Jaleel White Says ‘Family Matters’ Revival Was Rejected by Producers

Family Matters will not be receiving a revival any time soon, according to star Jaleel White.

While in conversation with a fan on Twitter, White, who played Steve Urkel on the sitcom, revealed a proposed revival was rejected by Family Matters’ producers.

The discussion began when writer David Atchison proposed a revival idea that would make the show animated and centered around Steve’s wacky antics.

“If you rebooted Family Matters as an animated series, it would totally work,” Atchison wrote. “You frame Carl Winslow and Steve Urkel as kind of family-friendly Rick & Morty, getting into all kinds of crazy adventures via Steve’s inventions. Jaleel White could voice Steve. It’d be dope.”

White spotted the tweet and broke the news that a similar idea was “pitched and rejected” after producers did not like the animated direction.

“Couldn’t agree more,” White wrote. “Animated series was pitched and rejected by the show’s original producers. Steve’s inventions made it all a cartoon by today’s TV standards but they didn’t see it that way [shrug emoji] Thanks for the support.”

He also added that fans should “check us out on Hulu,” referring to the original show’s run being available on the streaming service.

This news comes after White previously pushed for an animated series version of Family Matters during an August 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight.

“[A Family Matters revival is] kinda up to Warner Bros.,” White said. “I think there’s something to be done, but it hasn’t been discussed and, you know, I’m gonna leave that up to peter and Warner Bros. to come holler at me if they wanna do that.”

He added, “[Steve’s] a cartoon as far as I’m concerned. If you advance the clock by 25 years, I’m not sure you could really even capture what he is in live-action … So that’s my ‘hint hint,’ and what I think should be done.”

Warner Bros., the show’s original network CBS, nor its later network ABC have publicly commented on White’s animated pitch.