I love Family Matters. I watched it every Friday night for 9 years straight, and I watch the reruns every morning on ABC Family at 7 and 7:30. But I must say this show has got to hold the reord for having the most inconsistincies ever. Here are all that I can think of

Carl's Age: Carl's age never seemed to make since, he went from being 38 to 42 in just one year, then 5 years later in a 9th Season episode, he mentions that he is 41.

The vanishing child: This is probably the most commonly known inconsistincy, the charachter Judy was seen quite a bit during the first 3 seasons, she only appeared in a handful of shows in the 4th Season, and by the 5th Season she was gone, never to be seen or heard about again.

The name change: Steve mentioned his mother's name is Diane in his second appearance on the show, later in the 4th season he mentions her name is Roberta.

I do, but I don't: Carl mentions that he doesn't drink in a few episodes, but in an episode during the final Season he goes to a bar where police officers hang out and has a beer.

The missing Nephew: It seems like halfway through the 9th and final season, Richie dissapeared, leaving only 3J. Perhaps the writers thought one youngster was enough and Richie got the shaft?

A Bully's dimwitted sidekick is my new best friend: In Season 2 Waldo was School Bully Willie Fufner's naive sidekick, by the end of that season he was a jewlry salesman, and in the 3rd Season, Eddies best friend.

A made up past: In a Season 5 episode Steve tells Carl that in 1986 he asked Carl to go skydiving with him, but Carl didn't even meet Steve Urkel until late 1989.

Trouble moving on: Laura and Steve spent 6 years in High School, I think they spent 3 years in the 11th grade, because at the end of Season 4 they attended their Junior Prom, and at the end of Season 6 when Steve's parents were moving to Russia, Steve says he doesn't want to miss his upcoming Senior year, and have to spend it at Boris Yeltsin High in Russia.

I love him, I love him not, I love him: At the end of Season 7, Steve and Laura go to their Senior Prom together, and Laura seems to finally fall for Steve and they share a passionate kiss at the end. The next season, there is no romantic evolvement between them whatsoever, but at the beggining of the 9th season, she starts to have feelings for him.

I love Family Matters. I watched it every Friday night for 9 years straight, and I watch the reruns every morning on ABC Family at 7 and 7:30. But I must say this show has got to hold the reord for having the most inconsistincies ever. Here are all that I can think of

Carl's Age: Carl's age never seemed to make since, he went from being 38 to 42 in just one year, then 5 years later in a 9th Season episode, he mentions that he is 41.

The vanishing child: This is probably the most commonly known inconsistincy, the charachter Judy was seen quite a bit during the first 3 seasons, she only appeared in a handful of shows in the 4th Season, and by the 5th Season she was gone, never to be seen or heard about again.

The name change: Steve mentioned his mother's name is Diane in his second appearance on the show, later in the 4th season he mentions her name is Roberta.

I do, but I don't: Carl mentions that he doesn't drink in a few episodes, but in an episode during the final Season he goes to a bar where police officers hang out and has a beer.

The missing Nephew: It seems like halfway through the 9th and final season, Richie dissapeared, leaving only 3J. Perhaps the writers thought one youngster was enough and Richie got the shaft?

A Bully's dimwitted sidekick is my new best friend: In Season 2 Waldo was School Bully Willie Fufner's naive sidekick, by the end of that season he was a jewlry salesman, and in the 3rd Season, Eddies best friend.

A made up past: In a Season 5 episode Steve tells Carl that in 1986 he asked Carl to go skydiving with him, but Carl didn't even meet Steve Urkel until late 1989.

Trouble moving on: Laura and Steve spent 6 years in High School, I think they spent 3 years in the 11th grade, because at the end of Season 4 they attended their Junior Prom, and at the end of Season 6 when Steve's parents were moving to Russia, Steve says he doesn't want to miss his upcoming Senior year, and have to spend it at Boris Yeltsin High in Russia.

