There's no question, Family Matters was one of the greatest TGIF comedies of all time. In big part, it’s because of Jaleel White and his character, Steve Urkel, whose main mission was to chase his next-door neighbor, Laura Winslow, break every piece of furniture he bumped into, and say "Did I do that?" However, before Urkel’s “Did I do that?” became the ultimate quote synonymous with this fantastic sitcom, White tried out different catchphrases, and I’m so glad they didn’t stick.
There was no doubt that Steve Urkel was uncoordinated. It seemed like he couldn’t go through one scene without breaking something. On the bright side, it gave live-studio audiences a real laugh when they heard him say the famous catchphrase “Did I do that?” right after. However, in a clip for a new episode of Pod Meets World, Jaleel White revealed that there were other catchphrases Family Matters tried out first before they landed on that iconic line, and I’m so glad they didn’t work out:
They tried a million darn catchphrases. And the first one that they ever tried really was Steve would just bump into an end table or a lamp, knock it over and say, 'Excuse me.' That was it, he’d just say 'Excuse me.' Then they tried to borrow one that was already in existence, ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.’ We did about three of them, and ‘Did I do that’ just stuck. And it’s one of those things you lob them out to the audience.
Looking back, I do remember these lines coming into play. Steve Urkel would say “excuse me” to a piece of furniture he made tumble or the constant “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” However, I’m really glad these didn't become the catchphrase.
Sure, the “excuse me” line was funny the first time, but I don't think it packs the same punch. And “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” reminds me of the infomercials that advertised Life Alert, which are far from funny. “Did I do that” just does a great job defining the ABC fan-favorite character’s guilty conscience when he knocks something over.
Like Gabriel Iglesias once said during his run of Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias, shooting in front of a live studio audience is important because you get immediate feedback about which comedy hijinks work. Jaleel White felt the same way about the studio audience, crediting them for why “Did I do that” became the famous catchphrase we know now:
Back then, [it] was completely about the immediate audience reaction. You had that live studio audience to tell you in real time what was working. There was no social media. I think that’s the thing I miss most about our era, though, of television. We didn’t have to hear from the haters.
Jaleel White previously told the story behind the classic catchphrase, saying that the delivery of the line made “Did I do that” so famous. I can understand that since it brought out Steve Urkel’s nasally voice more. Plus, his scrunched-up guilty look when he said that line was icing on the cake. Studio audiences sure had a talent for picking the elements of Family Matters that ended up sticking long-term. And that's partially why Steve Urkel is considered a side character fans ended up loving more than the main characters.
It’s a huge relief that “excuse me” and “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” didn’t become Steve Urkel’s famed catchphrases. Between the constant quoting and the merchandise that came from our favorite nerd, “Did I do that” made a massive impact on the zeitgeist and it's a perfect catchphrase for this beloved character.
Feel free to listen to the catchphrase that is in all nine seasons of Family Matters with a Max subscription.
