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Family Matters Characters
Family Matters started as a show about a Chicago police officer's family and became the Steve Urkel show.
- Network
- ABC
- Original run
- 1989 to 1998
- Guides
- 4
- Lead
- Ensemble cast
- Run note
- Moved to CBS for its final season.
Family Matters follows the Winslows, a middle-class family in Chicago. Carl Winslow is a police officer with a short fuse and a big heart, and his household includes his wife, his kids Eddie and Laura, and a rotating cast of relatives.
Then the neighbor kid showed up. Steve Urkel, the suspender-wearing, accident-prone nerd with a hopeless crush on Laura, was meant to be a one-time guest, but Jaleel White's performance made him a sensation, and the show gradually reshaped itself around him.
Family Matters was a spinoff of Perfect Strangers and a pillar of ABC's Friday night lineup for most of its nine seasons, before moving to CBS for its last.
New to the show, or planning a rewatch? Start with the essential Family Matters episodes, led by the 4 that matter to more than one character. Already a superfan? Try the 20-question Family Matters trivia quiz.
Family Matters main cast(4)
- Steve UrkelMain castPlayed by Jaleel WhiteThe suspendered, thick-glasses-wearing genius next door who was meant to be a minor guest on Family Matters…
- Carl WinslowMain castPlayed by Reginald VelJohnsonThe gruff but loving Chicago police officer at the head of the Winslow family, whose blood pressure rises every time his accident-prone neighbor…
- Eddie WinslowMain castPlayed by Darius McCraryThe Winslows' eldest child, a basketball-loving, girl-chasing slacker who constantly clashes with his police officer father before growing up and…
- Laura WinslowMain castPlayed by Kellie Shanygne WilliamsThe smart, ambitious elder daughter of the Winslow family and the endlessly pursued object of Steve Urkel's affection…
Family Matters couples and catchphrases
See how they compare with the best sitcom couples from every show, or find the Family Matters catchphrase in our list of famous sitcom catchphrases.
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