I love him, I love him not, I love him: At the end of Season 7, Steve and Laura go to their Senior Prom together, and Laura seems to finally fall for Steve and they share a passionate kiss at the end. The next season, there is no romantic evolvement between them whatsoever, but at the beggining of the 9th season, she starts to have feelings for him.


I will say that one main Consistency was that the show maintain it's connection to the Perfect Strangers Situation in season 1 by having the Chicago Chronicle in the storyline.

Excellent observations.

Also, Steve is an excellent basketball player in a couple of episodes, but a complete klutz on the court in the season nine episode where he hits a half-court shot.

Also from season nine, Urkel claims that nobody remembered his birthday. There is no way that Myra would have forgotten - she has an Urkel bedroom set for crying out loud.

Carl's Age: Carl's age never seemed to make since, he went from being 38 to 42 in just one year, then 5 years later in a 9th Season episode, he mentions that he is 41.I laughed. Even with all of the inconsistency, the show was still good.

Things like this happen in most TV shows though, especially in sitcoms. Maybe the writers think people are more stupid or more forgetful than what we are.

What happen to her. I noticed that also. Where did she go? Makes not sense. and some if not all of the reviews say that there were only 2 children. I was beginning to wonder if Judy was another family members child that took her back all of a sudden. Wish we could find out what happen. :crazy:

Well, I often hear this story: Jaimee Foxworth's mother demanded more money for her daughter, and then, the girl was fired. The way they just ignored the whole Jody character made it easy for them to do so too. She was practically "dead weight" too them anyway at that point. I just wish it hadn't gone that way. I would have loved to see Jody as a teenager. And maybe Jaimee wouldn't have gone into porn, if they had let her stay at the show.

Did the show maintain the same writers and producers during its entire run? That is usually the main cause for the inconsistency. Each time, those staffs change, the writing and production styles slowly reflect. In shows, like Amen and 227, the stars were the executive consultants all the years so that helped with the consistency.

There were some inconsistincies in Eddie's age as well if I remember correctly.

Also in The crossover Full House episode Steve said something about being born in 1976. Later on in a Family Matters episode he mentions being born in 1977.

Well, I often hear this story: Jaimee Foxworth's mother demanded more money for her daughter, and then, the girl was fired. The way they just ignored the whole Jody character made it easy for them to do so too. She was practically "dead weight" too them anyway at that point. I just wish it hadn't gone that way. I would have loved to see Jody as a teenager. And maybe Jaimee wouldn't have gone into porn, if they had let her stay at the show.
Actually her name is Judy! I agree with you though, she was treated very poorly, in an interview w/ Jaimee's mom she said how she asked when Judy would get a plot and they said, "When pigs fly". After she got fired she got very depressed, 13 years old is a very akward stage in life and to be kicked off like that she felt like she wasn't wanted. She started doing drugs, and her mom was almost broke. So when a producer approached her to do porn she agreed for the sake of her family. Some people are so heartless, the producers of FM are!

Poor girl... We don't even know if her character's name is spelled "Jody" or "Judy"!

I can't believe they were that heartless! Why couldn't they just have given Jaimee and her character a chance?

Of course, as I've said in previous posts, if Frank Dungan and Jeff Stein were running the show, Ms. Foxworth would never have left, because unlike Miller and Boyett, Dungan and Stein emphasized quality over quantity, as seen via their work on Mr. Belvedere.

I noticed all those inconsistencies. However, I did not know that Carl said that he was 41 in the last season. That is such B.S. That is so ridiculous.

Maybe he lied about this age in that episode?

Carls said he was 38 in season 3. Hmm.

in the one episode where eddie and carl fight they say eddie was born in 1974 and they were in the house when harriet gave birth.

in a later season when steve and carl go back in time to when carl bought the house and was moving in, it was 1975

Hmm, yeah, that's true, they said in that episode it was in 1976.

This show has got to have the most inconsistencies Iv'e ever seen on a TV show. There are so many more. I will name some.

