Jaleel White at GalaxyCon Richmond in March 2024. Photo by Pedro Heshike for GalaxyCon, CC BY 2.0.
If you grew up watching Family Matters on Friday nights, you probably remember the sound of Steve Urkel’s voice before you remember the plot of any particular episode. But the Winslows had already appeared on another sitcom by the time Steve showed up. And while he was making himself at home in their living room, a real man named Steve Erkel was having a much harder time booking a table. Los Angeles Times on the show’s beginnings · Interview with the real Steve Erkel
1. Harriette Winslow started out on another sitcom
Before she had a show about her family, Jo Marie Payton’s Harriette ran the elevator at the newspaper where Larry and Balki worked on Perfect Strangers. In the episode “Crimebusters,” the pair overhear her husband, a police officer played by Reginald VelJohnson, talking about a case. Family Matters followed the Winslows home and gave Harriette’s family a show of their own. Payton’s TV Insider profile · “Crimebusters” episode listing
2. Urkel was meant for one episode
“Laura’s First Date” aired on December 15, 1989. Three boys show up to take Laura to the school dance, and Steve is one of them. Co-creator Michael Warren said the part was written as a one-off. By January 1991, the producers wanted Steve in every script. Laura had one crowded evening to get through. The writers had found someone who could keep Carl busy for years. “Laura’s First Date” episode listing · Los Angeles Times interview with the creators
3. White’s audition costume came from home
White told NPR that his mother suggested he dress the part, so he went in with tight jeans and his father’s oversized glasses. He had wanted a pair taped at the bridge, like the glasses he remembered from Revenge of the Nerds. By the second audition, he’d also decided to introduce himself in character. Imagine being the person in the room waiting for a kid named Jaleel when Steve Urkel walks in instead. Jaleel White’s NPR interview
4. There really was a Steve Erkel
Warren borrowed the name from a friend, writer and director Steve Erkel, and changed the first letter of his surname for the script. The joke followed his friend off the set. Erkel told the Los Angeles Times that restaurant staff questioned him when he tried to make reservations over the phone. Imagine having to explain a sitcom before you can book a table. Los Angeles Times interview with Steve Erkel and Michael Warren
5. Steve gave Stephanie Tanner advice on Full House
In 1991’s “Stephanie Gets Framed,” Stephanie is worried her classmates will tease her about her new glasses. White turns up as Urkel and helps her figure out how to face them. For once, Steve’s big frames make him the most qualified person in the room. “Stephanie Gets Framed” episode listing
6. White needed some convincing about Stefan Urquelle
In season five’s “Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool,” Steve takes a potion and becomes Stefan, a smooth talker with a lower voice and a different way of carrying himself. White told Vanity Fair he was still an awkward teenager himself and had trouble imagining that viewers would buy him as someone so cool. His producer, David Duclon, encouraged him to give it a chance after the first table read. “Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool” episode listing · Jaleel White’s Vanity Fair interview
7. The house in the opening credits was a real Chicago home
The front steps and porch belonged to a house on West Wrightwood Avenue in Lincoln Park. Those shots gave viewers a familiar place to land before the action moved indoors. In September 2017, the city issued a demolition permit for the building. The 2010 photo below shows the house as fans still remember it. DNAinfo Chicago’s reporting · Chicago demolition permit record
Which Family Matters moment would you put on for someone seeing the show for the first time?
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