History Trivia / FamilyMatters

** Creator/JaleelWhite played Steve Urkel, Myrtle Urkel, and [[ItIsPronouncedTroPAY Stefan Urquelle]] (when Steve accidentally clones himself and have one be permanently Stefan). He even got to be a one-off criminal cousin. All of that, in addition to the transformation chamber, was to allow White some opportunity to not keep up the squeaky Steve voice, which got harder and harder as he grew up. This was also done because White was a talented character actor and impressionist. His Bruce Lee is actually quite good, and reportedly one of his favorite roles.
*** This is partially averted with Urkelbot. While White did provide his voice, it was actually [[Film/Breakin2ElectricBoogaloo Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers]] who portrayed him.

** Creator/JaleelWhite played Steve Urkel, Myrtle Urkel, and [[ItIsPronouncedTroPAY Stefan Urquelle]] (when Steve accidentally clones himself and have one be permanently Stefan). He even got to be a one-off criminal cousin. All of that, in addition to the transformation chamber, was to allow White some opportunity to not keep up the squeaky Steve voice, which got harder and harder as he grew up. This was also done because White was a talented character actor and impressionist. His Bruce Lee is actually quite good, and reportedly one of his favorite roles. This is partially averted with Urkelbot. While White did provide his voice, it was actually [[Film/Breakin2ElectricBoogaloo Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers]] who portrayed him.

** Reginald [=VelJohnson=] appeared a couple of times as Myrtle's father Big Daddy Urkel.

** Creator/JaleelWhite also is featured singing on several episodes, usually in his Urkel voice.

* CreatorBacklash: According to Creator/JaleelWhite, Reginald [=VelJohnson=] and Creator/JoMariePayton weren't happy with the decision to have Jaleel play Myrtle Urkel due to their concerns about how the then large number of Black men in drag roles affected the community's image in pop culture. This in turn put a lot of stress on Jaleel, to the point his father requested the producers not have him portray the character again unless it was Jaleel's decision.

** Jaleel White played Steve Urkel, Myrtle Urkel, and [[ItIsPronouncedTroPAY Stefan Urquelle]] (when Steve accidentally clones himself and have one be permanently Stefan). He even got to be a one-off criminal cousin. All of that, in addition to the transformation chamber, was to allow White some opportunity to not keep up the squeaky Steve voice, which got harder and harder as he grew up. This was also done because White was a talented character actor and impressionist. His Bruce Lee is actually quite good, and reportedly one of his favorite roles. This is partially averted with Urkelbot. While White did provide his voice, it was actually [[Film/Breakin2ElectricBoogaloo Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers]] who portrayed him.

** Jaleel White also is featured singing on several episodes, usually in his Urkel voice.
** In the Bruce Lee episodes, Jaleel White got to show off his magnificent upper body and his love of kung fu. He also got to show his accordion playing, which is actually quite good. Finally, Steve was made into a basketball prodigy despite having no athletic talent anywhere else.

** Judy was originally played by Valerie Jones. After the pilot, she's played by Jaimee Foxworth.

** Judy was originally played by a different actress, Valerie Jones. After the pilot, she's played by Jaimee Foxworth.
** The actor playing Richie were originally a pair of twins, since he was a baby during the first season.[[note]]Joseph and Julius Wright were credited as Joseph Julius Wright.[[/note]] The character went through SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome after this and he was recast with four year old Bryton [=McClure=].

* {{Jossed}}: It was widely believed that Jo Marie Payton left the show midway through the final season because she was disgusted that Jaleel White had become the star of the show. It was also believed that she reappeared in the series finale in an uncredited role. In a 2010 interview, however, [[https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/family-matters-jo-marie-payton-16891/ Payton revealed]] that she wanted to leave the show for a while in order to do other projects, which she finally did midway through the final season. [[https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/family-matters-jomarie-payton-reunion-16893/ She also revealed]] that contrary to popular belief, she didn't appear in the series finale.

* ActorSharedBackground: Lieutenant Murtaugh's actor, Barry Jenner, was an LAPD police officer before becoming an actor full time.

* ActorSharedBackground: Lieutenant Murtaugh's actor Barry Jenner was an LAPD police officer before becoming an actor full time.

** Darius [=McCrary=] is featured singing on several episodes.

** Jo Marie Payton's singing in a couple of episodes.
** Telma Hopkins in the earlier episodes.

* TheDanza: Maxine Johnson was played by Cherie Johnson.

