White starred as Steve Urkel on the family sitcom from 1989 to 1998
Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
NEED TO KNOW
- Jaleel White credits Family Matters‘ success to syndication and its popularity with millennials watching after school
- He recalls The Drew Carey Show was expected to be Warner Brothers’ big hit, but Family Matters found unexpected success
- White recently reunited with fellow ‘90s stars on HGTV’s Totally ‘90s House, calling it a “high school reunion come to life”
Jaleel White was surprised Family Matters became a hit.
White, 49, starred as Steve Urkel on the sitcom from 1989 to 1998. On the Thursday, Sept. 24 episode of the Sorry We’re Cyrus podcast, hosted by Tish Cyrus, the actor opened up about the evolution of the ABC sitcom that made him a household name in the ‘90s.
As White noted, Family Matters saw much of its success in syndication as it grew popular with millennials returning home from school.
“Ultimately, you know, the character really landed with the millennial generation far greater than it did with the generation that watched it in primetime and they watched it after school,” White noted.
He continued, “I’m very thankful for what television distribution was back then because you would come home, you throw down your book bag and you would watch stuff after school and we don’t have that anymore. So luckily, I’ve got… these young, hip adults that grew up watching the show in its afterlife, in syndication.”
Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
“At the time, I remember Drew Carey was supposed to be like the big Warner Brothers property and it sold for so much money and you know… you can still find our show in syndication,” White noted of sitcom The Drew Carey Show, which aired from 1995 to 2004.
The Drew Carey Show has largely been absent from syndication due to expensive music rights. However, like Family Matters, it is available to stream.
White added that’s “not a knock on Drew — that’s somebody I respect.” He continued, “But ultimately, the people choose, and I love being in a position, when you put out something and people enjoy it and you know, the gatekeepers don’t do what they do.”
“Instead, it’s like this thing just blew up. The ratings are crazy,” he said. “We didn’t expect this. That’s pure luck. That’s lightning in the bottle. Totally.”
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White recently reunited with many of his fellow ‘90s TV stars on the HGTV competition series Totally ‘90s House.
Speaking to PEOPLE in an interview about the show, he said, “it really is almost like a high school reunion come to life.”
“All of them, from Brian [Austin Green] to Keshia [Knight Pulliam], and especially Jodie [Sweetin]. Oh my gosh, I was always over at their set,” he shared of the ABC sitcom Full House, in which Sweetin starred as Stephanie Tanner.
White guest starred on Full House in season 4 as Urkel. During his appearance he helped Stephanie get over her fear of being teased for wearing glasses.
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