There's an episode during the last season where Carl and Eddie go to this bar called the lock up and they each have a beer. One of the off duty officers at the bar even mentions to Carl, "I haven't seen you in a while, I hear your'e a captain now, you too stuck up to drink with us regular guys?" In a Season 7 episode Carl is furious that Eddie has been drinking. While I know the argument may be that Eddie was only 19 in Season 7 and 21 in Season 9, therefore of age. You may also remember Carl's line in the Season 7 episode that went "I dont need to take a drink to have a good time, and either do you" He also made a lot of points to Eddie about drinking being a dead end road. Also what's even more ironic I remember him mentiontioning to his boss Commishiner Guiess in another episode in the final season that he doesn't drink, when his boss offers him some corniac.

Steve mentions in his first appearance that he's been crazy about Laura since the first grade. In an episode later on in the series he states he fell for him in preschool when she made him eat his play-dough.

Carl's brother Frank is mentioned as being a wealthy guy when Mother winslow goes to visit him in a first season episode. When we finally meet Frank in a Season 8 episode, he is seen as somewhat of a deadbeat working for a carnival, and getting in trouble for writing bad checks.

Waldo mentions being in High School for 7 years which would mean he would have been 21 years old at the end of Season 5. In a season 7 episode from 2 years later he mentions to Eddie that theyr'e not old enough to drink when Eddie wants to go into a sportsbar to meet some Chicago Bulls players.

Richie calls Mother winslow "grandma" but in all actuality she's not Richie's grandmother. Richie comes from Harriettes side of the family, and Mother Winslow is Carl's mother.

Laura mentions in a few episodes that she hates blind dates cause that's how she met Steve Urkel. But if you remember in Steve's first appearance she already knew Steve before Carl tried to fix them up together.

Eddies age seems to change a lot during the series, he's 15 in the pilot, but it's said a few times during that season he's in 9th grade. When your'e in 9th grade your'e usually 14 at the beggining of the school year, and Eddie was already 15. The next season Eddie mentions to Carl that he's been 16 for 36 hours now, which is in an episode that takes place in October, a few episodes later Harriette mentions Eddies birthday being in January 1974, which would make him turn 17 in the middle of that season. He seems to be a Senior in High school for 2 years in a row, which I guess isn't all that uncommon for any kid in a TV series. It's just more convienient to have them in High school and living at home, then to send them off to college and have to convineitley write them into the script, showing up with a laundry bag all the time, like they actually did with Eddie in Season 6.

The actor Shavar Ross originally played Ted's friend Alex in an early season 4 episode, a few episodes later he takes on the role as Eddies friend Weasel. However during one of the season 4 episodes as Weasel he makes the same catch phrase the charachter Alex made, "Just askin, go head"

I could go on forever and ever but unfortunatley it's Christmas eve and I gotta be up in just a few hours. Mabye you all could come up with some more inconsistincies, the list goes on for ever and ever. haha

Well, many sitcoms have inconsistencies. You could easily make a similar list about "The Cosby show" and "Fresh Prince of Bel Air".

This show has got to have the most inconsistencies Iv'e ever seen on a TV show. There are so many more. I will name some.

Carl's brother Frank is mentioned as being a wealthy guy when Mother winslow goes to visit him in a first season episode. When we finally meet Frank in a Season 8 episode, he is seen as somewhat of a deadbeat working for a carnival, and getting in trouble for writing bad checks.

Waldo mentions being in High School for 7 years which would mean he would have been 21 years old at the end of Season 5. In a season 7 episode from 2 years later he mentions to Eddie that theyr'e not old enough to drink when Eddie wants to go into a sportsbar to meet some Chicago Bulls players.

Richie calls Mother winslow "grandma" but in all actuality she's not Richie's grandmother. Richie comes from Harriettes side of the family, and Mother Winslow is Carl's mother.

The actor Shavar Ross originally played Ted's friend Alex in an early season 4 episode, a few episodes later he takes on the role as Eddies friend Weasel. However during one of the season 4 episodes as Weasel he makes the same catch phrase the charachter Alex made, "Just askin, go head"

A lot can happen in 8 years, can't we just assume Frank went downhill financially during that time? What should Richie call Mother Winslow? Also, they did the same thing with Waldo b/c he was an "enemy" by being friends with Willie, and then suddenly one of Eddie's friends.

