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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!

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.

Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:ABC

Season 1 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Family Matters" season 1 is "The Mama Who Came to Dinner", rated 6.7/10 from 272 user votes. It was directed by Joel Zwick and written by Michael Warren, William Bickley. "The Mama Who Came to Dinner" aired on 9/22/1989 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Two-Income Family".

  • The Mama Who Came to Dinner
    6.7/10 272 votes

    #1 - The Mama Who Came to Dinner

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1989

    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

    Writer: Michael Warren, William Bickley

  • Two-Income Family
    6.8/10 213 votes

    #2 - Two-Income Family

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/1989

    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

  • Short Story
    6.6/10 197 votes

    #3 - Short Story

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/1989

    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

    Writer: Michael Warren, William Bickley

  • Rachel's First Date
    6.9/10 199 votes

    #4 - Rachel's First Date

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1989

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

    Director: John Bowab

    Writer: Sally Lapiduss, Pamela Eells

  • Straight A's
    7.0/10 189 votes

    #5 - Straight A's

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1989

    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

    Writer: Geoff Gordon, Gordon Lewis

  • Basketball Blues
    6.7/10 180 votes

    #6 - Basketball Blues

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/3/1989

    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

  • Body Damage
    7.1/10 177 votes

    #7 - Body Damage

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/10/1989

    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

  • Mr. Badwrench
    6.8/10 179 votes

    #8 - Mr. Badwrench

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/17/1989

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

    Director: John Bowab

    Writer: Alan Eisenstock, Larry Mintz

  • Stake-Out
    7.4/10 182 votes

    #9 - Stake-Out

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/1989

    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

    Writer: Sally Lapiduss, Pamela Eells

  • False Arrest
    7.2/10 186 votes

    #10 - False Arrest

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/1/1989

    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: N/A

  • The Quilt
    7.2/10 187 votes

    #11 - The Quilt

    Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/8/1989

    Laura sells a quilt Grandmother Winslow considered an heirloom.

    Director: Peter Baldwin

    Writer: N/A

  • Laura's First Date
    7.4/10 211 votes

    #12 - Laura's First Date

    Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/15/1989

    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: N/A

  • Man's Best Friend
    6.9/10 171 votes

    #13 - Man's Best Friend

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/5/1990

    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: N/A

  • Baker's Dozens
    7.0/10 173 votes

    #14 - Baker's Dozens

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/12/1990

    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: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Big Reunion
    7.2/10 181 votes

    #15 - The Big Reunion

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/19/1990

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

    Director: Rich Correll

    Writer: N/A

  • The Party
    7.0/10 175 votes

    #16 - The Party

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/2/1990

    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: N/A

  • The Big Fix
    7.3/10 179 votes

    #17 - The Big Fix

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/9/1990

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

    Director: Rich Correll

    Writer: Sally Lapiduss, Pamela Eells

  • Sitting Pretty
    6.9/10 171 votes

    #18 - Sitting Pretty

    Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/16/1990

    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: N/A

  • In a Jam
    7.2/10 168 votes

    #19 - In a Jam

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 3/16/1990

    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: N/A

  • The Candidate
    6.9/10 163 votes

    #20 - The Candidate

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/23/1990

    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: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Bowl Me Over
    7.1/10 162 votes

    #21 - Bowl Me Over

    Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 4/13/1990

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

    Director: Rich Correll

    Writer: N/A

  • Rock Video
    6.7/10 161 votes

    #22 - Rock Video

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 4/27/1990

    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: N/A