Doobie Doo
Veteran
Photo Credit
1 of 25
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.”
The Real-Life Winslow House Still Looks Pretty Much the Same
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
2 of 25
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.
Steve Urkel Moonlighted on Other Shows
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
3 of 25
Steve Urkel, who was originally planned to appear in jut one episode, became so popular thatFamily Matters couldn't contain him. The character had crossover appearances on Full House,Step by Step, and Meego.
Who Appeared in Every Single Episode?
f t p @X
Photo Credit
4 of 25
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!
Steve Urkel Was Based on a Real Guy
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
5 of 25
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.
Show Matriarch Rosetta LeNoire Was 85 When She Exited the Show
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
6 of 25
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.
Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow Were Supposed to Get Married in Season 10
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
7 of 25
If Family Ties 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.
Jaleel White Had to Look as Young as Possible
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
8 of 25
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.
Kellie Shanygne Williams Is Actually Older than Her TV Older Brother
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
9 of 25
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.
Baby Richie Was Played by Twins
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
10 of 25
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.
11
'Family Matters' Had a Near-Record Run
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
11 of 25
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) andFamily Matters (215) despite running for only eight seasons.
Harriette and Carl First Appeared on Perfect Strangers
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
12 of 25
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 thanPerfect Strangers, on which Harriette was an elevator operator
Judy Was Originally Played by a Different Actress
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
13 of 25
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.
The Winslows' Address Inexplicably Changed
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
14 of 25
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.
15
Carl and Urkel Both Wrote Episodes
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
15 of 25
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.
- 16
Michelle Thomas Left Due to Illness
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
16 of 25
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.
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
17 of 25
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.
18
Jaleel White Was Almost a Huxtable
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
18 of 25
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.
Garcelle Beauvais Played a Bunch of Different Characters
f t p @X
Photo Credit
19 of 25
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.
The Youngest Winslow Child Was Written Off the Series
f t p @X
z
Photo Credit
20 of 25
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!
wonder why the show had "low ratings" after the network jump and inclusion in TGIF