The BEST Episodes of Family Matters
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Jun 3, 2020
Network: ABC (US)
Family Matters is an American sitcom about a middle-class African American family living in Chicago. The series was spun off from Perfect Strangers and revolves around the Winslow family. Midway through the first season, the show introduced the Winslows' nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (played by Jaleel White), who quickly became its breakout character and eventually a main character.
#1 - Rock Enroll
Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired Jan 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.
8.89 
#2 - The Substitute Son
Season 6 - Episode 14 - Aired Feb 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.
8.55 
#3 - Number One with a Bullet
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired Oct 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.
8.50 
#4 - South of the Border
Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired Jan 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
8.22 
#5 - Hot Rods to Heck
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired Nov 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.
8.21 
#6 - Dark and Stormy Night
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired Oct 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).
8.17 
#7 - It's a Mad, Mad, Madhouse
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired Nov 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.
8.15 
#8 - Wedding Bell Blues
Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired Feb 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.
8.14 
#9 - Paradise Bluff
Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired Nov 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.
8.14 
#10 - My Uncle Hero
Season 6 - Episode 18 - Aired Mar 3, 1995
Suspicions mount for Myra as Urkel and Laura put their heads together to plan a surprise birthday party for her. Meanwhile across town, Richie hopes to impress his classmates on a field trip to Carl's office at the police station.
8.13 
#11 - Swine Lake
Season 7 - Episode 17 - Aired Feb 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.
8.12 
#12 - Good Cop, Bad Cop
Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired Jan 21, 1994
Carl refuses to accept Eddie's story that he got pulled over for speeding "because he was a black in a white person's neighborhood" ... until the portly cop finds out the ugly truth. Meanwhile, Urkel tells Richie that he has nothing to fear when going to the dentist, but the nerd soon regrets his move when he has cavities of his own that need filling.
8.11 
#13 - Saved by the Urkel
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired Oct 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.
8.08 
#14 - Presumed Urkel
Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired Feb 4, 1994
When accident-prone Steve is blamed for a chemistry lab explosion, Laura represents him at a school trial.
8.08 
#15 - Till Death Do Us Apartment
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired Oct 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.
8.06 
#16 - The Looney Bin
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired Oct 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.
8.05 
#17 - Little Big Guy
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired Sep 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.
8.04 
#18 - Nunsense
Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired Apr 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.
8.03 
#19 - What's Up Doc?
Season 6 - Episode 21 - Aired Mar 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.
8.00 
#20 - A-Camping We Will Go
Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired Apr 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.
7.98 
#21 - Christmas is Where the Heart Is
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired Dec 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.
7.97 
#22 - Revenge of the Nerd
Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired Jan 3, 1997
Laura plans to join a sorority and learns Steve is their favorite target.
7.94 
#23 - The Way the Ball Bounces
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired Jan 22, 1993
A college woos athlete Eddie, who has only fame and fortune in mind after accepting a scholarship; meanwhile, Laura forgoes sleep to study for a Harvard entrance exam.
7.90 
#24 - Home Sweet Home
Season 6 - Episode 25 - Aired May 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.
7.89 
#25 - All the Wrong Moves
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired Nov 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.
7.89