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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!

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...

Seasons9

  1. Background image for The Mama Who Came to Dinner
    6.7/10(300 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.

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  2. Background image for Two-Income Family
    6.8/10(241 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.

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  3. Background image for Short Story
    6.6/10(218 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.

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  4. Background image for Rachel's First Date
    6.9/10(221 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.

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  5. Background image for Straight A's
    7.0/10(208 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.

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  6. Background image for Basketball Blues
    6.7/10(198 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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    The 20 BEST Episodes of Family Matters

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  8. Background image for Body Damage
    7.1/10(197 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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  9. Background image for Mr. Badwrench
    6.9/10(197 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.

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  10. Background image for Stake-Out
    7.4/10(200 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.

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  11. Background image for False Arrest
    7.2/10(202 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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  12. Background image for The Quilt
    7.1/10(203 votes)

    #11 - The Quilt

    S1:E11

    Laura sells a quilt Grandmother Winslow considered an heirloom.

    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Unknown
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  13. Background image for Laura's First Date
    7.4/10(227 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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  14. Background image for Man's Best Friend
    6.9/10(189 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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  15. Background image for Baker's Dozens
    7.1/10(190 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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  16. Background image for The Big Reunion
    7.2/10(199 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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  17. Background image for The Party
    7.0/10(192 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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  18. Background image for The Big Fix
    7.3/10(195 votes)

    #17 - The Big Fix

    S1:E17

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

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  19. Background image for Sitting Pretty
    6.9/10(188 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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  20. Background image for In a Jam
    7.2/10(183 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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  21. Background image for The Candidate
    6.9/10(179 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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  22. Background image for Bowl Me Over
    7.2/10(179 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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  23. Background image for Rock Video
    6.7/10(176 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 300 votes. Directed by Joel Zwick and written by Michael Warren, William Bickley, it aired on 9/22/1989. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Two-Income Family".