Family Matters 1989
- Status
- Ended
- First Aired
- September 22, 1989
- Last Aired
- July 17, 1998
- Format
- 9 seasons · 215 eps
- Total Runtime
- ~82.4 hours (23 min/ep)
- Essential Runtime
- ~82.1 hours (skips filler)
- Highest Rated Episode
- S3E1 "Boom!" (★ 10/10)
- Created By
- Michael Warren, William Bickley
- Networks
- ABC, CBS
- Where to Stream
- Hulu, YouTube TV, TBS
Streaming data from JustWatch
★ TMDB users: 6.7/10 from 358 votes TV-G ComedyFamily 9 seasons · 215 eps Ended
Where to watch:
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Quick answer
What is Family Matters?
Family Matters is an American television sitcom that follows the lives of the Winslows, a middle-class African American family residing in Chicago. The series was created by William Bickley, Robert L.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1989
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 215
- Runtime
- 23 minutes
- First aired
- Sep 22, 1989
- Last aired
- Jul 17, 1998
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- ABC, CBS
- Genres
- Comedy, Family
- Updated
Series guide
At a glance
- Rating
- ★ TMDB users: 6.7/10 from 358 votes
- Format
- 9 seasons · 215 episodes
- Episode runtime
- ~23 minutes
- Status
- Ended
- Networks
- ABC, CBS
Availability by region
Where to watch in United States
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Estimate the schedule using 215 episodes and an average 23-minute runtime.
Trailer
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Family Matters is an American television sitcom that follows the lives of the Winslows, a middle-class African American family residing in Chicago. The series was created by William Bickley, Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller, and Michael Warren. As a spin-off of the program Perfect Strangers, the show centers on the family as they navigate various misadventures, many of which are caused by their pesky next-door neighbor, an ultra-nerd named Steve Urkel. The cast includes Reginald VelJohnson, Jaleel White, Darius McCrary, and Kellie Shanygne Williams. The production originally aired on ABC for eight seasons, beginning on September 22, 1989, and concluding on May 9, 1997. The series subsequently moved to CBS for its ninth and final season, which ran from September 19, 1997, until July 17, 1998. Described as a long-running dramedy, the show depicts the daily experiences of the Winslow household and their interactions with their distinctive neighbor throughout its nine-year broadcast history on network television.
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Should you watch it?
“A middle-class African American family navigates life in Chicago with comedic chaos, largely stirred by their nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel.”
Reasons to watch
- Warm portrayal of family dynamics
- Iconic comedic character in Steve Urkel
- Blend of humor and heart
Keep in mind
- Some episodes rely heavily on recurring gags
- Later seasons shift focus significantly
You enjoy classic family sitcoms with a mix of humor and relatable life lessons.
Suitable for general audiences with wholesome themes and mild physical comedy.
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Cast
Reginald VelJohnson
Carl Winslow
Darius McCrary
Eddie Winslow
Kellie Shanygne Williams
Laura Winslow
Jaleel White
Steve Urkel
Jo Marie Payton
Harriette Winslow
Rosetta LeNoire
Estelle Winslow
Bryton James
Richie Crawford
Jaimee Foxworth
Judy Winslow
Telma Hopkins
