Laff Request: "Family Matters"

[stevearino]

Dear To Whom It May Concern,

I have a proposal for Laff: to make a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for Laff to become the exclusive Digital Over-the-Air home of the hit '80s sitcom "Family Matters," showcasing all 215 half-hour episodes of this perennial sitcom classic Complete, Uncut, and Unedited, as originally aired on the ABC Television Network; what better way to launch "Family Matters" on Laff than September 22, 2019, 30 years to the day of the series' debut.

Created by William Bickley & Michael Warren, "Family Matters" initially began life as a spin-off of the hit '80s sitcom "Perfect Strangers," where during Seasons 2 and 3 JoMarie Payton appeared as Harriette Winslow, the elevator operator at the Chicago newspaper where Larry Appleton (Mark Baker) and Balki (Bronson Pinchot) worked from Season 2 onwards; Harriette proved to be so popular, she was spun off into her own Sitcom eventually known as "Family Matters."

Joining JoMarie in the cast was Reggie VelJohnson (fresh from "Die Hard") as Carl Winslow, Harriette's Cop husband; Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford, Harriette's recently widowed Sister who moved into the Winslow house after her husband Michael died, along with her infant son, Richie (initially portrayed by twins Joseph and Julius Wright before being replaced in Season 2 for the rest of the show's run by Bryton McClure, then age 4); Rosetta LeNoire as Carl's mother, Estelle, the Grandmother of Carl and Harriette's 3 (later down to 2) children: Eddie (Darius McCrary), age 13; Laura (Kellie Williams), age 11; and (Seasons 1-4 only) Judy (Jaimee Foxworth), age 9.

As part of the inaugural TGIF Friday Night lineup, "Family Matters" made its debut on September 22, 1989 at 8 P.M. ET (right after the '80s Olsen Twins sitcom "Full House" for its first 2 seasons before "Full House" moved to Tuesday nights at 8 P.M. for the rest of its 8-year run) on ABC.

During its first season, "Family Matters" regularly ranked at #41 in the Nielsen Ratings until midway that season, when 12-year-old Jaleel White made his debut appearance as Steve Urkel, the nerdy kid with glasses; initially appearing for a one-time guest-starring role, Urkel became such a popular character that, much in the way that Henry Winkler helped turn the '70s "Happy Days" into a hit 15 years earlier with his Fonzie portrayal, Jaleel's character Urkel helped turn "Family Matters" into a Top 10 hit for ABC.

As the years passed, Urkel became such a popular character on TV, he even had his own Merchandising--among many others a cereal (Urkel-O's), a board game (Do the Urkel), and his very own early '90s Lunch Box.

In September 1993, at the young age of 16, Jaleel White sold his first Script--a "Family Matters" episode titled "Grandmama," with the title character played by now-retired NBA player Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets.

In May 1997, after 8 seasons, ABC cancelled "Family Matters" due to low ratings, after which CBS picked it up for a 9th and Final Season, cancelling the series for good in January 1998 due once again to poor ratings.

In the hour-long Series Finale telecast on July 17, 1998 (split into 2 parts for DVD and Syndication), Urkel was selected to go into Outer Space, just after FINALLY becoming engaged to Laura Winslow, winning her eternal love.

After an initial disaster, Urkel safely returned home to the loving arms of the Winslow clan (whose home he moved into at the end of Season 6 in 1995).

Reruns of "Family Matters" continue to flourish thanks to local U.S. TV stations as well as cable networks TBS, ABC Family and Nickelodeon.

"Family Matters" was produced by Miller-Boyett Productions in association with Lorimar Television (later folded into Warner Bros. Television) and is Distributed/Syndicated by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

Sincerely,
Steve Arino

[Svenfan1234]

Family Matters is more likely to come to Antenna TV than Laff.

[tlc38tlc38]

So happy I own this series! I’ve always loved it especially seasons 1-7.