*Nearly 30 years after “Family Matters” ended its nine-season run in 1997, the iconic ABC sitcom could be making a comeback, this time as an animated series.
Bryton James, who portrayed Richie Crawford starting in Season 2, is spearheading the effort to revive the show in a fresh format. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, James shared his vision to transform “Family Matters” into an animated series. “It’s sitting in Warner Bros.’ hands right now,” he said. “That plan is still kind of floating around out there, and I’m still trying to pursue it.”
James has been working on the project for a while and explained that he has made significant progress, actively reaching out to the original cast in hopes of bringing everyone back together.
The animated series is expected to reimagine the classic episodes, with James planning to update the originals and rebuild them from the ground up for a new generation.
As PEOPLE reports, the idea of reviving “Family Matters” isn’t new. Jaleel White, who became a cultural icon as Steve Urkel, shared his reboot concept earlier this year on David Duchovny’s Fail Better podcast.
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“I always saw the reboot as involving another kid that didn’t necessarily play Urkel Junior,” White said. He envisioned a story about a child navigating life behind the scenes of a struggling ’90s sitcom, attending public school, and dealing with parents unfamiliar with the entertainment industry.
“The show should really be about this kid’s normal life behind-the-scenes, going to public school, because I went to public school the entire time I was on that show, and his parents who know nothing about the business at all,” he explained.
Other cast members have also voiced enthusiasm for a revival. At 90s Con in 2022, Jo Marie Payton, who played Harriette Winslow, said she’d return if the reboot addressed the unexplained disappearance of Judy Winslow from season 4.
“The very first episode has to be that [Judy] comes down those stairs,” Payton stated. “The worst feeling in the world for a parent is not to know where your child is, so if [a reboot were to happen], and Judy comes back, I will do Family Matters again!”
Kellie Williams (Laura Winslow) and Darius McCrary (Eddie Winslow) also expressed interest during the same panel.
As fans await updates on James’ animated project or other reboot ideas, they can revisit the original series, which is available to stream on Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max.
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