Rachel Crawford
Shawn Harrison
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Cherie Johnson
Maxine Johnson
Michelle Thomas
Myra Monkhouse
Comprehensive Directory
Episode guide
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Season 1 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 The Mama Who Came to Dinner Mytharc Sep 22, 1989
- E2 Two-Income Family Core Sep 29, 1989
- E3 Short Story Core Oct 6, 1989
- E4 Rachel's First Date Core Oct 13, 1989
- E5 Straight A's Core Oct 20, 1989
- E6 Basketball Blues Core Nov 3, 1989
- E7 Body Damage Core Nov 10, 1989
- E8 Mr. Badwrench Core Nov 17, 1989
- E9 Stake-Out Core Nov 24, 1989
- E10 False Arrest Core Dec 1, 1989
- E11 The Quilt Core Dec 8, 1989
- E12 Laura's First Date Core Dec 15, 1989
- E13 Man's Best Friend Core Jan 5, 1990
- E14 Baker's Dozens Core Jan 12, 1990
- E15 The Big Reunion Core Jan 19, 1990
- E16 The Party Core Feb 2, 1990
- E17 The Big Fix Core Feb 9, 1990
- E18 Sitting Pretty Core Feb 16, 1990
- E19 In a Jam Core Mar 16, 1990
- E20 The Candidate Core Mar 23, 1990
- E21 Bowl Me Over Mytharc Apr 13, 1990
- E22 Rock Video Mytharc Apr 27, 1990
Season 2 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 2 guide & lore primer →- E1 Rachel's Place Mytharc Sep 21, 1990
- E2 Torn Between Two Lovers Core Sep 28, 1990
- E3 Marriage 101 Core Oct 5, 1990
- E4 Flashpants Core Oct 12, 1990
- E5 The Crash Course Core Oct 19, 1990
- E6 Boxcar Blues Core Oct 26, 1990
- E7 Dog Day Halloween Core Nov 2, 1990
- E8 Cousin Urkel Core Nov 9, 1990
- E9 Dedicated to the One I Love Core Nov 16, 1990
- E10 The Science Project Core Nov 23, 1990
- E11 Requiem for an Urkel Core Dec 7, 1990
- E12 Fast Eddie Winslow Core Dec 14, 1990
- E13 Have Yourself a Very Winslow Christmas Core Dec 21, 1990
- E14 Ice Station Winslow Core Jan 4, 1991
- E15 Son Core Jan 11, 1991
- E16 Do the Right Thing Core Jan 18, 1991
- E17 High Hopes Core Feb 1, 1991
- E18 Life of the Party Core Feb 8, 1991
- E19 Busted Core Feb 15, 1991
- E20 Fight the Good Fight Core Feb 22, 1991
- E21 Taking Credit Core Mar 15, 1991
- E22 Finding the Words Core Mar 22, 1991
- E23 Skip to My Lieu Core Apr 5, 1991
- E24 The Good the Bad and the Urkel Mytharc Apr 19, 1991
- E25 I Should Have Done Something Mytharc Apr 26, 1991
Season 3 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 3 guide & lore primer →- E1 Boom! Mytharc Sep 20, 1991
- E2 Brain over Brawn Core Sep 27, 1991
- E3 The Show Must Go On Core Oct 4, 1991
- E4 Words Hurt Core Oct 11, 1991
- E5 Daddy's Little Girl Core Oct 18, 1991
- E6 Citizen's Court Core Oct 25, 1991
- E7 Robo-Nerd Core Nov 1, 1991
- E8 Making the Team Core Nov 8, 1991
- E9 Born to be Mild Core Nov 15, 1991
- E10 The Love God Core Nov 22, 1991
- E11 Old and Alone Core Nov 29, 1991
- E12 A Pair of Ladies Core Dec 6, 1991
- E13 Choir Trouble Core Dec 20, 1991
- E14 A Test of Friendship Core Jan 10, 1992
- E15 Jailhouse Blues Core Jan 17, 1992
- E16 Brown Bombshell Core Jan 31, 1992
- E17 Food, Lies and Videotape Core Feb 7, 1992
- E18 My Broken-Hearted Valentine Core Feb 14, 1992
- E19 Woman of the People Core Feb 21, 1992
- E20 Love and Kisses Core Feb 28, 1992
- E21 Stop, in the Name of Love Core Mar 13, 1992
- E22 The Urkel Who Came to Dinner Core Apr 3, 1992
- E23 Robo-Nerd II Core Apr 24, 1992
- E24 Dudes Mytharc May 1, 1992
- E25 Farewell, My Laura Mytharc May 8, 1992
Season 4 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 4 guide & lore primer →- E1 Surely You Joust Mytharc Sep 18, 1992