One thing I would like to know is if Steve's clone had to continue to keep going into the Urkel transformation chamber after season 7 wrapped up so that he could keep being Stephan because that is what Steve said had to be done when the chamber was first created.

God bless you always!!! :) :) :)

Holly

P.S. Another inconsistency is the girl named Penny that was Laura's best friend in the first year of the show. After that season ended, Maxine was her best friend for the rest of the show.

Oh and was Eddie and Greta still and item when the show ended?

One thing I would like to know is if Steve's clone had to continue to keep going into the Urkel transformation chamber after season 7 wrapped up so that he could keep being Stephan because that is what Steve said had to be done when the chamber was first created.
You know, I've never thought about that, but you've got a really good question there.

One thing I would like to know is if Steve's clone had to continue to keep going into the Urkel transformation chamber after season 7 wrapped up so that he could keep being Stephan because that is what Steve said had to be done when the chamber was first created.

God bless you always!!! :) :) :)

Holly

P.S. Another inconsistency is the girl named Penny that was Laura's best friend in the first year of the show. After that season ended, Maxine was her best friend for the rest of the show.

Oh and was Eddie and Greta still and item when the show ended?



1. Penny.....minor detail that most fans wouldn't remember

2. Greta.........minor character who was not in a serious relationship with eddie

Penny might have been easily forgotten, but Eddy was in a serious relationship with Greta.

Carls said he was 38 in season 3. Hmm.


Yep, he did when he was taking that like detector test in the kitchen. Then the next season, he was on the season premiere where he and Steve were on "American Gladiators" and his profile on the show listed him as being 42. I remember thinking to myself "That's much better". In season one, he went to his HS reunion where he was from the class of 1969 so it can be assumed that he was around 18 when he graduated and was on the verge of being 19 soon in that year. Add 23 birthdays later, and it comes out to be 42. So, I was glad that the writing was fixed there.

Another inconsistency was when Harriette reminded Carl that they were married for 20 years when she and Rachel found Carl at the Love Grotto with his stake out partner Vanessa and then 2 seasons later, they go out of state to a cabin to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Then two seasons later, they celebrate 19 years together? That was not cool with me. LOL.

The original poster states that Steve and Laura were HS students for six years...not exactly. It was really five. They entered HS in 1991 and graduated in 1996. It can be said that they were seniors the year before as Steve was prepping for his interview to MIT. Eddie was supposed to be class of 1993 and it wound up being 1994.

As far as Steve goes, he originally met the family in 1989 in episode 12. Season five had an ep where Steve tells Carl that in 1986 that Carl agreed to do some type of activity with him (7 or 8 years later). Then in season six (early 1995), when the family is doing therapy counseling, Carl makes mention that Steve has been a pain for him for "the past six years". So, at least that inconsistency was fixed. Laura also made mention to Maxine midway through the series that she doesn't like blind dates because that is how she met Steve. However, we all know that they knew one another from the first grade. But another questions comes to mind, why is it stated that Steve has lived next door all those years but met Laura's family in late 1989? LOL.

I wish they had someone in production that kept records as to what was said regarding the characters because viewers do notice!!!

I think Greta was a "friends with Benefits" not a girlfriend LOL

What do you mean mean by that? :confused:

What do you mean mean by that? :confused:


She was just someone he was having frequent sex with

That sounds like a girlfriend to me.

Carl was way too young to have 3 grown teenage in season 3,carl being 38 years old seems creepy i always thought he was in his 50's in the show i guess him receding hairline fooled me lol

^^^ When Carl was 38, Eddie was either 16 or 17, so Carl was 21 or 22 when Eddie was born. :) :) :)

God bless you always!!! :) :) :)

Holly

Carl being 38 in Season 3 is believeable. Eddie was 17 at the time meaning he was 21 when Eddie was born. I actually know a lot of people in the 70's who had kids young. My dad was 20 when I was born.