Family Matters

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.

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.

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Family Matters Episodes

Family Matters Season 1 ABC

1. 1- 1 445230 22 Sep 89 The Mama Who Came to Dinner
2. 1- 2 446002 29 Sep 89 Two-Income Family
3. 1- 3 446001 6 Oct 89 Short Story
4. 1- 4 446004 13 Oct 89 Rachel's First Date
5. 1- 5 446007 20 Oct 89 Straight A's
6. 1- 6 446003 3 Nov 89 Basketball Blues
7. 1- 7 446005 10 Nov 89 Body Damage
8. 1- 8 446006 17 Nov 89 Mr. Badwrench
9. 1- 9 446010 24 Nov 89 Stake-Out
10. 1-10 446008 28 Nov 89 False Arrest
11. 1-11 446009 8 Dec 89 The Quilt
12. 1-12 446012 15 Dec 89 Laura's First Date
13. 1-13 446013 8 Jan 90 Man's Best Friend
14. 1-14 446014 11 Jan 90 Baker's Dozens
15. 1-15 446011 23 Jan 90 The Big Reunion
16. 1-16 446016 3 Feb 90 The Party
17. 1-17 446017 9 Feb 90 The Big Fix
18. 1-18 446018 20 Feb 90 Sitting Pretty
19. 1-19 446019 16 Mar 90 In a Jam
20. 1-20 446015 23 Mar 90 The Candidate
21. 1-21 446021 17 Apr 90 Bowl Me Over
22. 1-22 446020 30 Apr 90 Rock Video

Family Matters Season 2

23. 2- 1 446451 21 Sep 90 Rachel's Place
24. 2- 2 446454 21 Sep 90 Torn Between Two Lovers
25. 2- 3 446452 28 Sep 90 Marriage 101
26. 2- 4 446455 5 Oct 90 Flashpants
27. 2- 5 446456 12 Oct 90 The Crash Course
28. 2- 6 446453 19 Oct 90 Boxcar Blues
29. 2- 7 446460 26 Oct 90 Dog Day Halloween
30. 2- 8 446457 2 Nov 90 Cousin Urkel
31. 2- 9 446458 9 Nov 90 Dedicated to the One I Love
32. 2-10 446461 16 Nov 90 The Science Project
33. 2-11 446462 23 Nov 90 Requiem for an Urkel
34. 2-12 446459 30 Nov 90 Fast Eddie Winslow
35. 2-13 446465 21 Dec 90 Have Yourself a Very Winslow Christmas
36. 2-14 446464 4 Jan 91 Ice Station Winslow
37. 2-15 446463 11 Jan 91 Son
38. 2-16 446466 18 Jan 91 Do the Right Thing
39. 2-17 446467 1 Feb 91 High Hopes
40. 2-18 446468 8 Feb 91 Life of the Party
41. 2-19 446470 15 Feb 91 Busted
42. 2-20 446469 22 Feb 91 Fight the Good Fight
43. 2-21 446472 15 Mar 91 Taking Credit
44. 2-22 446471 22 Mar 91 Finding the Words
45. 2-23 446474 1 Apr 91 Skip to My Lieu
46. 2-24 446475 25 Apr 91 The Good the Bad and the Urkel
47. 2-25 446473 26 Apr 91 I Should Have Done Something

Family Matters Season 3

48. 3- 1 446902 20 Sep 91 Boom!
49. 3- 2 446903 27 Sep 91 Brain over Brawn
50. 3- 3 446905 4 Oct 91 The Show Must Go On
51. 3- 4 446904 11 Oct 91 Words Hurt
52. 3- 5 446901 19 Oct 91 Daddy's Little Girl
53. 3- 6 446906 25 Oct 91 Citizen's Court
54. 3- 7 446910 1 Nov 91 Robo-Nerd
55. 3- 8 446909 8 Nov 91 Making the Team
56. 3- 9 446911 15 Nov 91 Born to be Mild
57. 3-10 446912 22 Nov 91 The Love God
58. 3-11 446908 29 Nov 91 Old and Alone
59. 3-12 446913 6 Dec 91 A Pair of Ladies
60. 3-13 446907 20 Dec 91 Choir Trouble
61. 3-14 446915 10 Jan 92 A Test of Friendship
62. 3-15 446914 17 Jan 92 Jailhouse Blues
63. 3-16 446918 31 Jan 92 Brown Bombshell
64. 3-17 446919 7 Feb 92 Food, Lies and Videotape
65. 3-18 446916 14 Feb 92 My Broken-Hearted Valentine
66. 3-19 446920 21 Feb 92 Woman of the People
67. 3-20 446917 28 Feb 92 Love and Kisses
68. 3-21 446922 13 Mar 92 Stop, in the Name of Love
69. 3-22 446921 3 Apr 92 The Urkel Who Came to Dinner
70. 3-23 446923 24 Apr 92 Robo-Nerd II
71. 3-24 446924 1 May 92 Dudes
72. 3-25 446925 8 May 92 Farewell, My Laura

