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The Best Episodes of Family Matters Season 1

Every episode of Family Matters Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Family Matters Season 1!

Binge this in 8h 48m•Peaking at 7.5/10

A long-running dramedy centering on the Winslow family, a middle-class African American family living in Chicago, and their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel. A spin-off of Perfect Strangers.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Family Matters Season 1 Episode 1 - The Mama Who Came to Dinner
    6.7/10(305 votes)

    #1 - The Mama Who Came to Dinner

    S1:E1

    Mother Winslow moves in and immediately begins to usurp Carl's authority. Eddie wants to go out with his friends, but he has a strict curfew that complicates things with Carl.

    Director:Joel Zwick
    Writers:Michael Warren, William Bickley

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  2. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 2 - Two-Income Family
    6.9/10(244 votes)

    #2 - Two-Income Family

    S1:E2

    Hariette loses her job to automation, forcing the family into austerity measures while Carl stews over the family debts.

    Director:James O'Keefe
    Writer:Robert Blair

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  3. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 3 - Short Story
    6.7/10(221 votes)

    #3 - Short Story

    S1:E3

    Rachel writes a short story with characters that seem all too familiar; Carl becomes obsessed with the family's out of proportion water bill.

    Director:Joel Zwick
    Writers:Michael Warren, William Bickley

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  4. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 4 - Rachel's First Date
    6.9/10(225 votes)

    #4 - Rachel's First Date

    S1:E4

    The Winslows finally get to be alone together when Rachel accepts a date with a man from the church choir.

    Director:John Bowab
    Writers:Pamela Eells, Sally Lapiduss

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  5. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 5 - Straight A's
    7.1/10(211 votes)

    #5 - Straight A's

    S1:E5

    Eddie comes home with straight A's on his report card and the whole family is proud of him. Rodney comes over and tells him that he changed the grades on the report cards on the school computer. Eddie doesn't want to tell the truth because he fears that he will hurt Carl's feelings.

    Director:John Bowab
    Writers:Geoff Gordon, Gordon Lewis

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  6. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 6 - Basketball Blues
    6.7/10(200 votes)

    #6 - Basketball Blues

    S1:E6

    Carl's efforts to get Eddie psyched for a pro basketball career is enhanced by a visit from basketball star Bolton.

    Director:James O'Keefe
    Writer:Barry Gold

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  7. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 7 - Body Damage
    7.1/10(202 votes)

    #7 - Body Damage

    S1:E7

    Rachel takes an unauthorized spin in the classic automobile that Carl plans to drive in the Columbus Day Parade.

    Director:James O'Keefe
    Writer:Ken Kuta

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  8. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 8 - Mr. Badwrench
    6.9/10(201 votes)

    #8 - Mr. Badwrench

    S1:E8

    Self-proclaimed handyman Carl decides to install a shower in Mother Winslow's quarters while she's out of town.

    Director:John Bowab
    Writers:Larry Mintz, Alan Eisenstock

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  9. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 9 - Stake-Out
    7.4/10(204 votes)

    #9 - Stake-Out

    S1:E9

    After Carl is on an all-night stakeout with his attractive new partner, Harriette finds a room key to Louie's Love Grotto in his pocket.

    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writers:Pamela Eells, Sally Lapiduss

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  10. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 10 - False Arrest
    7.2/10(205 votes)

    #10 - False Arrest

    S1:E10

    The Winslows are aghast to discover that their TV idol has been arrested for assaulting a police officer - Officer Carl Winslow.

    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 11 - The Quilt
    7.2/10(205 votes)

    #11 - The Quilt

    S1:E11

    Laura sells a quilt Grandmother Winslow considered an heirloom.

    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 12 - Laura's First Date
    7.5/10(230 votes)

    #12 - Laura's First Date

    S1:E12

    Laura wants to go to an upcoming dance with a good-looking boy. Carl and Eddie try to find Laura a date. Carl asks Steve Urkel to take Laura to the dance, while Eddie asks one of his friends to take her out. When Laura finds out what happened, she is humiliated.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 13 - Man's Best Friend
    7.0/10(191 votes)

    #13 - Man's Best Friend

    S1:E13

    Carl has a rule he intends to enforce not pets in the house until he meets a big, playful puppy who follows the kids home from school.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 14 - Baker's Dozens
    7.1/10(192 votes)

    #14 - Baker's Dozens

    S1:E14

    Thanks to Rachel's brainstorm, Carl could become the "king of tarts" if he shares his secret recipe for lemon tarts, which were a big hit at a local restaurant.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 15 - The Big Reunion
    7.3/10(201 votes)

    #15 - The Big Reunion

    S1:E15

    Carl decides to lose weight before going to his high-school reunion.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 16 - The Party
    7.0/10(195 votes)

    #16 - The Party

    S1:E16

    A "No Guests" rule spells no fun for Eddie, who's left in charge of the house while the adults are away for the weekend.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 17 - The Big Fix
    7.4/10(197 votes)

    #17 - The Big Fix

    S1:E17

    Eddie persuades Laura to date a guy he's indebted to.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writers:Pamela Eells, Sally Lapiduss

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  18. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 18 - Sitting Pretty
    6.9/10(190 votes)

    #18 - Sitting Pretty

    S1:E18

    Laura's babysitting service floods the house with children at a bad time on the night Carl has invited his captain over.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 19 - In a Jam
    7.3/10(186 votes)

    #19 - In a Jam

    S1:E19

    Eddie wants to do the right thing when faced with protecting Steve from a bully who threatens to beat him up, which could get Eddie creamed as well.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 20 - The Candidate
    7.0/10(181 votes)

    #20 - The Candidate

    S1:E20

    Eddie places image over integrity in his class president bid when image-maker Laura offers a thousand points of light to illuminate his campaign.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 21 - Bowl Me Over
    7.2/10(182 votes)

    #21 - Bowl Me Over

    S1:E21

    The men vie with the women in a bowling match and Carl's philosophy about accepting defeat gracefully ends up in the gutter when Harriette aces him out.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Family Matters Season 1 Episode 22 - Rock Video
    6.8/10(179 votes)

    #22 - Rock Video

    S1:E22

    When Eddie's big ego threatens to disband his group during the making of a rock video for a contest, the rest of the Winslows offer some ideas.

    Director:Rich Correll
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"The Mama Who Came to Dinner" is the best rated episode of "Family Matters" season 1. It scored 6.7/10 based on 305 votes. Directed by Joel Zwick and written by Michael Warren, William Bickley, it aired on 9/22/1989. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Two-Income Family".