Co-creator Bill Bickley explains how Reginald VelJohnson’s ‘Die Hard’ cop inspired the Winslows’ world — and recalls the sitcom’s ‘hurry-up pilot.’
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
August 6, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Co-creator William “Bill” Bickley says Family Matters was conceived as a vehicle for Reginald VelJohnson after his standout turn as Sgt. Al Powell in Die Hard, with Harriette Winslow added because Jo Marie Payton was already established on Perfect Strangers.
- Bickley describes the show’s 1989 pilot as a rushed effort that the team “tried to figure out,” but it went on to run nine seasons and become synonymous with Jaleel White’s scene-stealing neighbor Steve Urkel.
- Former child star Bryton James is now pushing an animated revival with much of the original cast on board and a pitch sitting at Warner Bros., while White has already passed on a separate live-action continuation centered on an older Urkel and Laura Winslow.
It turns out one of television’s most beloved family sitcoms owes part of its existence to one of Hollywood’s biggest action movies.
Family Matters co-creator William “Bill” Bickley recently revealed that the long-running sitcom was conceived after the creative team saw Reginald VelJohnson’s memorable performance as Sgt. Al Powell in the 1988 blockbuster Die Hard.
Speaking on the Keanan and Lakin Give You Déjà Vu podcast, Bickley said the show wasn’t initially built around Harriette Winslow, despite her popularity on Perfect Strangers. Instead, he said, it was designed specifically for VelJohnson.
“Reggie VelJohnson had just done Die Hard—supporting character, small role, but a knockout,” Bickley recalled. “So Tom said, ‘Let’s do a show for that guy.'”
That revelation reshapes the origin story of Family Matters, which premiered in 1989 and became one of ABC’s signature TGIF comedies. While Jo Marie Payton’s Harriette Winslow had already been introduced on Perfect Strangers, Bickley explained that the new series grew out of a desire to build a sitcom around VelJohnson following his breakout turn alongside Bruce Willis.
“So we did what was basically a spinoff from Perfect,” Bickley said. “Which was about Reggie, and because Jo Marie was there, we said, ‘OK, we’ll team them up,’ and that’s how it came to be.”
The creators were moving quickly. Bickley described the pilot as “kind of a hurry-up pilot,” admitting, “we didn’t know what we were doing, but we tried to figure that out.”
Whatever uncertainty existed behind the scenes didn’t make it to the screen. Family Matters ran for nine seasons, chronicling the lives of the Winslow family before eventually becoming synonymous with Steve Urkel, the scene-stealing neighbor played by Jaleel White.
The show’s legacy has remained strong decades after its finale. Most recently, former cast member Bryton James—who portrayed Richie Crawford for eight seasons—revealed that he’s been trying to revive Family Matters as an animated series.
James said he assembled a production company, secured support from much of the original cast, including White, and pitched the project to Warner Bros.
“It’s sitting in Warner Bros.’ hands right now,” James told <a href="https://comicvibe.com/penn-entertainment-nasdaqpenn-posts-q2-cy2026-sales-in-line-with-estimates/” title=”PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ:PENN) Posts Q2 CY2026 Sales In Line With Estimates”>Entertainment Weekly, adding that he hopes animation could modernize classic episodes while allowing the original actors to return as voice performers.
He argued that the format fits the show’s increasingly imaginative later seasons, pointing to some of Urkel’s over-the-top inventions and fantasy-style storylines.
Not every reboot idea has gained traction. In his 2024 memoir, White revealed that he previously declined a separate live-action continuation centered on Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow’s family, saying the concept no longer fits today’s television landscape.
