Family Matters is an American television sitcom that originated on ABC from September 22, 1989 to May 9, 1997, before moving to CBS from September 19, 1997 to July 17, 1998. A spin-off of Perfect Strangers, the series revolves around the Winslow family, a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago, Illinois. Midway through the first season, the show introduced the Winslows' nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel, who was originally scripted to appear as a one-time character; however, he quickly became the show's breakout character, joining the main cast. Having run for nine seasons, Family Matters became the second-longest-running live action U.S. sitcom with a predominantly African-American cast, behind only The Jeffersons. Having aired 215 episodes, Family Matters is ranked third, behind only Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and The Jeffersons.
| Genre | Family sitcom |
| Created by | William Bickley, Michael Warren |
| Developed by | Thomas L. Miller, Robert L. Boyett |
| Starring | Reginald VelJohnson, Jo Marie Payton, Rosetta LeNoire, Darius McCrary, Kellie Shanygne Williams, Valerie Jones, Joseph and Julius Wright, Telma Hopkins, Jaimee Foxworth, Bryton McClure, Jaleel White, Shawn Harrison, Michelle Thomas, Orlando Brown, Judyann Elder |
| Theme music composer | Jesse Frederick, Bennett Salvay & Scott Roeme, (first five episodes only: Bob Thiele, George David Weiss & George Douglas) |
| Opening theme | "As Days Go By,", performed by Jesse Frederick, (originally in first five episodes only: "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong) |
| Ending theme | Instrumental theme, composed by Jesse Frederick & Bennett Salvay (seasons 1–4), Gary Boren (seasons 5–9) |
| Composer(s) | Jesse Frederick &, Bennett Salvay (both, seasons 1–2), Gary Boren (seasons 3–5 and 8–9), Steven Chesne (seasons 4–7 and 9) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 215 |
| Executive producer(s) | Thomas L. Miller, Robert L. Boyett, William Bickley, Michael Warren (seasons 2–9), David W. Duclon (seasons 3–9) |
| Producer(s) | Kelly Sandefur, Fred Fox Jr, Jim Geoghan, Gary Menteer, Stephen Langford, Sara V. Finney, Vida Spears, Rebecca Misra, Robert Blair, Paula A. Roth |
| Location(s) | Lorimar Studios, Culver City, California (1989–1993), Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California (1993–1998) |
| Camera setup | Film, Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Miller-Boyett Productions, Bickley-Warren Productions, (1991–1998), (seasons 3–9), Lorimar Television, (1989–1993), (seasons 1–4), Warner Bros. Television, (1993–1998), (seasons 5–9) |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Original network | ABC (seasons 1–8), CBS (season 9) |
| Picture format | NTSC (480i) |
| Preceded by | Perfect Strangers (1986–93) |
About Family Matters
This sitcom follows the Winslow family and their nerdy neighbor, Steve Urkel. This show is a spin-off of the series Perfect Strangers.
Achievement of Family Matters
The show ran for nine seasons and aired a total of 215 episodes. The show was nominated for one Emmy Award during its run for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Family Matters
Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department.. Television series by Lorimar Television.. Television shows set in Chicago.. Television series about families.
Latest information about Family Matters updated on July 28 2021.
