Do you think Steve Urkel RUINED Family Matters?

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by Spark Of Spirit

What ruined the show was the last season. No one asked them to write out Waldo, for crying out loud!

In-universe, Waldo was accepted into a culminary school in another city and seemingly never returned to Chicago.
But in real life, it has never been explained why the people in charge of the show got rid of one of the funniest characters.

[Gemini_89]

Considering that the Stefan/Urkel/Laura dynamic was some of my favorite moments I would have to say "No".

[TMC]

The problem with Urkel was that his goofy nerd character was really only funny in small doses. He's one of those "a little of him goes a long way" sitcom characters. But the producers and writers felt that they had to run his schtick into the ground.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Superswiper

Steve Urkel himself didn't ruin the show. His overexposure did. They could have just changed the name of the show to Urkel Matters later on, because it was clear he became the main star, and wasn't part of the Winslow family.

Urkel's increased focus was the main reason characters like Judy and Rachel were written out. By the end, the only original characters left were Carl, Laura and Eddie. Harriette doesn't count. I like to think of the new Harriette as Carl being divorced from the old one, and marrying another woman also named Harriette.

As the show went on, Urkel went from merely being the show's breakout character, to essentially being the sole reason for why the show still existed.

[TVSCREEN2015]

No, I don't care what anybody says Steve Urkel / Jaleel White saved Family Matters from cancellation. That first season is unwatchable and a total bore to get through. Extremely generic, too sappy and just plain dull. An unremarkable family sitcom. Nothing about the show stood out except the theme song. Steve Urkel came and brought some life to the show and made it memorable. With him the show would have been cancelled after one season and become another forgotten black sitcom.

[TVLegend]

Urkel DID ruin Family Matters. It was okay when we got a little dose of him here and there throughout every episode, but when we saw more Urkel than family, that was not a good thing, AT ALL. There was no reason for Stefan Urquelle, Jaleel White in a dress, high heels, earrings, lipstick, a wig, and a full face of makeup, and the rest of Steve’s kin folk. After Season 5, we should have seen less and less of Urkel instead of more and more.

Originally Posted by TVSCREEN2015

No, I don't care what anybody says Steve Urkel / Jaleel White saved Family Matters from cancellation. That first season is unwatchable and a total bore to get through. Extremely generic, too sappy and just plain dull. An unremarkable family sitcom. Nothing about the show stood out except the theme song. Steve Urkel came and brought some life to the show and made it memorable. With him the show would have been cancelled after one season and become another forgotten black sitcom.

Yes, he did save the show, but he also turned around and destroyed it in the same breath.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Urkel DID ruin Family Matters. It was okay when we got a little dose of him here and there throughout every episode, but when we saw more Urkel than family, that was not a good thing, AT ALL. There was no reason for Stefan Urquelle, Jaleel White in a dress, high heels, earrings, lipstick, a wig, and a full face of makeup, and the rest of Steve’s kin folk. After Season 5, we should have seen less and less of Urkel instead of more and more.



Yes, he did save the show, but he also turned around and destroyed it in the same breath.

One comment that I recently read hit the nail on the head so to speak. Urkel basically altered the fabric of Family Matters. And it may not have a lot of rewatch value to some because of his character.

In fairness, Urkel in some ways, may have kept the show going for longer than it should've been. But in hindsight, maybe they should've just given Urkel his own show and called it a day.

[Superswiper]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Urkel DID ruin Family Matters. It was okay when we got a little dose of him here and there throughout every episode, but when we saw more Urkel than family, that was not a good thing, AT ALL. There was no reason for Stefan Urquelle, Jaleel White in a dress, high heels, earrings, lipstick, a wig, and a full face of makeup, and the rest of Steve’s kin folk. After Season 5, we should have seen less and less of Urkel instead of more and more.



Yes, he did save the show, but he also turned around and destroyed it in the same breath.

Yeah, once Judy and Rachel left, it became clear that the show was all about Steve Urkel, with the Winslows as supporting characters, when it should have been the other way around.

Season 4 had a surprising number of episodes revolving around Eddie and Waldo, while Steve kind of just tagged along, for example.

But let's face it, the vast majority of the show's population revolves around Steve. Without him, it would have probably just been a forgotten spin-off of Perfect Strangers.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by Superswiper

Yeah, once Judy and Rachel left, it became clear that the show was all about Steve Urkel, with the Winslows as supporting characters, when it should have been the other way around.

