Throughout seasons 7-9 when theme song is removed and cast members names are listed in opening credits, we only get to see Rosetta Lenoire, Bryton McClure, Michelle Thomas, Orlando Brown, and Shawn Harrison's names listed in the eps they appeared in but in season 9 when Harriette does not appear in 4 eps, we still get to see her name.

I noticed that also.

Darius McCrary's name is listed in shows that he's not in also. It appears that Reginald, JoMarie, Darius, Kelly and Jaleel were contracted to be billed and paid a set salary whether they were in it or not but the others were only paid for the episodes that they were in. Seems like they did that to save $$$

Are you sure they weren't originally in the episode and that they weren't edited out for syndication? Thats happened to a few other shows I watch.

Are you sure they weren't originally in the episode and that they weren't edited out for syndication? Thats happened to a few other shows I watch.
I don't believe Jo Marie is in those 4 shows in the earlier part of the last season. Darius isn't in the one where Steve and Laura get engaged. I can't absolutely swear though, but it seems unlikely that they were in those shows because if so they would have only been on for a scene or maybe a minute and it would've been unusual for Harriet or Eddie to just be in one brief moment of a show.

Harriette did not appear in those 4 eps which is why she quit the show.

Harriette did not appear in those 4 eps which is why she quit the show.


I think at that point she really did not care if she was in episodes or not because she really did not like being on the show anymore. She wanted to quit long before she did. She made this comment after she left: "Family Matters had been stagnating my creativity, the Monday after I left I felt lighter and happier than I felt in years"

Yeah, and the fact that she was getting little to no attention the last season, certainly didn't help her stay.

And to think it was supposed to be her show to star in. She was pushed so far in the background and got very little attention. I can imagine how JoMarie Payton felt. :(

And it was even worse when they recast her character, that's a huge insult to her.

Yeah that is sure insult to injury, considering she played the role of Harriette for 10 years (including Perfect Strangers). She is the one who developed and shaped the character and the producers and writers just downplayed all of it by recasting her. Like none of the hard work she put into the character ever mattered. :mad:

The second Harriet sucked. :mad:

It really seemed like Carl had married a different woman. I even remember the 1st eps that Judyann Elder appeared in, they were arguing over a ring which Carl said was intended for another woman, and the entire time I thought, yeah it was intended for Jo Marie Payton. And Carl even proposed to Judyann Elder and it really did feel like he was proposing to another woman.