that was the stupidest episode they could have ever made, steve and carl as little people and then sleeping on bread and using cheese as a blanket, that was a very odd episode.

That's why I don't like watching the later seasons.. Mostly all of the eps are just weird, like the Time Machine ep,Steve changing into Bruce Lee, The teleporter to France. I just found those very corny...

It was a weird episode, but I liked it-LOL. I hadn't seen it in a long time, so watching it last night was great.

I'm surprised NAN is already in season 6. It seems like they just started airing season 5. The show premiered just a month and a half ago, and they're already 2/3 done.

This is why I tend to avoid Family Matters in reruns. The show got too out there in terms of storylines.

Yeah, I dont like FM after season 4 for that reason (along with MAJOR inconsistency) but atleast we got see the ending tag scene (well, most of it).

Were the later season THAT bad? They weren't as good as the early seasons, but I still enjoyed most of the episodes from that season. To me, people are too picky with shows with longer runs -I don't understand why someone would just stop watching a show after a certain season. If you enjoy watching a show, that shouldn't be a problem.

Were the later season THAT bad? They weren't as good as the early seasons, but I still enjoyed most of the episodes from that season. To me, people are too picky with shows with longer runs -I don't understand why someone would just stop watching a show after a certain season. If you enjoy watching a show, that shouldn't be a problem.

I agree with you! I love the show, and I enjoy every season, even though the transformation chamber and that was a little too much.

Well the show completely changes focus! It turns from a wholesome family show to a sci fi Urkel show. I agree that I dont like it when people dont like shows after a certain point, but the shw just seemed too different. I really like season 1 (yeah I know moost of you hate it) and season 2 is good. And 3 and 4 are OK. After that I dont like it much. I mean, I still watch it, its just not as good.

I completely agree that the show changed focus by season 6 or so, and that the later seasons (especially the last 2, IMO) were not nearly as good as the earlier seasons, but I still love the show, and I watch all the season no matter what. Actually, I'm more interested in the later seasons now on NAN because those are the ones I haven't seen much of.

I think FM was pretty good right up till the time they replaced Harriet. After that it was kind of hard to watch.

I think FM was pretty good right up till the time they replaced Harriet. After that it was kind of hard to watch.

Yeah, those episodes were by far the worst of the series. But, that was only the last half of the last season, so it wasn't like it was half the series.

Yes, the original Harriet was the best, cause Jomarie Payton was known from the show Perfect Strangers, so I new Harriet fifn't really fit in, but yes, she was only in a half season. And I agree about the season, sure the later ones are not as good as the earlier, but I still watch them, cause this is my favorite sitcom.

Yeah I forgot to mention that horrible bruce lee episode.


I also noticed that eddie's role was getting smaller and smaller as they went on

Yeah I forgot to mention that horrible bruce lee episode.


I also noticed that eddie's role was getting smaller and smaller as they went on


That's because just about every episode focused on Steve/Stefan and Laura

About the only thing I didn't like about the later shows was Stefan . He had no personality. lol

Well at least this episode had good effects. The huge Pringles chips looked very real.

The second Harriette was only on a half a season or so thankfully.

I shudder when I think of any episode involving that transformation chamber :( however, on the flipside I liked how Laura began to ease up on Steve and they became really good friends.

I loved the Halloween episode when the Chucky-like Urkel doll was running around wreaking havoc. What season is that episode in? It probably won't be shown until October, but I'm hoping that it's sooner as they just showed the vampire Halloween episode last week.

Stevil is season 7 and return of Stevil is season 8. They are skipping Stevil, not sure about Return of Stevil, but likely they will skip it, too. I bet you a Halloween marathon of FM will air this Halloween.

Well at least this episode had good effects. The huge Pringles chips looked very real.

The second Harriette was only on a half a season or so thankfully.

I loved the huge pringle (or as they called it, Bringle-LOL) chip - sure it was corny, but it was fun!

I don't really understand why everyone can't stand Judyann Elder as Harriet - I mean, she was only on for what, 10 episodes? We barely got a chance to see her as Harriet.

And I"m hoping for a Halloween FM marathon - it would be the best NAN Halloween since the Roseanne marathons a few years back.

I don't really understand why everyone can't stand Judyann Elder as Harriet - I mean, she was only on for what, 10 episodes? We barely got a chance to see her as Harriet.

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, Harriette was my favorite character on "Family Matters", so her absence was extremely noticeable to me. I only saw a few minutes of one episode with Judyann, and I changed the channel.

Also, even though she was only on 3 or 4 episodes, I was used to seeing Judyann as Gina's mom on "Martin", so seeing her play Harriette was complete anarchy to me :) . I thought they would've learned after changing up Vivian on Fresh Prince, but they didn't.

IMO, changing out Harriette was just as bad as if they'd chosen to hire someone else to play Steve.