Family Matters Season 4

73. 4- 1 447801 18 Sep 92 Surely You Joust
74. 4- 2 447804 2 Oct 92 Dance to the Music
75. 4- 3 447803 9 Oct 92 Driving Carl Crazy
76. 4- 4 447805 16 Oct 92 Rumor Has It
77. 4- 5 447806 23 Oct 92 Number One with a Bullet
78. 4- 6 447807 30 Oct 92 Whose Kid Is it Anyway?
79. 4- 7 447808 6 Nov 92 An Officer and a Waldo
80. 4- 8 447812 13 Nov 92 Just One Date!
81. 4- 9 447810 20 Nov 92 The Oddest Couple
82. 4-10 447815 11 Dec 92 It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Urkel
83. 4-11 447813 8 Jan 93 Muskrat Love
84. 4-12 447802 15 Jan 93 Hot Wheels
85. 4-13 447817 22 Jan 93 The Way the Ball Bounces
86. 4-14 447814 29 Jan 93 A Thought in the Dark
87. 4-15 447818 5 Feb 93 Tender Kisses
88. 4-16 447819 12 Feb 93 Heart Strings
89. 4-17 447811 19 Feb 93 It's a Mad, Mad, Madhouse
90. 4-18 447816 26 Feb 93 Higher Anxiety
91. 4-19 447820 5 Mar 93 Mama's Wedding
92. 4-20 447822 19 Mar 93 Pulling Teeth
93. 4-21 447809 26 Mar 93 Walk on the Wild Side
94. 4-22 447821 30 Apr 93 Hot Stuff
95. 4-23 447823 7 May 93 Stormy Weather
96. 4-24 447824 14 May 93 Buds 'n' Buns

Family Matters Season 5

97. 5- 1 455351 24 Sep 93 Hell Toupee
98. 5- 2 455352 1 Oct 93 It Didn't Happen One Night
99. 5- 3 455354 8 Oct 93 Saved by the Urkel
100. 5- 4 455355 15 Oct 93 A Matter of Principle
101. 5- 5 455353 22 Oct 93 Money Out the Window
102. 5- 6 455356 29 Oct 93 Best Friends
103. 5- 7 455357 5 Nov 93 Grandmama
104. 5- 8 455359 12 Nov 93 Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool
105. 5- 9 455358 19 Nov 93 Car Wars
106. 5-10 455361 26 Nov 93 All the Wrong Moves
107. 5-11 455363 10 Dec 93 Christmas is Where the Heart Is
108. 5-12 455360 17 Dec 93 Scenes from a Mall
109. 5-13 455362 7 Jan 94 Rock Enroll
110. 5-14 455364 14 Jan 94 Like a Virgin
111. 5-15 455366 21 Jan 94 Good Cop, Bad Cop
112. 5-16 455365 4 Feb 94 Presumed Urkel
113. 5-17 455369 11 Feb 94 Father of the Bride
114. 5-18 455368 18 Feb 94 Psycho Twins
115. 5-19 455370 4 Mar 94 That's What Friends Are For
116. 5-20 455371 18 Mar 94 Opposites Attract
117. 5-21 455372 1 Apr 94 A-Camping We Will Go
118. 5-22 455373 29 Apr 94 Nunsense
119. 5-23 455367 6 May 94 Aunt Oona
120. 5-24 455374 20 May 94 Stefan Returns

Family Matters Season 6

121. 6- 1 456201 23 Sep 94 To Be or Not to Be (1)
122. 6- 2 456202 30 Sep 94 To Be or Not to Be (2)
123. 6- 3 456203 7 Oct 94 Till Death Do Us Apartment
124. 6- 4 456205 14 Oct 94 The Looney Bin
125. 6- 5 456204 21 Oct 94 Beta Chi Guy
126. 6- 6 456206 28 Oct 94 Dark and Stormy Night
127. 6- 7 456208 4 Nov 94 Par For the Course
128. 6- 8 456210 11 Nov 94 Sink or Swim
129. 6- 9 456209 18 Nov 94 Paradise Bluff
130. 6-10 456207 25 Nov 94 Flying Blind
131. 6-11 456211 16 Dec 94 Miracle on Elm Street
132. 6-12 456212 6 Jan 95 Midterm Crisis
133. 6-13 456215 20 Jan 95 An Unlikely Match
134. 6-14 456216 3 Feb 95 The Substitute Son
135. 6-15 456214 10 Feb 95 The Gun
136. 6-16 456220 17 Feb 95 Wedding Bell Blues
137. 6-17 456218 24 Feb 95 Ain't Nothin' But an Urkel
138. 6-18 456217 3 Mar 95 My Uncle Hero
139. 6-19 456221 17 Mar 95 My Bodyguard
140. 6-20 456213 24 Mar 95 Cheers Looking at You, Kid
141. 6-21 456219 31 Mar 95 What's Up Doc?
142. 6-22 456224 28 Apr 95 We're Going to Disney World (1)
143. 6-23 456225 5 May 95 We're Going to Disney World (2)
144. 6-24 456223 12 May 95 They Shoot Urkels, Don't They?
145. 6-25 456222 19 May 95 Home Sweet Home

