The Urkel Show STARRING URKEL

mpz777

So I was at Target yesterday and I saw that they were selling the first season Family Matters on DVD! :w00t: Needless to say, I bought it right away. For a long time I had wondered why they had never released it on DVD. I mean come on, Full house had been out on DVD for years. Well, looks like my prayers were answered. It is one of the few TV shows from ABC's TGIF in the 90's that I'd actually buy today (not really a fan of Full House). If you're wondering about price I got it for $24.99. I'm happy I was able to find this before my long vacation. This made my week!

Here's a link to confirm:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Family-Matters-Season-1-Press-Release/13540

Hiroy

I loved this show as kid even though I don't remember much of it…. aside from the "jumping the shark" seasons(Steve's stupid but funny machine), Waldo, and that hot girl Steve rejected for Laura. Those were fun for kid like me at the time.

Jazzfeezy

Thnaks for the heads up mpz777! I defiantly will be getting this

project1980

Laura, Maxine and Myra damn they were too fine.

Robby

First season didn't have nearly as much Urkel as they seem to be advertising on the cover.

Badass SnoCone

This show went from being about the family to being about the family and their wacky neighbor, Urkel, to being almost exclusively about Urkel.

Cyan D. Funk

@Badass:

This show went from being about the family to being about the family and their wacky neighbor, Urkel, to being almost exclusively about Urkel.

And is anyone complaining?

Badass SnoCone

Yes . I don't think they should have changed almost the entire premise of the show just because people liked "Did I do that?".

Hiroy

I never really though of that back then. Didn't seem to care much.

myogatheflea

Holy S!! Dude, Family Matters rocked. Carl was the best character, Steve was a very close number two in my opinion. I'm interested to see if they release the whole thing, I love that show.

Robby

@Badass:

Yes . I don't think they should have changed almost the entire premise of the show just because people liked "Did I do that?".

There was more to Steve's shitck than just the one line. And he WAS popular and made the show what it was, Jaleel White actually grew up pretty talented and versatile. If he hadn't come onto the show, it would have been cancelled the first year and no one would remember it. There's a reason they re-worked the earlier episodes to sneak Seve into the opening sequence of already finished episodes from before he came on.

There was one episode where he was playing Stephan and Steve, who look identical mind you… and they switched places, pretending to be the other character, and you could totally tell who was supposed to be who anyway from body language facial expression and everything else. That takes some real acting chops.

Green_vs_Red

@robbybedfart:

There was more to Steve's shitck than just the one line. And he WAS popular and made the show what it was, Jaleel White actually grew up pretty talented and versatile. If he hadn't come onto the show, it would have been cancelled the first year and no one would remember it.

Considering all the jump the shark moments and the bullshit ending not a bad thing in retrospect.

Robby

@Green_vs_Red:

Considering all the jump the shark moments and the bullshit ending not a bad thing in retrospect.

To be fair, they thought they had one more season coming to deal with the wedding.

But yes. About the time they turned the entire cast, including Carl and the little kids, into Bruce Lee, it was a bit much.

Yonkou3

The show was amazing. That is all.

Ubiq

@Badass:

This show went from being about the family to being about the family and their wacky neighbor, Urkel, to being almost exclusively about Urkel.

Don't forget that it started as a vehicle for a secondary character from Perfect Strangers. It and The Jeffersons are two of the only spin-offs that I can think of that actually outlasted the original show.

Actually, I guess Star Trek TNG counts since McCoy appeared in the first episode.

DartG

@Cyan:

And is anyone complaining?

It's a rare condition, this day and age.

Badass SnoCone

To read any good news on the newspaper page.

That was one thing I loved about Family Matters-its theme song.

Robby

@Ubiq:

Don't forget that it started as a vehicle for a secondary character from Perfect Strangers. It and The Jeffersons are two of the only spin-offs that I can think of that actually outlasted the original show.

Actually, I guess Star Trek TNG counts since McCoy appeared in the first episode.

There's also Frasier.

And Simpsons has certainley outlasted the Tracey Ulman show.

I'm not sure how long Daria ran compared to Beavis and Butthead, but then, they were completely different shows.

Tsukento

@Cyan:

And is anyone complaining?

Some of the cast did. That's also why Harriette's original actress left the show.

@robbybedfart:

There was more to Steve's shitck than just the one line. And he WAS popular and made the show what it was, Jaleel White actually grew up pretty talented and versatile. If he hadn't come onto the show, it would have been cancelled the first year and no one would remember it. There's a reason they re-worked the earlier episodes to sneak Seve into the opening sequence of already finished episodes from before he came on.

There was one episode where he was playing Stephan and Steve, who look identical mind you… and they switched places, pretending to be the other character, and you could totally tell who was supposed to be who anyway from body language facial expression and everything else. That takes some real acting chops.

This is all true, though the show did seem to lose its main focus. It basically became the 90s version of Good Times, with Urkel as the J.J. of the time (though Urkel was a genius, while J.J. was an idiot). Both did continue to do well with changes, but the shift in focuses really seemed uneven. Especially with writing out characters and what not, even if they may not have been all too important.

