It’s been over two decades since Family Matters’ final episode. A prominent cast member of the beloved sitcom, Jaleel White, may not be a sitcom actor anymore. But he’s got his hosting gig in the game show Flip Side to keep him busy and just released his memoir Growing Up Urkel. But Family Matters still remains true to his heart with a goofball idea for a reboot that actually sounds great.
There have been many TV reboots that weren’t necessary like Saved By the Bell, Fuller House, Girl Meets World, and more. Sometimes, we need to learn to say goodbye to a show and accept its finale no matter how many fans loved the original series. Compared to wanting Family Matters to fall under the same trend, Jaleel White did say on an episode of the podcast series Fail Better with David Duchovny his rather unique idea for a Family Matters reboot series. I’ve gotta say, it sounds so crazy that it just might work:
I always saw the reboot as involving another kid that didn’t necessarily play Urkel Junior. [...] I thought the show should be about a kid who goes onto a failing sitcom in the ‘90s and upsets the apple cart but ends up saving the day. And this show should really be about this kid’s normal life behind the scenes going to public school—because I went to public school the entire time I was on that show—and his parents, who know nothing about the business at all.
It almost sounds like Jaleel White's idea would be loosely based on the actor’s own life. After all, Family Matters was about to end after its first season until the introduction of Steve Urkel got fans hooked on the sitcom. The side-character ended up being loved more than the main cast for his classic TV catchphrase “Did I do that?!,” his nerdy shenanigans, and his unsuccessful pining for Laura Winslow.
It really would be a real treat to see a young actor successfully portray the fan-favorite ABC character as well as the emotional turmoils of juggling fame with being a regular kid. The plot almost reminds me of Disney Channel’s The Famous Jet Jackson which had similar themes. We could see on-set drama like the alleged problems Jo Marie Payton had with Jaleel White while filming or being afraid that kids at school would laugh at him for playing Steve’s cousin, Myrtle Urkel. Audiences would get a fresh eye towards how child acting may look cool from our TVs, but harder than we realize from a behind-the-scenes perspective.
Jaleel White continued to say he could picture the show going to streaming with half-hour episodes. There’s another important reason why I’d be psyched if his reboot idea came to fruition:
[The reboot] really tug at your heartstrings more along the lines of the original Wonder Years. [...] The ‘90s, man, is this incredible canvas! It’s our ‘60s now. You get to see the evolution of the cellphone, you get to see the evolution of the internet. Use this nucleus of three—this mom, dad, and this kid— as a journey back into the ‘90s to explore a completely different time. That, I thought, would have been a compelling show that you can get a lot of different generations to appreciate.
The Wonder Years indeed gave TV fans of the ‘90s a real education as to what it was like growing up in the ‘60s. You had the Vietnam War, the changing roles of women, and the generational gap to explore. The Jaleel White reboot idea can show the height of sitcoms and how television shaped pop culture during that period.
In my opinion, a Family Matters reboot loosely based on Jaleel White’s life as a child star would be a better idea than a sequel series. The classic TV show ended where Steve and Laura were in the middle of planning their wedding when the lovable nerd got an opportunity for a space mission where he almost didn’t return. Fortunately, Steve got back to the Winslows with the episode ending in a kiss between him and Laura.
Jaleel White got real that he didn’t feel Family Matters should be revived as it wouldn’t work without “tension.” The American actor said it would be a different story if Michelle Thomas was around to bring back the love triangle of Myra-Steve-Laura. But as the actress died from cancer in 1998, White felt a reboot would be a no-go.
I hope streaming services are hearing Jaleel White’s oddball idea for a Family Matters reboot. A series that brings back the ‘90s and the struggles of being a child star would appeal to generations of the original series and new fans the same way Netflix’s Cobra Kai did. But for now, we have nine seasons of the TGIF sitcom to rewatch on your Max subscription and your Hulu subscription.
9-1-1 Delivered A Long-Awaited Conversation Between Maddie And Buck, But A Deleted Moment The Showrunner Is ‘Pissed Off’ He Cut Would Have Made It Even Better
As Sabrina Carpenter’s Suggestive Performances Continue To Go Viral, A PR Expert Weighs In On Whether Her Work Has Become A ‘Betrayal’ To Younger Fans
