The BEST episodes of Family Matters

Every episode of Family Matters ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Family Matters!

The Winslows, a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, deal with various misadventures — many of which are caused by their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel.

Last Updated: 3/18/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Share:
Rock Enroll
star
8.78
55 votes

#1 - Rock Enroll

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/7/1994

Eddie changes his mind about college at a concert fund-raiser after singer Shanice performs a song he wrote; and Urkel has no luck rallying friends to celebrate his birthday, but soon finds that Laura is his biggest cheerleader.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Presumed Urkel
star
8.43
99 votes

#2 - Presumed Urkel

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/4/1994

When accident-prone Steve is blamed for a chemistry lab explosion, Laura represents him at a school trial.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
It's a Mad, Mad, Madhouse
star
8.42
106 votes

#3 - It's a Mad, Mad, Madhouse

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/27/1992

Eddie tries to cover for his poor record in school by claiming he has family problems at home - so his teacher arrives to evaluate his dysfunctional family environment.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV
South of the Border
star
8.39
83 votes

#4 - South of the Border

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/12/1996

Waldo visits the tiny island nation of Porto Santo and accidentally gets arrested for theft. When Carl, Steve and Eddie find out, they fly there and try to get him released. The police chief, Jaime Gutierrez Garcia , who is also the mayor and the governor, offers to release Waldo if Carl pays a huge fine. Carl doesn't have enough money, so he, Eddie and Steve secretly help Waldo escape that night. But Garcia catches them and threatens to jail all four. Luckily, he also explains that Porto Santo dollars are worth a lot less than American dollars and the fine is actually pretty small. Waldo, Carl, Eddie and Steve return home. Meanwhile, Laura is reluctant to go on a date with a boy she has never met whom Harriette recommends. She would rather date the polite pizza delivery boy, David Phillips, who comes to the house on the night of the date. Then Laura finds out that David is the one her mother likes. Harriette wanted Laura to decide for herself whether she likes David, which Laura appre

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Till Death Do Us Apartment
star
8.31
93 votes

#5 - Till Death Do Us Apartment

Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/1994

College man Eddie moves into an apartment with Waldo and promptly plans a hot night with two female guests which inflames Waldo's steady, Maxine.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Saved by the Urkel
star
8.30
57 votes

#6 - Saved by the Urkel

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/1993

The Winslows find themselves - unbelievably - indebted to Urkel. After he saves Carl's life with CPR the family showers him with gratitude and feels obligated to put up with the nerdy, annoying dweeb.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Substitute Son
star
8.29
48 votes

#7 - The Substitute Son

Season 6 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/3/1995

The transformation machine turns Urkel into a karate master who defends Laura's honor at a rough longshoreman's bar; Waldo becomes Carl's substitute son when Eddie starts taking his father for granted.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Number One with a Bullet
star
8.26
53 votes

#8 - Number One with a Bullet

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/1992

Carl and Urkel are hospital roommates and Urkel, as usual, is a pain -until he gets the opportunity to save Carl's hide.

Directors: Gary Menteer
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Looney Bin
star
8.25
89 votes

#9 - The Looney Bin

Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/14/1994

Hard times bring distress for the unemployed Harriette and for a homeless and eccentric janitor [ Poston ], who get s trapped in the school bomb shelter with Good Samaritans Urkel and Carl.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
All the Wrong Moves
star
8.21
81 votes

#10 - All the Wrong Moves

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/26/1993

At the drive-in movie, Laura's new boyfriend (Kevin Mambo) has trouble getting the message that no really means no; and at home, Carl just doesn't get it when his insults drive Harriette to retaliate.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Nunsense
star
8.21
39 votes

#11 - Nunsense

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/29/1994

Urkel fears that his rejection has sent Myra to join a nunnery, so he enlists Eddie and Waldo to dress in habits and join him in a search for her at the convent.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Wedding Bell Blues
star
8.19
83 votes

#12 - Wedding Bell Blues

Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/17/1995

Urkel and Carl risk their lives to save the distraught Mr. Looney from committing suicide when he is jilted on hi s wedding day; meanwhile at home, Laura fumes when her parents are more protective of her than of Eddie.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Paradise Bluff
star
8.19
80 votes

#13 - Paradise Bluff

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/18/1994

Urkel's life flashes before him atop Paradise Bluff, where Myra hands him an ultimatum; and Harriette rates her mate and finds Carl needs to spice up his technique - at barbecuing.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Revenge of the Nerd
star
8.18
84 votes

#14 - Revenge of the Nerd

Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/3/1997

Laura plans to join a sorority and learns Steve is their favorite target.

