JoMarie Payton as Harriette was on the last episode of Family Matters. Near the end of the episode, you can see her and hear her say, "yes, alright Steve". I'm glad she returned to the show for the last episode. JoMarie Payton will always be the better Harriette.

No doubt about it. Jo Marie was the only Harriette, as far as I'm concerned.

No doubt about it. Jo Marie was the only Harriette, as far as I'm concerned.

You are right about that.

No, she was not in the finale. She denies it here:

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/family-matters-jomarie-payton-reunion-16893/

She was the first and the best.

No, she was not in the finale. She denies it here:

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/family-matters-jomarie-payton-reunion-16893/

The woman looks just like her and sounds just like her.

The final episode has Harriette sticking her nose into Eddie's job as a cop and when we see this, its the second lady playing her.

God bless you and Judy Ann always!!!

Holly

IfC9SgMV2TM

From Perfect Strangers to Family Matters, Harriette Winslow was an integral part in the TGIF line up. She was a loving mother, caring wife, and a quick witted sarcastic one line machine....
And then shockingly halfway into the last season of Family Matters, she was randomly replaced with a brand new actress.

I recently read an observation that it felt like Harriette, who on Perfect Strangers was portrayed as a sarcastic, middle-aged, blue-collar black woman, would appeal to a decidedly whitebeard schlock (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-1795.html) factory like Miller-Boyett as the subject of a spinoff. Maybe had Family Matters employed better writers, the show could've been a black Roseanne. But as it turned out, both she and Telma Hopkins became almost completely de-emphasized. The show really became about Jaleel White, with Kellie Shanynge Williams, and Reginald VelJohnson.

I recently read an observation that it felt like Harriette, who on Perfect Strangers was portrayed as a sarcastic, middle-aged, blue-collar black woman, would appeal to a decidedly whitebeard schlock (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-1795.html) factory like Miller-Boyett as the subject of a spinoff. Maybe had Family Matters employed better writers, the show could've been a black Roseanne. But as it turned out, both she and Telma Hopkins became almost completely de-emphasized. The show really became about Jaleel White, with Kellie Shanynge Williams, and Reginald VelJohnson.
This is not quite fair.
Yes, it is true that Jaleel White became the star.
What you have to remember though is that the rest of the cast always was there as well.
And there's no way that any TGIF show would be a new "Roseanne" anyway.