- E2 Dance to the Music Core Oct 2, 1992
- E3 Driving Carl Crazy Core Oct 9, 1992
- E4 Rumor Has It Core Oct 16, 1992
- E5 Number One with a Bullet Core Oct 23, 1992
- E6 Whose Kid Is it Anyway? Core Oct 30, 1992
- E7 An Officer and a Waldo Core Nov 6, 1992
- E8 Just One Date! Core Nov 13, 1992
- E9 The Oddest Couple Core Nov 20, 1992
- E10 It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Urkel Core Dec 11, 1992
- E11 Muskrat Love Core Jan 8, 1993
- E12 Hot Wheels Core Jan 15, 1993
- E13 The Way the Ball Bounces Core Jan 22, 1993
- E14 A Thought in the Dark Core Jan 29, 1993
- E15 Tender Kisses Core Feb 5, 1993
- E16 Heart Strings Core Feb 12, 1993
- E17 It's a Mad, Mad, Madhouse Core Feb 19, 1993
- E18 Higher Anxiety Core Feb 26, 1993
- E19 Mama's Wedding Core Mar 5, 1993
- E20 Pulling Teeth Core Mar 19, 1993
- E21 Walk on the Wild Side Core Mar 26, 1993
- E22 Hot Stuff Core Apr 30, 1993
- E23 Stormy Weather Mytharc May 7, 1993
- E24 Buds 'n' Buns Mytharc May 14, 1993
Season 5 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 5 guide & lore primer →- E1 Hell Toupee Mytharc Sep 24, 1993
- E2 It Didn't Happen One Night Core Oct 1, 1993
- E3 Saved by the Urkel Core Oct 8, 1993
- E4 A Matter of Principle Core Oct 15, 1993
- E5 Money Out the Window Core Oct 22, 1993
- E6 Best Friends Core Oct 29, 1993
- E7 Grandmama Core Nov 5, 1993
- E8 Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool Core Nov 12, 1993
- E9 Car Wars Core Nov 19, 1993
- E10 All the Wrong Moves Core Nov 26, 1993
- E11 Christmas is Where the Heart Is Filler Dec 10, 1993
- E12 Scenes from a Mall Core Dec 17, 1993
- E13 Rock Enroll Core Jan 7, 1994
- E14 Like a Virgin Core Jan 14, 1994
- E15 Good Cop, Bad Cop Core Jan 21, 1994
- E16 Presumed Urkel Core Feb 4, 1994
- E17 Father of the Bride Core Feb 11, 1994
- E18 Psycho Twins Core Feb 18, 1994
- E19 That's What Friends Are For Core Mar 4, 1994
- E20 Opposites Attract Core Mar 18, 1994
- E21 A-Camping We Will Go Core Apr 1, 1994
- E22 Nunsense Core Apr 29, 1994
- E23 Aunt Oona Mytharc May 6, 1994
- E24 Stefan Returns Mytharc May 20, 1994
Season 6 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 6 guide & lore primer →- E1 To Be or Not to Be (1) Mytharc Sep 23, 1994
- E2 To Be or Not to Be (2) Core Sep 30, 1994
- E3 Till Death Do Us Apartment Core Oct 7, 1994
- E4 The Looney Bin Core Oct 14, 1994
- E5 Beta Chi Guy Core Oct 21, 1994
- E6 Dark and Stormy Night Core Oct 28, 1994
- E7 Par For the Course Core Nov 4, 1994
- E8 Sink or Swim Core Nov 11, 1994
- E9 Paradise Bluff Core Nov 18, 1994
- E10 Flying Blind Core Nov 25, 1994
- E11 Miracle on Elm Street Core Dec 16, 1994
- E12 Midterm Crisis Core Jan 6, 1995
- E13 An Unlikely Match Core Jan 20, 1995
- E14 The Substitute Son Core Feb 3, 1995
- E15 The Gun Core Feb 10, 1995
- E16 Wedding Bell Blues Core Feb 17, 1995
- E17 Ain't Nothin' But an Urkel Core Feb 24, 1995
- E18 My Uncle the Hero Core Mar 3, 1995
- E19 My Bodyguard Core Mar 17, 1995
- E20 Cheers Looking at You, Kid Core Mar 24, 1995
- E21 What's Up Doc? Core Mar 31, 1995
- E22 We're Going to Disney World (1) Core Apr 28, 1995
- E23 We're Going to Disney World (2) Core May 5, 1995
- E24 They Shoot Urkels, Don't They? Mytharc May 12, 1995
- E25 Home Sweet Home Mytharc May 19, 1995
Season 7 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 7 guide & lore primer →- E1 Little Big Guy Mytharc Sep 22, 1995
- E2 The Naked and the Nerdy Core Sep 29, 1995
- E3 Bugged Core Oct 13, 1995
- E4 Teacher's Pet Core Oct 20, 1995
