Family Matters Season 10

In early 1997, CBS picked up Family Matters and Step by Step in a $40 million deal to acquire the rights to the programs from ABC. Then ABC then promised to pay Miller-Boyett Productions $1.5 million per episode for a ninth and tenth season of Family Matters. However, tensions had risen between Miller-Boyett Productions and ABC's corporate parent, The Walt Disney Company. Miller-Boyett thought that it would not be a big player on ABC after the network's recent purchase by Disney. In turn, Miller-Boyett Productions agreed to a $40 million offer from CBS for a 22-episode season for both Family Matters and Step By Step. CBS scheduled Family Matters, along with Step By Step, as a part of its new Friday lineup branded as the "CBS Block Party" and scheduled the family-oriented block against ABC's TGIF lineup, where the two series originated. Near the end of the ninth season, the cast was informed that a tenth and final season was planned, so scripts and plot synopses were written for the show.

Family Matters 10th Season was originally planned until the final season in 1999. However, Family Matters 10th season will be cancelled when they decided not to order season ten renewals, but in June 1998, it was announced that the ninth season would indeed be the final season of the show, with the series finale airing July 17, 1998.

Four Weddings And An Urkel: A Family Matters Movie
Air Date: September 18, 1998

Family Matters 10th season begins with a two-hour movie event. Steve and Laura have graduated from college and have finally decided to get married, but not if Myra has anything to say about it. Having seen this earlier, Stefan tries to talk some sense in her, but she refuses to listen to him, believing that she and Urkel are still meant to be. It takes four weddings before the two get hitched since Myra finds a way to sabotage each one. But through it all, she eventually realizes that Steve and Laura are really meant to be together, and the fourth wedding proves to be the charm as they get married. Look for guest appearances from the original Harriette, Rachel, Mother Winslow, Waldo and Judy. After the movie, the cast gives a special look back and tribute to the late Michelle Thomas with some of her best moments on the series. The movie is rerun as four episodes.

Season X Episodes
"My Boyfriend's Back" (September 25, 1998)

Laura and Steve head off on their honeymoon in Hawaii and the family cares for a humdrum Maxine, who feels melancholy that she has never found a man any good to be interested in her since Waldo. She starts feeling a little better when she starts receiving gifts from a secret admirer. When she catches Stefan dropping off a gift, she suspects it is him and makes advances towards him. She soon finds out that the secret admirer is none other than Waldo, who has returned to Chicago to host a tap dancing cooking show and to see Maxine. When she refuses to see him, Stefan convinces her to hear Waldo out. Maxine finally does and learns that he had a mix up with the postcards caused by his cousin, Bob, who was sending a break-up postcard to an overbearing girl he was seeing. She also learns that Waldo's own postcard had reaffirmed his love for her and had never intended to break up with her. Meanwhile, Carl tries to set an example by starting a mentor program that pairs cops with troubled youth and ends up with OGD as his mentee.

"Hawaiian Honeymoon" (Part 1) (October 2, 1998)

Steve and Laura make it to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Their plans to have a good time are shot when their honeymoon package turns out to be a cover-up to become involved with a pyramid scheme, buy property and sell motivational tapes. To make matters worse, they get lost on the island and find a small tribe who believe Steve is their guard. Steve feels good but Laura is a little worried when she finds out that it is the tribe's duty to sacrifice their gods in a volcano. Meanwhile, Eddie fears for Carl's safety when OGD finds out Carl has been keeping secret that he has been receiving letters threatening his life.(Possibly the return of Fresh Squeeze)

"Hawaiian Honeymoon" (Part 2) (October 9, 1998)

In Hawaii, Steve is kidnapped by the tribe and about to be sacrificed. To save her husband, Laura uses Steve's transformation chamber and turns herself into Bruce Lee Laura, fighting the tribe and returning Steve and herself back home. Meanwhile, OGD and Eddie find out that Carl's death threat notes are coming from a convicted felon that Carl put in jail years ago. Using the clues of the notes, they find out where he is going to strike Carl and rescue him. Carl thanks Eddie and has even more respect for OGD.

"Ladies Night" (October 16, 1998)

With Myra no longer trying to get Steve back, and Myrtle no longer chasing Eddie, the two decide to have a girls night out. The night turns out to be nothing but disastrous, especially when they are held hostage at one of the clubs. Luckily, Officer Eddie Winslow stops the criminals and saves the girls. Meanwhile, Carl and Harriette beg and plead for Steve and Laura to find a place of their own, but when nothing seems to work out, they reluctantly offer to turn their spacious garage into a temporary home for them.

