Family Matters

Family Matters is an American television sitcom that debuted on ABC on September 22, 1989 and ended on May 9, 1997, before moving to CBS from September 19, 1997 to July 17, 1998. A spin-off of Perfect Strangers, the series revolves around the Winslow family, a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago, Illinois. Midway through the first season, the show introduced the Winslows' nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), who was originally scripted to appear as a one-time character. However, he quickly became the show's breakout character (and eventually the main character), joining the main cast.
Running for nine seasons, Family Matters became the second-longest-running live action U.S. sitcom with a predominantly African-American cast, behind only The Jeffersons (11 seasons). It aired for 215 episodes, being ranked third, behind only Tyler Perry's House of Payne (280+ as of 2021), and The Jeffersons (253). Family Matters was the last live-action scripted primetime show that debuted in the 1980s to leave the air, and outlasted all other primetime network debuts of the 1980s with the exception of The Simpsons.
Category:TV Shows