Urkelbot. Carl Winslow in a dress. Waldo Geraldo Faldo. A cameo by Stephanie Tanner’s Mr. Bear from Full House. Yep, it can only be Family Matters: The Complete Third Season. And what a wacky, zany season it is!
I like Family Matters. It’s a guilty pleasure from my childhood. I remember eagerly anticipating Friday nights and ABC’s TGIF line-up, which included shows like Full House, Perfect Strangers, Mr. Belvedere, Just the Ten of Us, Step by Step, and, of course, Family Matters. What else was there to do on Fridays back then? It’s not like we were old enough to drive and go out!
Family Matters, thanks to Steve Urkel, was a series that was never afraid of having an abundance of “jump the shark” moments. T he series embraced them, throwing in outlandish and more preposterous situations over and over again. And it worked.
It was one of the few series that actually benefited from taking storylines to ridiculous heights, all the while keeping audiences laughing and wanting even more. And that only led to the show’s popularity and success over nine seasons. Some of the best moments, of course, are the Laurel & Hardy-style moments between Urkel and Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson).
Family Matters quickly became less of a traditional family sitcom and much more of a broad comedy showcase with plenty of slapstick tossed in thanks to the popularity and insanity that Steve Urkel brought to the series. Urkel was the neighbor from Hell, the guy you never wanted around but for some reason missed when he was gone.
No matter what he broke, burned, destroyed, crushed, smashed through, accidentally ate each week, you knew the Winslows would welcome him back with open arms. Without Steve Urkel, Family Matters would not have had nearly the popularity it still enjoys today.
Much like Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, Steve Urkel was a geeky pop icon whose fame surpassed the character he played on the series. Much like the amazing Jim Parsons who plays Sheldon, a lot of credit is due to the comic talents and fearlessness of Jaleel White who allowed himself to do oftentimes humiliating things in the name of comedy. It is due to his fearless attitude that Urkel became the character we know him as today, and that is the mark of a great actor.
Season three delivers plenty of Urkel-based antics while at the same time offering up some touching moments with the Winslow family. While the show does revolve around Urkel 90% of the time, it’s the Winslows that keep the series grounded and give everyone’s favorite 90s TV nerd a place to call home (after all, it’s made pretty clear his parents aren’t too keen on having him around!).
So, take a break from the stress of being an adult and relive your 90s childhood with Family Matters: The Complete Third Season on DVD! You’ll have an Urk-tastic time for sure!
Family Matters: The Complete Third Season is available February 12, 2013 on DVD!
FUN FACT: Jesse Frederick who sings the Family Matters theme song also sings the theme song to Full House.
What’s your favorite Urkel moment? Leave a comment and let us know!