The old Harriet had more power in her character, if you ask me, you barely noticed the new Harriet next to Carl. I'd hoped she'd be just like the old Harriet but she wasn't. That doesn't mean that I think that the new Harriet was no good actress she was just different.

I enjoyed all seasons of "Family Matters" but I like season one best. I also didn't mind when Laura and Steve got together, it was meant to happen but I could have done without Stefan and the transformation chamber.

I didn't like the Bruce Lee episode either but I loved the chips scene and the episode when Carl and Steve were literally sleeping with the cheese. :D

I wonder if it would have just been better to leave Harriet out of the last few episodes - Harriet was a very powerful character, who knew how to stand up and speak her mind. Judyann definitely didn't play the character like that, though, so I understand why those episodes wouldn't be up to part with the rest. But, the episodes she was in, she was barely in them.

I think if they left the role alone, and didn't recast the role for 5 or so episodes, the last season would have been a lot better, and the character of Harriet would have gone out on top.

I think FM was pretty good right up till the time they replaced Harriet. After that it was kind of hard to watch.

I agree with that, I still liked most of the episodes beyond Season 6 until that point. The Myrtle ones were my least favorites. I loved "Little Big Guy" LOL

I also think it would have been a good idea to just write Harriette out at the end. Bringing in a new one was just wrong.

Yes, after 9 seasons, thats weird.

It was wrong - it was only for about 5 very-low rated episodes, it wasn't like anyone was even going to know she was gone. I think Judyann kind of killed Harriet at the end of the show. I don't blame JoMarie for walking out, though - it was her show.

I'm sure I've said it before, but when I first watched this show as a teenager, I didn't even notice how much it changed over the years. But now, when I'm in my 20s, I notice it. However, I don't think the show became bad, just different. I like the more realistic early seasons just as much as the next person. But I also liked the "sci-fi" or "cartoony" episodes, that people seem to hate. And even though it was years ago, that I saw that episode, where Steve and Carl shrink, I remember liking it. And such corny plots just fitted Steve's and Carl's characters. My problems with this show is that they got rid of Judy and that they set Steve up with the Laura bitch instead of with his true love Myra. I could have taken another season of corny sci-fi cartoony episodes, if only Steve had chosen Myra instead of Laura.

I haven't seen much of the 9th season. I think it only has been shown in Sweden ONCE! So I haven't excactly been overexposed to that second Harriet. But I still think it's a shame, that they didn't listen to JoMarie Payton, so they could have had her stay on the show. All she wanted was a few more realistic plotlines, and I think they should have given her that. The later seasons didn't become so popular anyway, and JoMarie was the reason this show started in the first place.

When did they show the 9th season in Sweden then?

It was back in like 1998 or 1999. It was on early in the Sunday mornings on Kanal 5, and I didn't even know it was on. I only caught the last episode, when Steve is in space, and that was by accident. Guess who was POed at seeing Steve being engaged to Laura?

Oh ok. I was still really young then, even though it wasn't that long ago. I used to watch a few sitcoms, cause you know, kanal 5 often shows sitcoms on the mornings, I don't really remember if I actually saw any of Family Matters then.

I was like fourteen or fifteen, when I saw that episode. "Family Matters" sure was on Kanal 5 back then, but I missed that season.

That's cool. I was 8-9 years then. I just read that Family Matters also was shown on TV 3.

Yup, but that was in like 2001 and 2003.

Oh, that's not so long ago. I've always watched kanal 5, I recognize, somehow the series, but I don't remember it. Ahh, the point is I'm watching it now.

Yes, it is. Keep watching! :D

I'm sure I've said it before, but when I first watched this show as a teenager, I didn't even notice how much it changed over the years. But now, when I'm in my 20s, I notice it. However, I don't think the show became bad, just different. I like the more realistic early seasons just as much as the next person. But I also liked the "sci-fi" or "cartoony" episodes, that people seem to hate. And even though it was years ago, that I saw that episode, where Steve and Carl shrink, I remember liking it. And such corny plots just fitted Steve's and Carl's characters. My problems with this show is that they got rid of Judy and that they set Steve up with the Laura bitch instead of with his true love Myra. I could have taken another season of corny sci-fi cartoony episodes, if only Steve had chosen Myra instead of Laura.

I haven't seen much of the 9th season. I think it only has been shown in Sweden ONCE! So I haven't excactly been overexposed to that second Harriet. But I still think it's a shame, that they didn't listen to JoMarie Payton, so they could have had her stay on the show. All she wanted was a few more realistic plotlines, and I think they should have given her that. The later seasons didn't become so popular anyway, and JoMarie was the reason this show started in the first place.

I honestly couldn't have put it better myself :) I too think it's a shame they didn't listen to JoMarie, and let her get some of the things she wanted in the first place. It was her show, and by the end, if I was her, I probably would have quit too.