- E5 Walking My Baby Back Home Core Oct 27, 1995
- E6 She's Back Core Nov 3, 1995
- E7 Hot Rods to Heck Core Nov 10, 1995
- E8 Talk's Cheap Core Nov 17, 1995
- E9 Struck By Lightning Core Nov 24, 1995
- E10 Best Years of Our Lives Core Dec 8, 1995
- E11 Fa La La La Laagghh! Core Dec 15, 1995
- E12 Friendship Cycles Core Jan 5, 1996
- E13 South of the Border Core Jan 12, 1996
- E14 Life in the Fast Lane Core Jan 26, 1996
- E15 Random Acts of Science Core Feb 2, 1996
- E16 Tips For a Better Life Core Feb 9, 1996
- E17 Swine Lake Core Feb 16, 1996
- E18 My Big Brother Core Feb 23, 1996
- E19 Eau de love Core Mar 8, 1996
- E20 Twinkle Toes Faldo Core Mar 15, 1996
- E21 Scammed Core Mar 29, 1996
- E22 Dream Date Core Apr 26, 1996
- E23 A Ham is Born Mytharc May 10, 1996
- E24 Send in the Clone Mytharc May 17, 1996
Season 8 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 8 guide & lore primer →- E1 Paris Vacation (1) Mytharc Sep 20, 1996
- E2 Paris Vacation (2) Core Sep 20, 1996
- E3 Paris Vacation (3) Core Sep 27, 1996
- E4 Movin' On Core Oct 4, 1996
- E5 3J in the House Core Oct 11, 1996
- E6 Getting Buff Core Oct 18, 1996
- E7 Stevil Core Oct 25, 1996
- E8 Karate Kids Core Nov 1, 1996
- E9 Home Again Core Nov 8, 1996
- E10 Nightmare at Urkel Oaks Core Nov 15, 1996
- E11 Chick-a-Boom Core Nov 22, 1996
- E12 The Jury Core Dec 6, 1996
- E13 It Came upon a Midnight Clear Core Dec 13, 1996
- E14 Revenge of the Nerd Core Jan 3, 1997
- E15 Love Triangles Core Jan 17, 1997
- E16 Father Time Core Jan 31, 1997
- E17 Beauty and the Beast Core Feb 7, 1997
- E18 Le Jour d'amour Core Feb 14, 1997
- E19 What Do You Know? Core Feb 28, 1997
- E20 Odd Man In Core Mar 14, 1997
- E21 Flirting with Disaster Core Mar 28, 1997
- E22 Pound Foolish Core Apr 25, 1997
- E23 The Brother Who Came to Dinner Mytharc May 2, 1997
- E24 A Pirate's Life for Me Mytharc May 9, 1997
Season 9 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 9 guide & lore primer →- E1 Out With the Old Mytharc Sep 19, 1997
- E2 They Shoot Ducks, Don't They? Core Sep 26, 1997
- E3 Dumb Belle of the Ball Core Oct 3, 1997
- E4 Drinking and Jiving Core Oct 10, 1997
- E5 Who's Afraid of the Big Black Book? Core Oct 17, 1997
- E6 A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read Core Oct 24, 1997
- E7 Stevil II: This Time He's Not Alone Core Oct 31, 1997
- E8 Trading Places Core Nov 7, 1997
- E9 A Pain in Harassment Core Nov 28, 1997
- E10 Original Gangsta Dawg Core Dec 5, 1997
- E11 Deck the Malls Core Dec 19, 1997
- E12 Grill of My Dreams Core Jan 9, 1998
- E13 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do Core Jan 16, 1998
- E14 Crazy for You Core Jan 23, 1998
- E15 Crazier for You Core Jan 30, 1998
- E16 Whose Man Is It Anyway? Core Jun 5, 1998
- E17 Polkapalooza Core Jun 12, 1998
- E18 Throw Urkel From the Train Core Jun 19, 1998
- E19 Don't Make Me Over Core Jun 26, 1998
- E20 Pop Goes the Question Core Jul 3, 1998
- E21 Lost in Space (1) Mytharc Jul 10, 1998
- E22 Lost in Space (2) Mytharc Jul 17, 1998
Verified insights
Frequently asked questions
Is Family Matters a spin-off?
Yes, it originated as a spin-off of Perfect Strangers.
Who are the main characters?
The show centers on the Winslow family and their neighbor Steve Urkel.
Where is the show set?
The Winslow family lives in Chicago.
How long did the series run?
It aired for nine seasons, beginning in 1989.
What genre is Family Matters?
It is a dramedy, blending drama and comedy.
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