In the premiere episode of How It Started, How It Ended, Angela and Bobby revisit the first and final episodes of Family Matters to answer one question: Did the series stick the landing?

They begin by exploring the show's origins as a spin-off of Perfect Strangers and ABC's effort to recreate the success of The Cosby Show during the TGIF era. Looking at the pilot, they discuss how Family Matters was originally conceived as a warm, multi-generational family sitcom centered on the Winslow family and the everyday challenges of living under one roof.

The conversation then turns to one of television's most unexpected pivots: the arrival of Steve Urkel. Originally intended as a one-time guest character, Urkel became a pop culture phenomenon who transformed the series from a grounded family comedy into something far more outrageous.

After watching the two-part series finale, Angela and Bobby debate whether that dramatic evolution helped or hurt the show. They discuss everything from space travel and artificial gravity to missing cast members, changing networks, and whether the finale provided enough emotional closure.

Verdict: Bobby says Family Matters mostly sticks the landing, while Angela isn't convinced the series ever truly landed at all.

In this episode

• How Family Matters spun off from Perfect Strangers
• ABC's search for another family sitcom after The Cosby Show
• The original vision for the Winslow family
• Why Steve Urkel was only supposed to appear once
• How Urkel became the center of the series
• The surprising changes between the pilot and the finale
• What happened to several original cast members
• Whether the finale delivered a satisfying ending

Shows and people mentioned

• Family Matters
• Perfect Strangers
• The Cosby Show
• Jaleel White
• Jo Marie Payton
• Reginald VelJohnson
• Telma Hopkins
• Rosetta LeNoire
• Darius McCrary
• Die Hard
• Louis Armstrong
• TGIF

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