Yes, it is. Keep watching! :D

Oh, yes, I will!

I honestly couldn't have put it better myself :) I too think it's a shame they didn't listen to JoMarie, and let her get some of the things she wanted in the first place. It was her show, and by the end, if I was her, I probably would have quit too.
It was like she wasn't important to them anymore. Weird...

Oh, yes, I will!
You go! :D

It was like she wasn't important to them anymore. Weird...


You go! :D

Haha, you go too^^ :lol:

The sad truth is. All the younger people who had came on the show over the years sort of pushed the adults into the background. With the exception of Carl of course since he was Steve's main foil. Basically they did a lot with Carl for comic relief purposes. But look at the other 3 adults on there and what happened to them over the years. Rachael left after Season 4, only to come back in Season 6 for a few episodes then leave once again. Mother Winslow (Estelle) got less and less airtime throughout the series, especially after Season 4 when she got married to Fletcher and moved out. In the last Season, she was only in one episode. Then there's Harriette, who became less and less important over the years. Especially when the storylines started focusing on Urkel and the kids. I don't blame Jo-Marie Payton one bit for leaving the show. You may even notice there are a handful of episodes in the 9th Season were Harreitte doesn't appear at all.

I have only seen a few scenes from the season 8 and 9. Those 2 last seasons will air this autumn on swedish TV. But yeah, I know both mother Winslow and Harriet had less airtime, wich made the series different, I don't know.

And Judy. Poor Judy didnt get much after season 2!

Nope, she didn't. Poor girl.

Yeah, she had a much bigger part in the 1st season

And Judy. Poor Judy didnt get much after season 2!

I agree. I really wished they'd kept her instead of focusing on Waldo so much.

Yeah, she had a much bigger part in the 1st season
And season 2!

Yes, season 2 also.

I agree. I really wished they'd kept her instead of focusing on Waldo so much.
Waldo wasn't Judy's problem. Neither was Steve, despite what many people think today. Her problem was that the people in charge never gave her a chance. If they only had wanted to, they sure could have had storylines for Judy as well as for Steve and Waldo, especially as she was getting older and becoming a teenager.

Waldo wasn't Judy's problem. Neither was Steve, despite what many people think today. Her problem was that the people in charge never gave her a chance. If they only had wanted to, they sure could have had storylines for Judy as well as for Steve and Waldo, especially as she was getting older and becoming a teenager.

I'm just saying that his airtime could have gone to her. That's all.

Well, Waldo was funny, and he was a great character. So as bad I as feel for Judy, I wouldn't have wanted to get rid of him either.

Waldo left in season 8, though. Yeah, he was also a great character.

It was like the Winslows entered into a "Unreal Urkel World" in the later seasons. The invention episodes in the later seasons are just weird, and even a little creepy.

But considering that Steve was a brilliant scientist, it's no wonder that they took that science-fiction route with the transformation chamber and the time machine and the transportation to Paris. Steve became their gold mine, so they thought people just wanted more of him. And since even the early more realistic seasons had their share of inventions, they made the inventions an important part of his character, and since Steve was their gold mine, it also became an important part of the show in general.

But seeing how unpopular these seasons are today, and how the ratings kept going down even back then during its original run, they might not have made the best decision after all. It seems like the right decision would have been to have kept the formula of the earlier half of the show, which sure was more realistic and down to Earth, and where most episodes had one Steve plotline and one non-Steve plotline (even if those non-Steve plotlines often was the more boring and less memorable one).

I am not disputing that Urkel was Family Matters gold mine. I am watching and comparing the second season to the later seasons of FM. I am watching some of the second season episodes now on youtube, and I find them hilarious. Urkel was very funny and the way the rest of the cast responds to him is funny and interesting. I guess it is hard for me to explain but to me the earlier seasons seemed more creative in using the Urkel character and blending him in with the rest of the cast. Also Urkel was not over the top with his antics. Urkel shined and the rest of the cast shined as well. In my opinion this is where the later seasons miss the mark, the older Steve got the more over the top the bafoonery got and antics it just was not funny anymore to me. It became more slapstick. I can't fault Urkel for that, it was the writers. This is what JoMarie Payton had a problem with as well. Notice in the later seasons is when she started to complain more. She hated how the show changed and who can blame her.

They could have still had Urkel inventing, but they should have had him invent things a little more believeable. Even the Urkelbot in the earlier seasons was much more believeable than the ones in the later seasons.

Its true, Urkelbot was much more believable.

I can imagine that the more realistic inventions in the early seasons, like the Urkelbot and the jet-pack, were just supposed to be his early less advanced inventions. And as he grew older, his inventions got more advanced too.

I can imagine that the more realistic inventions in the early seasons, like the Urkelbot and the jet-pack, were just supposed to be his early less advanced inventions. And as he grew older, his inventions got more advanced too.

You're right! ^^