This is one of my favorite TV shows. It's one of a variety of shows that you just don't see anymore. A good, humble family show that doesn't involve drama.
Summary
-The Winslow family in Chicago gets into many misadventures and mishaps, usually as a result of their next door neighbor, a pesky super nerd named Steve Urkel
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-Reginal VelJohnson: Carl Winslow
-Kellie Shangyne Williams: Laura Winslow
-Darius McCrary: Eddie Winslow
-Jaleel White: Steve Urkel
-Jo Marie Payton: Harriette Winslow
-Rosetta LeNoire: Estelle "Mother" Winslow
-Bryton James: Richie Crawford
-Shawn Harrison: Waldo Geraldo Faldo
-Jaimee Foxworth: Judy Winslow
-Telma Hopkins: Rachel Crawford
-Cherie Johnson: Maxine Johnson
-Michelle Thomas: Myra Monkhouse
-Barry Jenner: Lt. Lieu Murtaugh
-Despite the fact that Steve Urkel's character was named after a producer's good friend and only supposed to be on one episode, he had such a good, positive response with the audience that producers made him a regular character on the show
-To help keep Urkel's appearance as he went through his teen years, Jaleel White avoided weightlifting and shaved daily. As he aged, he started wearing baggy clothing to hide his muscles, which he was getting from weightlifting
-When the show ended in 1998, White had grown tired of the role of Urkel. In an interview, he said "If you ever see me do that character again, take me out and put a bullet in my head and put me out of my misery." In a later interview, he stated "It's one of those things that very unfortunate how quotes are taken out of context. I remember that interview very vividly. I loved playing those characters. But the fact is that I was maturing. Honestly, I was retarding my growth as a man to maintain the authenticity to what I thought that character should be."
-Michelle Thomas, who played Myra Monkhouse, left the show prior to it's cancellation because she had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. She passed away at 30 years old that same year
-Reginal VelJohnson, who plays Carl Winslow and Jaleel White, who plays Steve Urkel, both wrote for the show
-This show lasted longer than Perfect Strangers (1986), where Harriette Winslow was an elevator operator
-This show was one of the longest running, successful sitcoms with a predominantly black cast
-This show was one of the last few live action sitcoms from the 1980s to end its run
-Out of all the cast members, the only one who appeared in every episode was Reginal VelJohnson
-The show was cancelled due to poor ratings on TV
-When Rosetta LeNoire, who played "Mother" Winslow, left the show, she was 85
-Jo Marie Payton had left the show when her contract expired and because the show was shifting focus away from the Winslow family to Steve Urkel
-Darius McCrary, Jo Marie Payton, Jaimee Foxworth, Telma Hopkinsand Bryton James all have professional music experience and have included their talent on the show
-This was one of only two successful shows with a predominantly black cast on ABC. The other TV show was Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992)
-Halfway through season nine, Estelle "Mother" Winslow and Richie Crawford disappear. A theory is that Carl's mother either moved out or passed away
-3J's full name is Jerry Jamal Jameson
-This show launched the acting careers of Kyla Pratt, Orlando Brown, Naya Rivera and Freddie Prinze Jr. Orlando Brown was a regular in season 8 while the other three simply guest starred
