Many classic sitcoms from years past have been revived with new sequels, but don't expect Family matters to receive the same treatment. Jaleel White, who rose to fame as the former child prodigy who played breakout character Steve Urkel, explained why it's best to leave Family matters in the past as a product of its time.
According to People, the actor commented on a possible revival while speaking to fans during his “The Evolution of Jaleel White” panel at 90s Con 2024. He explained that while he loves Family mattersis simply unsure about the prospects of a potential revival. Part of that is the loss of some cast members who have since passed away, including Michelle Thomas in 1998 and Rosetta LeNoire in 2002. White also believes that a show about Urkel as a happily married adult wouldn’t be as intriguing as following the character when he was younger and faced more challenges.
“It’s the hardest question I’ve had to answer in a long time,” White explained. “But I really study why our shows work. And it has nothing to do with me not loving our old property, are you kidding? I love Family matters more than any of you could ever love Family mattersI also know our strengths and weaknesses like a coach knows his team. I will not test us on the field for anything less than absolute victory..”
I have no intention of testing us on the field for anything less than an outright victory.
He continued: “Part of the magic of Family matters was that it was always prolonged with Steve not getting the girl. Then it came [alter ego] Stefan and he created this other dynamic. I'm just doing a reboot of Family matters where Steve is married to Laura, there is no tension. You would watch an episode and find out that my voice is a little deeper and you would get mad about that..”
White showed some respect for Full house and referred to Candace Cameron Bure as a “dear friend.” While Full house it was a success, with the Sold out revival that lasts five seasons on Netflix, White believes that “life has changed” too much with the Family matters characters.
“Are we really going to say it? Family matters without a smartphone? It seems to me that the magic in what you watched had none of those components and It belongs only to the 90's“, he concluded. “There is a responsibility that these reboots have… Give you a little of the old but don't ignore the new entirely. I liked it, that's what I'm committed to if I touch something Family matters at this point.”
Jaleel White Joins the Star Wars Franchise
The odds of fans seeing White back as Urkel are slim anytime soon, but the actor is returning to the small screen as part of another major franchise. He's doing his Star Warsdebuts with a role in Skeleton Crewthe upcoming Disney+ series starring Jude Law. The series will debut on Disney+ on December 3.
Family matters is streaming on Max.
Source: People