Directors: Gregg Heschong
Writer: Jim Geoghan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Christmas is Where the Heart Is
star
8.08
89 votes

#15 - Christmas is Where the Heart Is

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/10/1993

Urkel and Carl are stranded on a stalled subway with a car full of grouchy shoppers. Urkle teaches everyone, including Carl that Christmas is a state of the heart, and can be celebrated anywhere and with anyone.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Swine Lake
star
8.08
77 votes

#16 - Swine Lake

Season 7 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/16/1996

At a recital, Eddie and Greta's pas de deux from "Swan Lake" in interrupted by an ungly duckling from down south - Myrtle Urkel. Harriette, feeling dowdy, gives herself a makeover, while Eddie reluctantly enrolls in ballet lessons to improve his basketball skills. When he and his girlfriend, Greta, perform a famous ballet with the class, Myrtle Urkel arrives and takes Greta's place - both on and off the stage. Meanwhile, Harriette becomes depressed when Laura's boyfriend, Curtis, thinks that she is Laura's grandmother. She begins dressing like Tina Turner but finally comes to terms with being comfortable with her age.

Directors: Joel Zwick
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dark and Stormy Night
star
8.08
103 votes

#17 - Dark and Stormy Night

Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/1994

On a dark and stormy Halloween night Winslows play Pass the Ghost Story, in which Carl and Harriette are 19th-century vampires licking their chops over the wayfaring Sir Steven (Urkel).

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
An Officer and a Waldo
star
8.02
91 votes

#18 - An Officer and a Waldo

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/1992

Eddie's insult sends Waldo off to join the Army; Harriette and Carl set us a sting to catch a shady repairman.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
What's Up Doc?
star
8.01
76 votes

#19 - What's Up Doc?

Season 6 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/31/1995

After six years of Urkel-agony, the Winslows finally admit themselves into therapy where we look into the history of the chaotic effects that Steve has had on the Winslows. In the end, Steve begins to realize the damage he has done but Harriet defends his case by explaining the good things Urkel has done for the Winslows that overpowers the bad (including the two times that Steve has saved Carl's life). On the way out, Urkel causes more damage to the therapist's office than he did coming in.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Higher Anxiety
star
8.01
80 votes

#20 - Higher Anxiety

Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/26/1993

At a party, Urkel, Eddie and Waldo get trapped on a fire escape. A heartbroken Eddie mourns his split with two-timing Oneisha, while Carl gives the cold shoulder to his mother's beau Fletcher, who has big plans for her future.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hot Rods to Heck
star
7.96
50 votes

#21 - Hot Rods to Heck

Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/10/1995

When Laura's emotions go into overdrive for drag racer Curtis, Urkel soups up the Isetta and challenges the daredevil to a race. In an effort to distract Laura from Curtis Williams, a flirtatious high school senior, Steve challenges him to a car race. Steve converts his wimpy little car into a powerful racing machine. Meanwhile, Eddie has annoyed Carl ever since he moved back home. After Eddie's friends keep coming over and making noise, Carl tells Eddie to respect the others in the house.

Directors: Joel Zwick
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Little Big Guy
star
7.92
93 votes

#22 - Little Big Guy

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1995

Mischief-maker Urkel and his troublesome transformation chamber move in with the Winslows and he wreaks household havoc by shrinking both himself and Carl in an experiment gone awry.

Directors: Richard Correll
Writer: Fred Rubin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A-Camping We Will Go
star
7.86
71 votes

#23 - A-Camping We Will Go

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/1/1994

Urkel tags along on Carl's camping trip in Minnesota and an irritated Carl stubbornly refuses to listen to know- it-all Urkel's words of warning about bears and geysers; Harriette seeks a job.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Home Sweet Home
star
7.86
71 votes

#24 - Home Sweet Home

Season 6 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/19/1995

When his parents move to Russia without telling him, Steve moves in with Eddie and Waldo - but his super termites eat them out of house and home, literally.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pulling Teeth
star
7.86
78 votes

#25 - Pulling Teeth

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/19/1993

Waldo dates Laura's friend; Richie tries to get rid of a baby tooth.

Directors: Gary Menteer
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV