Family Matters (TV series)

General Information

Family Matters was a sitcom based on a middle class African-American family living in Chicago that ran from 1989 to 1998 on ABC and later on CBS. The show, which was a spinoff of Perfect Strangers, originally focused on the character of Harriet Winslow and her family: husband Carl Winslow, a police officer; rebel son Eddie Winslow; smart daughter Laura Winslow; and youngest child Judy Winslow. They had opened their home to Harriet's sister Rachel Crawford and her son Richie Crawford, as well as Carl's streetwise mother Estelle Winslow.

Related Topics:
Sitcom - African-American - Chicago - 1989 - 1998 - ABC - CBS - Spinoff - Perfect Strangers - Harriet Winslow - Carl Winslow - Eddie Winslow - Laura Winslow - Judy Winslow - Rachel Crawford - Richie Crawford - Estelle Winslow

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Steve Urkel (played by 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.

Related Topics:
Steve Urkel - Jaleel White - Catchphrase - United States

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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.

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