Over the past few decades, the American sitcom has reigned supreme in the entertainment industry. Exploring situations that take place in our everyday lives through a variety of different perspectives has provided the creative minds behind the industry plenty of liberty to explore a wide array of topics. Among the countless sitcoms that have achieved success over the past few decades, arguably one of the most notable is the ABC sitcom Family Matters. Airing for nine seasons in the 1990’s, the Winslow family and their iconic neighbor Steve Urkel warmed the hearts of Americans far and wide for the better part of a decade before coming to an end. Now Family Matters is scheduled to make a return to television, but this time as an animated special that will air on Cartoon Network and HBO Max this holiday season.
First airing in September of 1989, Family Matters follows police officer Carl Winslow and his family as they navigate life as an African-American family in Chicago in the 1990’s. The series also introduced the world to Steve Urkel, the Winslow family’s zany neighbor played by Jaleel White who quickly became a fixture on the show and arguably one of the most iconic characters on television in the 90’s. His nerdy demeanor coupled with a comedic undertone served to not only entertain viewers but also act as a character arc as White got older and grew into the role of Steve Urkel. Now White will be getting a chance to reprise his role as the character in the upcoming project Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story, an animated special set to debut on Cartoon Network and HBO Max this holiday season. In it, Urkel is forced to deal with the consequences of his actions when he almost ruins Christmas, in typical Steve Urkel fashion, and has to utilize his impressive brain to make things right.
Since the 1990’s, dozens of sitcoms have debuted on television to varying degrees of success. Some only last a season or two, others can last for hundreds of episodes; Family Matters falls into the latter group, with 215 episodes under their belt after nine seasons. Few sitcoms have aged as well as Family Matters however, which is exactly why the series persists in pop culture to this day. Now a new generation of fans will be introduced to the quirky character of Steve Urkel when Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story debuts this holiday season.