Season 4 had a surprising number of episodes revolving around Eddie and Waldo, while Steve kind of just tagged along, for example.

But let's face it, the vast majority of the show's population revolves around Steve. Without him, it would have probably just been a forgotten spin-off of Perfect Strangers.

Yep, I like seasons 1-4 and that's it

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Edward216

Yes he totally ruined it for me. A little Urkel goes a long way. Once they made the show all about Steve Urkel I was done with it. It was sickening. I just couldn't stand him.

Ed.

Miller-Boyett Productions always did this. When they found a likely breakout character on one of their shows, they put more and more emphasis on said character at the expense of others.

They also did it with Jason Bateman's character on The Hogan Family despite the series originally intending to be a vehicle for Valerie Harper. When Valerie was fired from the series that bore her name, the notion that Jason was main "drawing" point (even though, Sandy Duncan was now technically or officially, the "star") became even more transparent.

It also happened with Full House and Michelle, Step by Step with Cody, and Fonzie on Happy Days (and arguably, also Joanie and Chachi in the post Richie/Ron Howard years) back when Miller-Boyett worked at Paramount under Garry Marshall.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Furienna

Like I've said so many times before, I'm totally fine with Steve's character and how he didn't change much (until we reached the last season, that is). But I have a problem with that he could never stop drooling over the snooty Laura, even by the time when he had dated Myra for years.


That's a common misconception, but it's not fair. Most of the episodes would have two plots going on: one that would be about Steve, and one that would be about other characters. And that is true even in the last season, as far as I can remember.

I've said this several times before that Urkel's character in certain areas (in my humble opinion) has aged horribly. The way that he conducts himself around Laura is downright creepy and dare I say, stalkerish.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by catlover79

I don't think the character ruined the show per se, but making him THE WHOLE SHOW sure did. Why did they even bother to keep the title Family Matters? Most of the family was just pushed aside. I missed Mother Winslow, Rachel, etc. I think there were several characters much more interesting than Urkel.

I've said elsewhere that Urkel is a classic example of a supporting character who should've stayed a supporting character. ABC and Miller/Boyett (also responsible for turning Happy Days into The Fonzie Show) never learned that there CAN be too much of a good thing.

This comment by Robert Boyett from 1991 pretty much sums it all up in terms of their philosophy/method towards producing television shows:

But they have gained a reputation in TV circles as expert fix-it men, skilled at tinkering with shows and playing up the elements that work. Their legendary success was boosting the role of Fonzie, the greaser with a heart of gold, in Happy Days. "Basically, the concept of a show is merely a vehicle to get it launched," says Boyett. "What keeps it going is the ability to present characters people want to follow."

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by TMC

I've said this several times before that Urkel's character in certain areas (in my humble opinion) has aged horribly. The way that he conducts himself around Laura is downright creepy and dare I say, stalkerish.

But it seems that he was annoying than threatening to Laura, so I don't find it creepy.
Then again, my sympathy for Laura was always limited anyway.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Furienna

But it seems that he was annoying than threatening to Laura, so I don't find it creepy.
Then again, my sympathy for Laura was always limited anyway.

With all due respect, that's the problem right there. We're just supposed to view Steve as essentially harmless to Laura (despite still not respecting her boundaries and constantly invading her and her family's personal space) since he's just a scrawny, nerdy kid on the surface. But just for a moment, imagine if Steve was say, a tall, athletic looking kid like like Eddie or Cody Lambert from Step by Step acting like that (i.e. very obsessive and harassing) around the girls in his neighborhood, school, or any other close vicinity. Then, it wouldn't exactly be considered as funny, now would it?

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by TMC

With all due respect, that's the problem right there. We're just supposed to view Steve as essentially harmless to Laura (despite still not respecting her boundaries and constantly invading her and her family's personal space) since he's just a scrawny, nerdy kid on the surface. But just for a moment, imagine if Steve was say, a tall, athletic looking kid like like Eddie or Cody Lambert from Step by Step acting like that (i.e. very obsessive and harassing) around the girls in his neighborhood, school, or any other close vicinity. Then, it wouldn't exactly be considered as funny, now would it?

As weird as it may sound, it all depends on who the person is.
And it also helps that Steve never hurt the Winlsows, but did lots of good things for them.