Ubiq

@robbybedfart:

There's also Frasier.

Frasier and Cheers both hit eleven seasons.

And Simpsons has certainley outlasted the Tracey Ulman show.

I debated mentioning that, but there's no reason to think that the Ullman shorts are considered to be in the same universe as the actual series. It's more a reimagining of a concept that a direct spinoff same as the next example.

I'm not sure how long Daria ran compared to Beavis and Butthead, but then, they were completely different shows.

Daria had five seasons while Beavis and Butthead had seven.

Since animation has been tossed out there, I guess What's New Scooby Doo? counts as it lasted longer than Scooby Doo, Where Are You!.

Robby

@Tsukento:

Some of the cast did. That's also why Harriette's original actress left the show.

Like 6 episodes before the series ended. I have to assume she would have stayed on if she'd known it was ending that year. Those episodes always wierd me out. This totall different looking and strange woman they just nonchalantly pretending is the other actress after 11 years. It was creepy.

@Ubiq:

Frasier and Cheers both hit eleven seasons.

I thought Frasier ran just a bit longer to break Cheer's record? Tho wikipedia says it was actually a couple episodes shorter. Hrm.

mpz777

@robbybedfart:

Like 6 episodes before the series ended. I have to assume she would have stayed on if she'd known it was ending that year. Those episodes always wierd me out. This totally different looking and strange woman they just nonchalantly pretending is the other actress after 11 years. It was creepy.

I completely agree. I couldn't take the character of Harriette seriously anymore. It would have been better if they had written her off. Unfortunately she was the reason for the show.

Hekti

Loved that show as a kid.

But I never understand what happend with the youngest daughter (Judy ???).
I remember that she suddenly wasn't there anymore and I don't know if the authors wrote her out with a explanation.

Well Urkel is the man anyway.

Green_vs_Red

@Hekti:

Loved that show as a kid.

But I never understand what happend with the youngest daughter (Judy ???).
I remember that she suddenly wasn't there anymore and I don't know if the authors wrote her out with a explanation.

She wasn't same thing happened with Richie's brother in Happy Days.

Don Quichotte De Flamingo

Urkel was just awesome.
rly one of those rare charas who actually did alone the whole job.

woldo feroldo or how was Eddys friend again called, was also rly funny ,even when he wasnt that long around:happy:

Ubiq

@Green_vs_Red:

She wasn't same thing happened with Richie's brother in Happy Days.

And Donna's sisters on That 70s Show.

It's fairly common actually.

Green_vs_Red

@Ubiq:

And Donna's sisters on That 70s Show.

Didn't know she had any sisters.

Ubiq

An older sister and a younger sister though I think only the younger sister ever actually showed up. There was a baby at one point, but I can't recall if that was a cousin or a baby sister.

Neaeran

@Hekti:

But I never understand what happend with the youngest daughter (Judy ???).
I remember that she suddenly wasn't there anymore and I don't know if the authors wrote her out with a explanation.

I know that someone asked about her, 2 or 3 seasons after she disappeared.
They just said "She is still in her room", or sth.

Badass SnoCone

Appropriate new title.

Md-Martin

@Ubiq:

And Donna's sisters on That 70s Show.

They even mentioned it in the ending narrative of "Vanstock" where it was like a soap opera

"And What ever happened to Midges other daughter

Green Hair

@Ubiq:

It and The Jeffersons are two of the only spin-offs that I can think of that actually outlasted the original show.

Actually, I guess Star Trek TNG counts since McCoy appeared in the first episode.

Also, Xena: Warrior Princess lasted a bit longer than Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

As for Family Matters… I don't know, I always felt that the concept of family-centered sitcoms hasn't changed much since The Dick Van Dyke Show. At least until shows like Roseanne or Malcolm in the Middle showed up_._

Regarding Urkel, I always thought that his commitment to Laura was somewhat creepy. Jesus, can't you take a hint when a girl's not interested in you? The thing especially felt forced when Urkel didn't change his feelings even after he met Myra, a girl who was ready to love him and accept him for what he was.

The fate of Myra and Michelle Thomas, the actress who played her, was really sad. Somewhere near the end of the show producers finally decided to pair up Urkel and Laura, basically leaving Myra in the gutter, pushing aside her feelings towards Steve. Due to the show being canceled we never got to see what happened to her. Thomas died of cancer a year after the show had ended.

captain usopp

omg! perfect strangers. i remember that! i was so young though. i wonder if i'd still like it.

Ubiq

@Green:

Also, Xena: Warrior Princess lasted a bit longer than Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Fewer episodes stretched across more seasons though if I recall correctly. Plus Hercules started off as a series of movies for USA's Action Pack that really constituted an entire season's worth of episodes.

Green Hair

@Ubiq:

Fewer episodes stretched across more seasons though if I recall correctly. Plus Hercules started off as a series of movies for USA's Action Pack that really constituted an entire season's worth of episodes.

Indeed, but even if we added those TV movies to the episode count Xena would still be longer.

RPG KING

love mya . she was too fine to be with steve

Mokenda_mint

lol my bro bought that the day it came out

I've always felt so bad for Steve considering how bad everyone treats him