Family Matters

*Family Matters*
Family Matters
Genre	Family sitcom
Created by	William Bickley; Michael Warren;
Developed by	Thomas L. Miller; Robert L. Boyett;
Starring	Reginald VelJohnson; Jaleel White; Jo Marie Payton; Telma Hopkins; Darius McCrary; Kellie Shanygne Williams; Jaimee Foxworth; Rosetta LeNoire; Shawn Harrison; Valerie Jones; Joseph and Julius Wright; Bryton McClure; 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)
Composers	Jesse Frederick &; Bennett Salvay (both; seasons 1 and 2); Gary Boren (seasons 3–5, 8 and 9); Steven Chesne (seasons 4–7 and 9)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	215 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Thomas L. Miller; Robert L. Boyett; William Bickley; Michael Warren (seasons 2–9); David W. Duclon (seasons 3–9);
Producers	Kelly Sandefur; Fred Fox Jr.; Jim Geoghan; Gary Menteer; Stephen Langford; Sara V. Finney; Vida Spears; Rebecca Falk; Robert Blair; Paula A. Roth; James O'Keefe;
Production locations	Lorimar Studios; Culver City, California (1989–1991); Sony Pictures Studios; Culver City, California (1991–1993); Warner Bros. Studios; Burbank, California (1993–1998);
Camera setup	Film; Multi-camera
Running time	24 minutes
Production companies	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);
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	September 22, 1989 –; May 9, 1997
Network	CBS
Release	September 19, 1997 –; July 17, 1998
Related
	Perfect Strangers (1986-1993);
	Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Family Matters is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-off of Perfect Strangers, the series was created by William Bickley and Michael Warren, and revolves around the Winslow family, an African-American middle class family living in Chicago, Illinois.^[2] Midway through the first season, the show introduced the Winslows' nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), who was originally scripted to appear as a one-time character. However, he quickly became the show's breakout character (and eventually the main character), joining the main cast.^[3]

Running for 215 episodes over nine seasons, Family Matters became the second-longest-running live action U.S. sitcom with a predominantly African-American cast, behind The Jeffersons with 11 seasons and 253 episodes. Both have since been exceeded by Tyler Perry's House of Payne with 355 episodes as of 2023. Family Matters is the last live-action scripted primetime show that debuted in the 1980s to leave the air; the only scripted show that started in the 1980s and lasts longer in continuous production is The Simpsons.^[a]

^ "Myths and Mysteries Surround Pioneering of 3-Camera TV : Broadcasting: A popular belief is that Desi Arnaz created the technique for 'I Love Lucy' in 1951, but evidence of the system dates to 1947". Los Angeles Times. July 29, 1991. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
^ Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). Historical Dictionary of African-American Television. Vol. 7. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 135. ISBN 0-8108-5335-3.
^ Fisherkeller, JoEllen (2002). Growing Up With Television: Everyday Learning Among Young Adolescents. Temple University Press. pp. 178. ISBN 1-56639-953-X.

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[1] "Myths and Mysteries Surround Pioneering of 3-Camera TV : Broadcasting: A popular belief is that Desi Arnaz created the technique for 'I Love Lucy' in 1951, but evidence of the system dates to 1947". Los Angeles Times. July 29, 1991. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[2] Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). Historical Dictionary of African-American Television. Vol. 7. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 135. ISBN 0-8108-5335-3.

[3] Fisherkeller, JoEllen (2002). Growing Up With Television: Everyday Learning Among Young Adolescents. Temple University Press. pp. 178. ISBN 1-56639-953-X.

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