultimately the role was changed and went to Keshia Knight Pulliam. So you can thank (or blame) Bill Cosby for Steve Urkel.
    65 votes
  • 18
    88 VOTES

    Judy Was Originally Played By A Different Actress

    Judy Was Originally Played By A Different Actress
    Photo: ABC
    Jaimee Foxworth played the youngest Winslow kid, Judy, until she completely disappeared from the series, but she actually wasn't the first Judy. In the pilot episode, the role was played by Valerie Jones, who went on to appear in a few episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
    88 votes
  • 19
    77 VOTES

    The Theme Song Disappeared

    The Theme Song Disappeared
    Photo: ABC
    "As Days Go By," which became the theme after the first five episodes of Family Matters, was phased out during season seven, when producers decided to remove the opening credit sequence entirely.
    77 votes
  • 20
    68 VOTES

    Garcelle Beauvais Played A Bunch Of Different Characters

    Garcelle Beauvais Played A Bunch Of Different Characters
    Photo: Nancy Marshall / via Pinterest
    Garcelle Beauvais played four different characters on Family Matters. In the season three episode "Old and Alone," she played LuLu, Steve's wife. In season five's "Scenes from a Mall," she played a woman at the mall who Eddie hits on. In season six's "To Be or Not to Be (Part Two)," Beauvais plays an alternate version of Mother Winslow in a dream. Finally, in season seven's "A Ham Is Born," Beauvais played an actress named Nicole Moses.
    68 votes
  • 21
    76 VOTES

    The Youngest Winslow Child Was Written Off The Series... And Showed Up In Adult Films

    The Youngest Winslow Child Was Written Off The Series... And Showed Up In Adult Films
    Photo: ABC

    Jaimee Foxworth played the role of Judy, the youngest Winslow child, for four seasons. When Foxworth attempted to negotiate for a larger salary, though, Judy was written off the show without explanation. Later episodes revised the family's history so that Judy simply never existed.

    In order to earn an income in the wake of her Family Matters stint, Foxworth turned to making adult films. At age 19, she began filming explicit movies under the stage name "Crave." She later appeared on Oprah and Celebrity Rehab on her journey to quit drinking and rehabilitate her image.

    76 votes
  • 22
    63 VOTES

    J. Lamont Pope Played Four Different Roles

    J. Lamont Pope Played Four Different Roles
    Photo: Celebrity Images
    J. Lamont Pope (now is credited as Juan Pope) played four completely separate characters on the show: a thug named Chain in season three's "Born to Be Mild," a hospital orderly in season four's "Number One with a Bullet," an Army recruit in the same season's "An Officer and a Waldo," and Laura's boyfriend Curtis Williams in seasons seven and eight.
    63 votes
  • 23
    63 VOTES

    Judyann Elder Played A Nun On The Show Before Harriette

    Judyann Elder Played A Nun On The Show Before Harriette
    Photo: Amcalister / via Wikipedia / CC0 1.0
    Before she replaced JoMarie Payton as Harriette, Judyann Elder appeared in the season five episode "Nunsense" as a nun. Apparently her prayers were answered...
    63 votes
  • 24
    54 VOTES

    The CBS TGIF Lineup Finished Off The Series

    The CBS TGIF Lineup Finished Off The Series
    Photo: ABC
    After eight years on ABC, Family Matters hopped over to CBS for its "TGIF" lineup of programming. Family Matters was supposed to have a home there through season 10, but the ratings were so poor that the plan for another season was scrapped entirely.
    54 votes
  • 25
    62 VOTES

    Two Different Actresses Played Harriette Winslow

    Two Different Actresses Played Harriette Winslow
    Photo: expediente-villa / via Blogpsot
    Jo Marie Payton played Harriette Winslow for eight and a half seasons of Family Matters. Dissatisfied with the show's emphasis on Urkel, Payton decided to depart when the show changed networks from ABC to CBS, but she did agree to stick around for the first half of the ninth season. Judyann Elder took over the role of Harriette in the second half of the final season.
    62 votes