"It Would Never Work" (October 23, 1998)

Myra and Stefan have become good friends after trying to work together to ruin Steve and Laura's wedding and after a long night of talking and laughing about the incident, they share a passionate kiss. The two then decide to date, but once they realize that Myra is too bubbly and Stefan is too smooth, their personality clashes ruin their chances of there ever being a relationship. Meanwhile, Carl has problems telling Harriette that her shifty single cousin, Henrietta (also played by Judyann Elder), is making not so subtle passes at him. Eventually, she kicks Henrietta out of her house.

"Stevil III: Bride Of Stevil" (October 30, 1998)

In this traditional Family Matters Halloween special, Stevil tries one last time to get Steve's soul. To make matters worse, he has hired a new accomplice since he and Carlsbad went separate ways after a terrible performance in Vegas. He has a new wife, Laurotten, an evil Laura look-a-like doll that wants to replace Laura as much as Stevil wants to replace Steve. However, Carlsbad returns in time as an ally to Urkel to stop Stevil once and for all.

"Try To Understand" (November 6, 1998)

After Myrtle and Stefan spend a day together, Stefan enjoys the experience and wants to get to know other Urkel family members, starting with OGD. However, Stefan shuns OGD's gangsta attitude and OGD detests Stefan's bouche lifestyle. So when the two exchange looks and lives a day in each other's shoes, they learn some new things about each other that they did not know. Meanwhile, Steve and Laura separately ask Carl and Harriette what to do when they start having problems with... well, you know.

"Young Love" (November 13, 1998)

3J feels he is in love when he asks his tutor Tanya, a high school freshman, on a date and she accepts. After what Tanya thinks is a play date she agrees to be 3J's Girlfriend, playing along. 3J is serious and complications arise when 3J sees Tanya with her real boyfriend. Meanwhile, Steve has a horrible dream of having out-of-control children when Laura mentions the thought of having children. Steve talks to Carl about it and later has a reunion of sorts with his parents.

"Merry Christmas, Baby" (December 18, 1998)

In a competition to get the best present for the family, Laura wins top prize when she tells her family that she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Carl feels OGD is back to his old tricks when someone reports that he stole toys from a local fundraiser. Carl finds out the reason OGD stole those toys is because his old neighborhood was not part of the fundraiser and wanted to make sure some of the kids who look up to him have a happy Christmas. Carl tells OGD that stealing was wrong but figures out a way to help the neighborhood. This episode would be the last episode to feature Michelle Thomas as Myra Monkhouse due to Thomas’ untimely passing.

"The Tap Dance Max" (January 8, 1999)

Maxine wants to learn more of Waldo's talents but doesn't do a good job with Waldo as a teacher. After cooking completely fails, she finds a teacher (guest star Gregory Hines) to teach her some moves. Waldo feels sad when Maxine tells him nothing of the lessons and agrees to be a little more patient in teaching her. The result is a zany Family Matters tap dance number.

This would be the first episode to introduce Maia Campbell as Myra Monkhouse, a role she would have to take due to Michelle Thomas’ untimely passing.

"Peer Pressure" (January 15, 1999)

Carl is getting a little worried when OGD misses some of their mentor meetings and gets caught doing some petty crimes. He and Eddie investigate and find out that OGD's old gang that he used to hang out with is calling him a sell-out for not hanging out on the streets anymore. Eddie tries to help OGD understand that he now above all that. Meanwhile, when Steve doesn't notice her as much and when she hangs out with single Myra and Myrtle who get lots of glances, Laura feels being married and pregnant has made her ugly. She tries getting a makeover that is not her and threatens the health of the child with her old diet pill habit. However, Urkel stops her in time and apologizes for neglecting her by admitting he was trying to find a high paying job that would enable them to move out to their own place.

"Death Of A Stefan" (Part 1) (January 22, 1999)

Stefan has become very sick lately and after countless visits to the doctor, no one can figure out what is wrong with him. Steve even tries to figure it out and eventually traces it back to his old cloning machine that doesn't create permanent clones after seeing a chair and table disappear. Stefan is fading away.

"Death Of A Stefan" (Part 2) (January 29, 1999)

While Stefan continues to slowly fade away in Steve's basement, Steve, Laura and the Winslows hang around Stefan and remember all of the moments he has shared with the family through flashbacks. Laura is hurt the most as she once loved Stefan with all her heart but mostly because he was a part of Steve. When Stefan finally does fade away, his cool, suave nature blends back in with Steve's personality, giving Steve a deeper voice and making him a more mature man that he could have never become as long as Stefan existed.

"Pompus Proposal" (February 5, 1999)

Eddie and Greta announce that they are going to get married. Maxine and Waldo announce they are going to get married, too. Poor Myra feels left out, so she quickly finds a man to show she might get married soon, too. This man unfortunately is a horrible man that physically abuses her and OGD steps in to stop him before he goes too far. Myra is flattered that OGD came to her rescue and the two become good friends.