** Shawn Harrison appeared in the Season 1 episode "The Party", where he's credited as "Guy in Towel". He would later return more famously as Waldo Faldo.

* HostilityOnTheSet: One of the reasons why Judy infamously [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanished out of existence]] in Season 4 was because Jaimee Foxworth, her actress, didn't get along with Steve's actor, Jaleel White. Foxworth talked on Facebook about one incident where White berated her ''in front of the studio audience'' when she forgot her line. As a result, the characters didn't interact much, and as Steve became the show's big draw, Judy had less and less to do, leading to her unceremonious exit.

%%* HostilityOnTheSet: One of the reasons why Judy infamously [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanished out of existence]] in Season 4 was because Jaimee Foxworth, her actress, didn't get along with Steve's actor, Jaleel White. Foxworth talked on Facebook about one incident where White berated her ''in front of the studio audience'' when she forgot her line. As a result, the characters didn't interact much, and as Steve became the show's big draw, Judy had less and less to do, leading to her unceremonious exit.
* IAmNotSpock: This series pretty much killed any shot at Jaleel White being taken seriously as an actor, outside of voice acting. This is slightly subverted as White doesn't resent his most famous role and has fond memories of the series. Additionally, he seems to have transcended this if his current roles are any indication.

** The late Michelle Thomas was in her mid twenties when cast as Myra Monkhouse. She was actually 7-8 years older than the other teen actors.

* DawsonCasting: The late Michelle Thomas was in her mid twenties when cast as Myra Monkhouse. She was actually 7-8 years older than the other teen actors.
** Downplayed example with Darius [=McCrary=], who portrayed high school student Eddie when he was 13 (at the start of the first season). What's more, he actually over a month younger than Kellie Shanygne Williams, who played his ''younger'' sister Laura.

** Ron Taylor protrayed Darnell Coleman in "The Big Reunion" and Pastor Peeble in "Choir Trouble".

** Reginald [=VelJohnson=] also appeared a couple of times as Myrtle's father Big Daddy Urkel.

* ActorAllusion: In a late season 2 episode, Steve briefly sings “Tie a Yellow Ribbon around the Ole Oak Tree” by Dawn and Tony Orlando; Telma Hopkins (Rachel) sang backup on the original song.

** Estelle's husband Fletcher was played by three different actors throughout the series. For most of the series, he was portrayed by Arnold Johnson. However, he was played by Whitman Mayo in the Season 6 episode "They Shoot Urkels, Don't They?", and by Edmund Cambridge in the Season 7 episode "Best Years of Our Lives".

* RecycledScript: As with all Miller-Boyett sitcoms, the producers weren't shy about recycling ideas from other sitcoms. For example, the episode "Rachel's Place" is virtually identical to a story involving Arnold's on ''Series/HappyDays'', which several of the writers had worked on.

* HostilityOnTheSet: One of the reasons why Judy infamously [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanished out of existence]] in Season 4 was because Jaimee Foxworth, her actress, didn't get along with Steve's actor, Jaleel White. Foxworth talked on Facebook about one incident where White berated her ''in front of the studio audience'' when she forgot her line. As a result, the characters didn't interact much, and as Steve became the show's big draw, Judy had less and less to do, leading to her unceremonious exit.

** Estelle's husband Fletcher was portrayed by three different actors throughout the show. For most of the show, he's played by Arnold Johnson, but he's replaced by Whitman Mayo in one season 6 episode, and Edmund Cambridge in one season 7 episode and his final appearance.

* RecycledScript: As with all Miller-Boyett sitcoms, the producers weren't shy about recycling ideas from other sitcoms. The Season 2 opener, where Steve burns down the [[LocalHangout local hangout]] and it's rebuilt as the cooler "Rachel's Place," was virtually identical to a story involving Arnold's on ''Series/HappyDays'', which several of the writers had worked on.

** The original pilot script apparently had appearances from [[Series/PerfectStrangers Balki and Larry]], but these scenes were cut and the RequiredSpinoffCrossover was averted.[[note]]On the downside, it meant a lot more fans were left unaware it was even a spinoff to begin with.[[/note]]

** Creator/BumperRobinson appeared as Eddie's friend Kyle in "Rock Video". He then appeared in three more episodes as a love interest of Laura's named Daniel Wallace.