Family Matters (1989)
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Joel Zwick — Director
Episodes 24
The Mama Who Came to Dinner
Mother Winslow moves in and immediately begins to usurp Carl's authority. Eddie wants to go out with his friends, but he has a strict curfew that complicates things with Carl.
Read MoreShort Story
Rachel writes a short story with characters that seem all too familiar; Carl becomes obsessed with the family's out of proportion water bill.
Read MoreRequiem for an Urkel
Steve charges like a raging bull to the boxing ring when a bully threatens to pummel any guy who asks Laura out.
Read MoreMidterm Crisis
Carl loses points with Capt. Savage by telling him the truth about the woman he loves; and Eddie and Urkel cook u p a lie about Waldo's midterm baking project, which they devoured.
Read MoreShe's Back
Jaleel White has a dual role as Myrtle, Urkel's visiting cousin from Biloxi - who shows plenty of moxie when she squares off with Greta for Eddie's affections. The Winslows breathe a sigh of relief when Steve goes away to visit his parents in Russia. Unfortunately, Steve's Southern belle cousin, Myrtle Urkel, appears to pursue her true love - Eddie.
Read MoreHot Rods to Heck
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.
Read MoreStruck By Lightning
Laura and Myra's friendship turns stormy as they compete for the same sales job at Ferguson's; a rainstorm renders Urkel a ""human lightning rod"" and he refuses to go outside after being struck by lightning three times. Luckily, he finds out the cause: His ""boss sauce"" that he uses in his transformation machine contains a huge amount of iron. Meanwhile, Laura and Myra compete for the same sales job at a department store.
Read MoreLife in the Fast Lane
Handyman chores leave Urkel hyped up and hammered out after he inadvertently downs Laura's diet pills, which she' s using for a quick trim down.
Read MoreTips For a Better Life
Carl issues an ultimatum concerning Eddie's recent drinking habits; meanwhile at the local cafe, female fans become intoxicated by the jazz styling of the ultra cool Stefan Urquette. Eddie, now a member of a fraternity at college but living at home, starts drinking alcohol excessively. Carl demands that if Eddie comes home drunk again, he must move out. After the next incident, Carl tells Eddie to move in with Waldo. But Waldo surprisingly refuses, saying that Eddie becomes obnoxious when he is drunk. Eddie realizes that his father is right; he shouldn't drink alcohol until he is old enough to be responsible. Carl lets him live at home. To earn money to pay for damaging the Winslow house with one of his inventions, Steve plays jazz piano in a local club - after transforming into the suave Stefan Urquelle. The highlight of his show is when Laura sings a love song with his accompaniment, followed by a passionate kiss.
Read MoreSwine Lake
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.
Read MoreTwinkle Toes Faldo
Eddie and Urkel don't tap dance around the fact that Waldo is a klutz on the basketball court, so Waldo takes tap dancing lessons to improve his agility. Elsewhere, getting accepted to Harvard means the world to Laura, until she l earns her parents can't pay the tuition.
Read MoreDream Date
The school prom brings one disaster after another for Laura. First, her date cancels; then she's parked with a dateless Urkel at the dance. The group ""Immature"" performs.
Read MoreA Ham is Born
Carl gets a job acting in a movie, but feels guilty about kissing another woman.
Read MoreChick-a-Boom
Steve invents some musically-activated gunpowder, but Myra mistakes it for pepper when she uses it to prepare a big dinner for Carl's commissioner!
Read MoreOdd Man In
Harriette fills a spot at Carl's poker table while Steve does work for Eddie at a ballpark.
Read MoreA Pirate's Life for Me
Steve's time machine sends him and Carl back to a pirate ship.
Read MoreOut With the Old
Steve undergoes an image makeover in order to take part in a kissing auction hosted by Laura's sorority; Carl feels threatened by Hariette's promotion and raise and decides to moonlight as a parking attendant.
Read MoreA Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read
Urkel doesn't mind at all when a chemistry experiment allows him to eavesdrop on the thoughts of everyone around him, but being able to hear what people are thinking soon becomes far too overwhelming. Meanwhile, Carol becomes a troop leader for the Junior Woodsmen.
Read MoreA Pain in Harassment
Steve gets a chance at a $1 million basketball shot. Will he end up rolling dough, or will he get ""nothing but net""? Harriette's new boss has a reputation for being tough, but his employees are blindsided by his verbal abuse as well. Meanwhile, Urkel tries to win a million dollars with a basketball half-court shot in L.A.
Read MoreThrow Urkel From the Train
Laura's not impressed by Maxine's rich new boyfriend D'Andre.
Read MoreDon't Make Me Over
Myrtle Urkel tries for the last time to get Eddie. This time, Laura and Maxine give her a complete and total makeover. Myrtle comes out looking terrific, but Eddie still does not like her. So she decides to stop chasing him.
Read MorePop Goes the Question
Urkel asks Carl for Laura's hand in marriage, but Stefan has already given Laura a ring.
Read MoreLost in Space (1)
The first of a two-part series finale sends Urkel into space, which means he'll have to postpone his marriage to Laura.
Read MoreLost in Space (2)
In the conclusion of the series finale, astro-nerd Urkel's life hangs in the balance when he takes a dangerous walk in space to patch the damaged spacecraft.
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