"Looney's Kids" (February 26, 1999)

Steve and Laura get their first taste of raising children when Mr. Looney asks them to babysit his son and daughter, who misbehave and are terrible. They quickly learn there can be joy and pain to raising kids. Meanwhile, a 5-year-old boy named Matt Michael Morrison meets 3J on the school playground. When 3J helps the nerdy Matt fight off some bullies, Matt thinks 3J is the coolest kid ever, follows him around constantly and even changes his name to 3M. Eventually 3J and Richie talks some sense into Matt and encourages him to be himself while looking up to him as a role model. Matt takes this to heart and decides to be himself.

"Good Race, Bad Racism" (March 26, 1999)

Steve gets a new, high-paying job at an Internet start-up company but his work is reduced to filing papers, making copies and getting lunches. Concerned that he is not having any of talents used at the company, he tries to talk to the boss and unfortunately finds out that his only reason he was hired was because the company could not go public without hiring more black employees. When Carl gets involved with the owner and threatens him with arrest, he agrees to utilize Urkel's talents in the company more. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn returns and Richie is afraid she will be trying to pursue him again but he gets jealous when he finds out she is dating 3J instead. Laura would later find a house suitable for their family and move out.

"A New Leaf" (April 9, 1999)

After months in the mentor program, OGD officially turns over a new leaf and even goes by his original name, Cornelius ("But you can call me C-Dawg, I still have to be cool," he says). After being a completely reformed man, he asks Myra out on a date and when his old gang tries once again to bring him back to his gangster days, Cornelius stands up for himself and Myra is so impressed, they share a passionate kiss. Meanwhile, Laura and Steve take lamaze classes but Steve doesn't do a good job and is afraid he will be a rotten father. Dr. Urkel visits him and encourages him to keep trying. He admits he doesn't want Steve to end up being the same neglectful father that he was.

"Double Wedding Whammy" (April 23, 1999)

Eddie and Greta and Maxine and Waldo decide they do not want to have a big wedding and instead decide to get married at the same time at the downtown courthouse with their immediate family present. A simple signing mistake on the lines for husband, wife and witnesses makes Eddie officially married to Maxine and Waldo officially married to Greta. Meanwhile, the talk about marriage makes Cornelius and Myra run to the courthouse to do the same thing but they decide that they are rushing things a bit. Steve and Laura are later called in to help clear the mess and get Eddie married off to Greta and Waldo with Maxine.

"Behind The Urkel: A Family Matters Special" (April 30, 1999)

Bill Cosby hosts a special looking at the history of Family Matters for its ten seasons on the air. The special includes behind the scenes footage, never-before-seen footage and deleted scenes of episodes and bloopers and outtakes of the series, along with a musical clip show of Urkel's many pratfalls and destructions.

"Family Matters To The End" (Part 1) (May 7, 1999)

It's 3J's birthday and he gets the biggest surprise of his life when he meets his completely reformed biological mother. Now he must decide if he should go with her or stay with the Winslows. Eddie is left for a shock when he finds Chicago has a surplus of policeman and has to choose between losing his job or being reassigned to another city. Waldo faces a similar dilemma when a cable executive wants to take his show nationally but doing so means moving to California. Rachel comes home with exciting news that she has a stable job in Detroit and can now take care of Richie full-time (Even though at this point he's already a teenager). Cornelius hears of a program of touring America to talk about being reformed but by doing so, has to leave Myra.

"Family Matters To The End" (Part 2) (May 14, 1999)

After reminiscing of the times they have spent together through flashbacks, everyone goes through revelations. 3J is ready to give his mother a second chance and decides to move with her. Eddie realizes that nothing has made him more happy than being with Greta and being a cop, so he takes a reassignment in New York. Waldo and Maxine feel that success with their show could mean financial stability for their family when Maxine announces she is now pregnant, so they choose to move to California. Richie is ecstatic that he can be with his mom again and moves to Detroit. After already touring several cities, Cornelius returns and realizes that he does not feel whole without Myra by his side and asks her to come with him. Before anyone leaves, the series concludes with Laura giving birth to her and Steve's daughter, Stephanie Laurine Urkel.

Cast

 * Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
 * Judyann Elder as Harriet Winslow
 * Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow
 * Kelli Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow-Urkel
 * Jaleel White as Steve Urkel/Stefan Urquelle/Cornelius Urkel/Myrtle Urkel
 * Recurring Cast: Michelle Thomas as Myra Monkhouse (Episode 1-13)
 * Maia Campbell as Myra Monkhouse (Episode 14-25)
 * Tammy Townsend as Greta McCluire
 * Bryton James as Richie Crawford
 * Cherie Johnson as Maxine Johnson
 * Orlando Brown as Jerry Jamal Jamison "3J" Winslow
 * Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo