In 1989 producers Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett were proven talents. They had already created a bunch of hit shows, like Happy Days, which starred Ron Howard, and Mork and Mindy, which launched the career of super-funnyman Robin Williams.

They also produced hit movies like Silver Streak, which starred Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, and Foul Play, featuring Chevy Chase.

Then, Miller and Boyett did it again. They put their ever-creative minds together and came up with the idea for a new show. This one was about a Chicago policeman, his wife, and their three kids. That's how Family Matters was born!

According to the producers, the overriding thought behind the show was, "If only their house was as big as their hearts!" This is the story of a warm, big-hearted family. There's lots of love, but not too much room!

Living quarters get even tighter when the wife's sister and her child move in. Space is stretched to the limit when the father's mother takes up residence as well. It's a good thing the members of this family really love each other!

When Miller and Boyett went to put Family Matters together, they started with JoMarie Payton. (She plays the part of Harriette on the show.) JoMarie had grown very popular with TV audiences as the elevator operator on the hit Miller-Boyett sitcom Perfect Strangers. They decided to feature her as the mother of the new comedy, Family Matters. The new show would come on right before Perfect Strangers on Friday nights.

"I really thought I was being fired from Perfect Strangers," JoMarie recalls when she was called into the producer's office. "When they told me I was getting a spinoff, I almost had a heart attack! I love the type of shows Tom and Bob create. I was thrilled to be involved with another one."

What exactly is a Tom Miller and Bob Boyett type of show?

They start with the idea of a family, but not just a family of characters. They like the cast and even the crew to feel like they are one big family, all working together.

The family idea also applies to their viewers. When Miller and Boyett created Family Matters, they set out to develop a show that both kids and parents would enjoy. Family Matters is a show everyone wants to watch!

Once JoMarie Payton was selected to star in the show, Miller and Boyett carefully auditioned hundreds of actors for the remaining roles. They came up with the talented cast you see each week, including Reginald VelJohnson (Carl), Telma Hopkins (Rachel), Kellie Shanygne Williams (Laura), Darius McCrary (Eddie), and Rosetta LeNoire (Mother Winslow).

This creative group pulled together to become the ensemble acting company. That means that instead of relying on one or two big stars, the actors all play off each other beautifully. The Family Matters cast members soon got to know each other and became more of a family. Viewers came to see the characters, more and more, as a real-life family. The show began to take off.

There was, however, one more element to be added to the mix before the Family Matters "family" would be complete. Little did the cast know, but the show was about to zoom to the upper stratosphere of success!

Chapter 2: Enter Urkel >>