Family Matters is one of the most beloved ’90s sitcoms, and probably most famous for Steve Urkel’s (Jaleel White) catchphrase — “Did I do thaaat?” — and his alter ego, Stefan Urquelle. But the Perfect Strangers spin-off, which ran on ABC/CBS from 1989 to 1997, was so much more than the suspenders-loving nerd who went from a side character to its eventual lead. It was a heartfelt and humorous look at three generations of a Black middle-class family in Chicago. That’s probably why, when TV Guide asked star Kellie Shanygne Williams in 2018 for her picks for the most memorable Family Matters moments, she didn’t think of any of the Steve Urkel shenanigans, but instead of “The Quilt.”
The Season 1 episode saw the teenaged Laura (Williams) sell one of the family’s quilts to an art dealer in order to raise enough money to buy a VCR. However, when Laura did this, she didn’t know that the quilt was a priceless 200-year-old family heirloom. “The grandmother, Rosette LeNoire, her character was telling Laura how important this quilt was,” Williams said of the touching scene in which Mother Winslow revealed how much the quilt meant to Laura, who then went to the art dealer to plead for its return.
“It was a great episode because I left the stage when I began the show and it was just a chance to really get to act, not just be the cute, sassy kid but to really dig in and do some work,” Williams recalled.
One of Family Matters’ strengths was its ability to cover the spectrum of human emotion, switching from serious and heartfelt moments, like in “The Quilt,” to all-out silliness, like the Season 9 episode in which Steve created an evil ventriloquist dummy that came to life (it was dubbed Stevil, naturally). But Williams’ favorite comedic moment from the show doesn’t involve magic, potions, or cloning devices. Instead, she pointed to the Season 1 episode “Baker’s Dozens.”
After Rachel (Telma Hopkins) convinced Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) to sell his secret lemon tart recipe, the Winslows had to work tirelessly to try to fill a massive order in less than two days. The stress of the work led to an “epic” food fight that Williams said was just as fun for the actors as it was for the audience.
“We’re eating and throwing at the same time. It was just crazy, but it was so fun,” the actress said. “We had fun together. That’s what people love to watch.”
There are so many great Family Matters episodes beyond “The Quilt” or “Baker’s Dozens” to rewatch (and fortunately, they’re all streaming on Hulu). But if you are thinking about revisiting some of the show’s highlights, why not start with the two remembered best by one of the show’s stars?
Family Matters is available to stream on Hulu. Check out more great ’90s shows to watch here.
