Family Matters
| Family Matters | |
|---|---|
Official logo, as seen on covers of the show's DVD releases
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| Genre | Family sitcom, Teen sitcom, Black sitcom |
| Created by | William Bickley Michael Warren |
| Developed by | Robert L. Boyett Thomas L. Miller |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer |
Jesse Frederick, Bennett Salvay & Scott Roeme (episodes 1–5: Bob Thiele, George David Weiss & George Douglas) |
| Opening theme | "As Days Go By," performed by Jesse Frederick (originally in episodes 1–5: "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong) |
| Ending theme | Instrumental theme, composed by Jesse Frederick & Bennett Salvay (seasons 1–4) Gary Boren (seasons 5–9) |
| Composer(s) | Jesse Frederick & Bennett Salvay (both; seasons 1–2) Gary Boren (seasons 3–5 and 8–9) Steven Chesne (seasons 4–7 and 9) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 215 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Thomas L. Miller Robert L. Boyett William Bickley Michael Warren (seasons 2–7) David W. Duclon (seasons 3–8) |
| Location(s) |
Lorimar Studios Culver City, California (1989–1993) Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, California (1993–1998) |
| Camera setup | Film; Multi-camera |
| Running time | Approx. 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Miller-Boyett Productions Bickley-Warren Productions (seasons 3–9) Lorimar Television (seasons 1–4) Warner Bros. Television (seasons 5–9) |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network |
ABC (1989–1997) CBS (1997–1998) |
| Picture format |
Original broadcasts: 4:3 SDTV Remastered versions: 4:3 HDTV |
| Original release | September 22, 1989 – July 17, 1998 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Perfect Strangers (1986–93) |
Family Matters is an American sitcom which originated on ABC from September 22, 1989 to 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 (played by Jaleel White), who quickly became its breakout character and eventually the show's main character. Having run for nine seasons, Family Matters is the second longest-running non-animated U.S. sitcom with a predominantly African American cast, behind only The Jeffersons (11). Having aired 215 episodes, Family Matters is ranked third, behind only Tyler Perry's House of Payne (254) and The Jeffersons (253).
The series originally focused on the character of police officer Carl Winslow and his family: wife Harriette, son Eddie, elder daughter Laura and younger daughter Judy (who appeared until the character was written out in season four). In the pilot episode, "The Mama Who Came to Dinner," the family had also opened their home to Carl's street-wise mother, Estelle (Rosetta LeNoire), usually known as "Mother Winslow." Prior to the start of the series, Harriette's sister, Rachel Crawford and her infant son, Richie, had moved into the Winslow household after the death of Rachel's husband. The Winslows' nerdy teenage next-door neighbor, Steve Urkel (played by Jaleel White), was introduced midway through the first season in the episode "Laura's First Date" and quickly became the focus of the show. The popular sitcom was a mainstay of ABC's TGIF lineup from 1989 until 1997, at which point it became part of the CBS Block Party lineup for its final season. Family Matters was produced by Bickley-Warren Productions and Miller-Boyett Productions, in association with Lorimar Television (1989–1993) and later Warner Bros. Television (1993–1998). As the show progressed, episodes began to center increasingly on Steve Urkel and other original characters also played by White, including Steve's suave alter-ego, Stefan Urquelle, and his female cousin, Myrtle Urkel.
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