Family Matters Season 7

146. 7- 1 457101 22 Sep 95 Little Big Guy
147. 7- 2 457102 29 Sep 95 The Naked and the Nerdy
148. 7- 3 457103 13 Oct 95 Bugged
149. 7- 4 457108 20 Oct 95 Teacher's Pet
150. 7- 5 457107 27 Oct 95 Walking My Baby Back Home
151. 7- 6 457110 3 Nov 95 She's Back
152. 7- 7 457111 10 Nov 95 Hot Rods to Heck
153. 7- 8 457113 17 Nov 95 Talk's Cheap
154. 7- 9 457104 24 Nov 95 Struck By Lightning
155. 7-10 457106 8 Dec 95 Best Years of Our Lives
156. 7-11 457114 15 Dec 95 Fa La La La Laagghh!
157. 7-12 457105 5 Jan 96 Friendship Cycles
158. 7-13 457109 12 Jan 96 South of the Border
159. 7-14 457112 26 Jan 96 Life in the Fast Lane
160. 7-15 457116 2 Feb 96 Random Acts of Science
161. 7-16 457121 9 Feb 96 Tips For a Better Life
162. 7-17 457120 16 Feb 96 Swine Lake
163. 7-18 457122 23 Feb 96 My Big Brother
164. 7-19 457117 8 Mar 96 Eau de love
165. 7-20 457115 15 Mar 96 Twinkle Toes Faldo
166. 7-21 457118 29 Mar 96 Scammed
167. 7-22 457124 26 Apr 96 Dream Date
168. 7-23 457119 10 May 96 A Ham is Born
169. 7-24 457123 17 May 96 Send in the Clone

Family Matters Season 8

170. 8- 1 465301 20 Sep 96 Paris Vacation (1)
171. 8- 2 465302 20 Sep 96 Paris Vacation (2)
172. 8- 3 465303 27 Sep 96 Paris Vacation (3)
173. 8- 4 465304 4 Oct 96 Movin' On
174. 8- 5 465305 11 Oct 96 3J in the House
175. 8- 6 465306 18 Oct 96 Getting Buff
176. 8- 7 465309 25 Oct 96 Stevil
177. 8- 8 465307 1 Nov 96 Karate Kids
178. 8- 9 465308 8 Nov 96 Home Again
179. 8-10 465310 15 Nov 96 Nightmare at Urkel Oaks
180. 8-11 465311 22 Nov 96 Chick-a-Boom
181. 8-12 465312 6 Dec 96 The Jury
182. 8-13 465313 13 Dec 96 It Came upon a Midnight Clear
183. 8-14 465314 3 Jan 97 Revenge of the Nerd
184. 8-15 465316 17 Jan 97 Love Triangles
185. 8-16 465317 31 Jan 97 Father Time
186. 8-17 465320 7 Feb 97 Beauty and the Beast
187. 8-18 465321 14 Feb 97 Le Jour d'amour
188. 8-19 465319 28 Feb 97 What Do You Know?
189. 8-20 465315 14 Mar 97 Odd Man In
190. 8-21 465318 28 Mar 97 Flirting with Disaster
191. 8-22 465323 25 Apr 97 Pound Foolish
192. 8-23 465322 2 May 97 The Brother Who Came to Dinner
193. 8-24 465324 9 May 97 A Pirate's Life for Me

Family Matters Season 9 CBS

194. 9- 1 466451 19 Sep 97 Out With the Old
195. 9- 2 466452 26 Sep 97 They Shoot Ducks, Don't They?
196. 9- 3 466453 3 Oct 97 Dumb Belle of the Ball
197. 9- 4 466454 10 Oct 97 Drinking and Jiving
198. 9- 5 466455 17 Oct 97 Who's Afraid of the Big Black Book?
199. 9- 6 466457 24 Oct 97 A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read
200. 9- 7 466456 31 Oct 97 Stevil II: This Time He's Not Alone
201. 9- 8 466458 7 Nov 97 Trading Places
202. 9- 9 466459 28 Nov 97 A Pain in Harassment
203. 9-10 466460 5 Dec 97 Original Gangsta Dawg
204. 9-11 466461 19 Dec 97 Deck the Malls
205. 9-12 466462 9 Jan 98 Grill of My Dreams
206. 9-13 466463 16 Jan 98 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
207. 9-14 466464 23 Jan 98 Crazy for You (1)
208. 9-15 466465 30 Jan 98 Crazier for You (2)
209. 9-16 466466 5 Jun 98 Whose Man Is It Anyway?
210. 9-17 466467 12 Jun 98 Polkapalooza
211. 9-18 466468 18 Jun 98 Throw Urkel From the Train
212. 9-19 466469 26 Jun 98 Don't Make Me Over
213. 9-20 466470 3 Jul 98 Pop Goes the Question
214. 9-21 466471 17 Jul 98 Lost in Space (1)
215. 9-22 466471 17 Jul 98 Lost in Space (2)

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