Family Matters: The Complete First Season

“Did I do that?” Much like Fonzie, who surged to the forefront of Happy Days, Jaleel White's portrayal of the nerdy Steve Urkel propelled him to become the breakout star of this long-running (1989-98) sitcom, a spin-off from Perfect Strangers. This 1989-90 first season focuses on the extended Winslow family: middle-class Chicago cop Carl (Reginald VelJohnson), working wife Harriet (JoMarie Payton), live-in aunt Rachel (Tony Orlando and Dawn's Telma Hopkins), and four children. In “The Mama Who Came to Dinner,” Carl's mother (Rosetta LeNoire) moves in, making him feel displaced as the head of the household; “Two-Income Family” follows Harriet's struggle to find a replacement job; teen son Eddie fudges a report card in “Straight As”; and oldest daughter Laura's greed leads to her mistakenly selling a family heirloom in “The Quilt.” However, the hilarity ratcheted up with White's debut in “Laura's First Date,” where—thinking she can't find her own dance partner—the Winslow men fix Laura up with undesirables, including the unforgettable Urkel (who wears dorky suspenders and glasses, brings flowers from the graveyard, is rumored to eat mice, and creepily asks if Laura is wearing a bra). Other standout episodes include the Stooges-worthy money-making tart disaster “Baker's Dozens,” Carl's trepidation over his weight for “The Big Reunion,” and Laura's daycare debacle “Sitting Pretty.” Compiling all 22 debut season episodes from this ‘90s sitcom staple, this is recommended. (J. Williams-Wood)