The Legacy Of Family Matters: A Look Back At The Winslow Family And Its Stars

From 1989 to 1998,Family Matters left viewers falling in love with the Winslow family and the show’s hilarious cast of characters. Jaleel White, Reginald VelJohnson and more of the sitcom’s stars had breakthrough performances in the nine-season series. Today, many alums of the iconic program are continuing their acting careers with other big projects. The impact that Family Matters had on television, culture, and its fans is still felt today.

In 2017, the original cast reunited nearly 30 years after the show debuted on ABC. It was clear that many of the castmates formed lasting friendships after working together on the long-running series. Telma Hopkins shared with Entertainment Weekly in September 2017, "There’s just something really magical about this cast and the real feelings that are here. It wasn’t just for the screen. Family really did matter and still does.”

At that time, there were whispers about a potential reboot of the show, with several original stars expressing interest in returning. Jo Marie Payton remarked on the possibility, saying, “Jaleel and I were talking just a little while ago and he said, ‘You know, we can do this.’ And I said, ‘If they dropped a script at our feet when we walked out of here, we would come back in tomorrow and the next day we’d have a show shot.’” With such enthusiasm, fans began to hope for a revival of their favorite series.

In March 2022, many of the actors were still holding out hope that the Winslow family would appear together on TV screens at some point in the future. Jo Marie later revealed that she would only join the cast of a Family Matters reboot if the character Judy Winslow was written back into the series. The youngest Winslow family child was shockingly written out of the show during season 4. To this day, many still have questions about the sudden disappearance of the character, portrayed by Jaimee Foxworth.

Jaimee reflected on her surprising exit from the show during a September 2017 interview with The Root, stating, “The producers felt that they could do it and no one would notice. They figured no one would really care. My fans took notice of it. They figured they could just throw me away, no explanation at all. Some of my cast members knew before I did.” She expressed interest in joining a reboot if given the opportunity.

With fans eagerly hoping for a reunion of the cast, it remains uncertain whether the show will return. For now, the legacy of Family Matters continues to resonate with viewers, reminding us of the joy, laughter, and important life lessons that the Winslow family brought into our homes.