Do you think Steve Urkel RUINED Family Matters?

[GCW]

Originally Posted by Furienna

But it's true. Before Steve, the show was just a "Cosby" rip-off, as others have put it. It was okay, but nothing special at all. But Steve made the show uniqe and special.

Yes I agree with you, Steve made the show unique and a standout. I think me and you just disagree about how the later seasons were with the inventions, which is fine we both have differing opinions. You like the later seasons and I don't which is cool, we can just agree to disagree on that point, but again I do agree with you on the point that Urkel made Family Matters a stand out from being a Cosby clone.

[GCW]

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

I never said the other characters weren't important but it was usually in their relationship to Steve. I liked Carl, Harriet, Laura, Eddie, Waldo. Myra ..they were all great characters. The first year though a lot of them were undeveloped. If it had gone the way it was it might have lasted a few seasons but I doubt would have became very popular. I watched it originally because it was part of the TGIF lineup and it came on after Full House and before Perfect Strangers. I considered it the weak link though. All shows decline eventually. The last season was the worst and it was because most of the other characters weren't on a lot and they replaced Harriet with another actress which was stupid. Family Matters probably should have ended after 7 seasons but like other sitcoms sometimes they run to long.

I agree that without Urkel it may have lasted a few seasons but it would not have been as popular and memorable. Again I am not disputing that Urkel helped the show alot. I just did not like how they did the later seasons thats all, and like you said it ran too long. The first season was slow but alot of other shows have weak first seasons anyway because they are trying to develop the characters and see what works and what doesn't.

[blue4t]

I liked Steve on the show. After he makes his appearance the show had a different feel. It did get a bit repetitive with his relatives always showing up. I liked Myrtle in her first appearance, but when she kept showing up every other episode it was beyond old. Then there was the cousin, Old Dirty Gangsta Dog or whatever his name was. I don't even know... I love Steve's inventions, like the one that sent him and Carl back in time, but I didn't like it when they went to the Pirate ship. That was a waste of an episode. I don't think they should've concentrated so much on Steve. I don't like that Laura and Steve got together, because I didn't want this show to be one of those shows, you know, but I also didn't want Steve and Myra to be engaged. I never really liked Myra dating Steve. I mean, her character was funny, but sometimes it was too over the top or whatever.

[Jessica]

I like STeve URkel. He's my favorite character in the show. I wouldn't watch it, if he wasn't in it. He's so funny. And Jaleel is soo talented! He knows exactly how to play a nerd.

[Furienna]

Oh yeah! Steve is my fave too. But that doesn't excuse what they did to other characters. Not only did they give the Jody character less and less time and lines, and they never gave her an entire plot. But they suddenly just fired the actress Jaimee Foxworth, when she was only thirteen years old, and without any previous notice. And even though JoMarie Payton was the reason why the show was started in the first place, they started treating her like a nobody, so that she left when it was only half a season left of the show, so they suddenly had to replace her and bring in a new Harriet.

[Jessica]

Yeah...why did they fire Judy?

[Jessica]

Same here. He did NOT ruined it!

[browneyes106]

I don't think he totally ruined the show. But the character did sort of take away from the producers and writers original intention which was to portray a working class black family in the late 80's and 90's. They wanted the show to be more relating to black families than the Cosby Show was at the time.

[globalspot28]

Steve made the show, but I think "Stephan" messed it up.

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by browneyes106

I don't think he totally ruined the show. But the character did sort of take away from the producers and writers original intention which was to portray a working class black family in the late 80's and 90's. They wanted the show to be more relating to black families than the Cosby Show was at the time.

"The Cosby show" was realistic enough. There were many families, even black families, were both parents were successful. But this show was realistic too. Even in the awful last season, they had family-centred sub-plots.

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by globalspot28

Steve made the show, but I think "Stephan" messed it up.

Yeah. Steve's extreme inventions, including Stefan was too much. The ones in the early seasons was ok.

[James28]

What would happen if Steve Urkel never joined Family Matters? How many seasons would FM have ran if that happened?

[Neutronman67]

No Steve Urkle was a Blessing to family matters he brought joy to millions of people around the globe in the 90's he was something nobody have ever seen before on tv,Family Matters seemed more like a updated 90's rippoff of Good Times in the first season, the evans and the winslows were a struggling black family in chicago.

[liane49]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

No I think he saved the show. I was getting bored with it until he started making those guest appearances during season 1. I do agree that the later seasons became to much of a cartoon especially when he would tranform into Steffan. I never liked that character.

I thought he was really funny at first and then after seeing him every week, I got board.

[MacLeaper]

I think Steve Urkel was a great addition to "Family Matters". For the record, I liked the show in the first season in the episodes before he showed up as well. But Steve definitely helped boost the popularity big time and he is by far one of my favorite characters on the show (and not for his bumbling nerd act either, though that part's funny too. I also applaud his strong, moral and Christian stand. In one episode of the show Steve Urkel goes to church with the Winslows and tells the congregation that he asked The Lord Jesus into his heart. That is awesome to see a show actually portray a character becoming a Christian and do it without derision or stereotyping, as so often seems to come when any kind of faith belief systems, particularly Christianity, is portrayed on a show.)
Steve Urkel was one of the most virtuous characters on the show and I really love his great example of love and caring. This is not to say that he didn't have faults too. And the other characters all have good points too- and the Winslows did a great job of learning to love their neighbor as themselves.