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Family Matters

The Christmas season is here and that means one major thing for TV devotees: re-watching all of your favorite festive sitcom episodes! In celebration of the season and the tradition of TV comedies getting all holly jolly for one episode a year, Decider presents our very first Sitcom Advent Calendar. Every day leading up to Christmas, Decider’s resident sitcom elf Brett White will share one holiday-themed sitcom episode for you to stream to make your days merry and bright.

Decider’s Sitcom Advent Calendar Day 9

Family Matters, “Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas”

Season 2, Episode 13
Original Airdate: December 21, 1990
Written By: David W. Duclon
Directed By: Richard Correll

All the Winslows want is a holiday without Steve Urkel, but their holiday dreams are dashed when their nerdy neighbor’s family ditches him on Christmas to “renew their vow not to have anymore children.” Abandoned by his super harsh parents, Urkel throws a few kinks into the family’s plans, but he also delivers a bit of Christmas magic via registered mail!

Christmas Trope Count: 14 (All About Christmas, Decorating Indoors, Terrible Gift, Perfect Gift, Last Minute Shopping, Tree Disaster, Santa Believer, Cops & Crime, Mistletoe Joke, Holy Crap This Cast Member Can Sing, Christmas Morning Present-Fest, Christmas Card, Santa Is Real, Carols)

Listen, when you have someone in your cast with solid pipes, you bet they’ll be belting out a carol when the Christmas episode rolls around. Telma Hopkins, who played Rachel on Family Matters, spent the ’70s in the chart-topping pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn, so you better believe the show gave her time to do her thing at the end of this heartwarming episode.