Steve Urkel

Steven Q. Urkel
First appearance	Rachel's First Date (only in syndicated episodes), Laura's First Date (in first run episodes)
Last appearance	Lost in Space (Part 2)
Created by	Thomas L. Miller, Robert L. Boyett
Portrayed by	Jaleel White
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student, inventor, Scientist
Family	Herb Urkel (father; revealed in "Man's Best Friend") Diane "Roberta" Urkel (mother; revealed in "Man's Best Friend" & "Hot Wheels")
Relatives	Myrtle May Urkel (cousin) "Big Daddy" Urkel (uncle) Cecil (uncle) Original Gangsta Dawg (cousin) Julie (cousin) Oona (aunt) Ernie (uncle) Stefan Urquelle (clone) Muriel (aunt) Cleotus (cousin)

Steven Quincy Urkel (born July 25, 1976), better known as Steve Urkel, is a fictional character on the ABC/CBS comedy sitcom Family Matters, portrayed by Jaleel White. Originally a one-time guest on the show, he soon became the most popular character of the show.

Urkel was a geek/nerd, with large, thick eyeglasses, "high-water or flooding" pants held up by suspenders, multi-colored cardigan sweaters, and a high-pitched voice. His main interactions on the show were his love for Laura Winslow and his perpetual annoyance of her father, Carl. Amongst the rest of the family, Harriette; Rachel; and "Mother" Estelle Winslow were more accepting and caring of Urkel. Urkel also had an alter ego, Stefan Urquelle, and drove a 1960 BMW Isetta which he was paid $50 to take from his uncle.

Steve intended to go to college at MIT, but after one semester he returned to Chicago and attended (the fictional) Illinois Occidental University with Laura. The character, originally intended as a one-shot character, was named after one of the writers' real life friends. Urkel's catchphrase is, "Did I Do That?" which is a reference to his clumsiness. The catchphrase has become very popular with fans. In later episodes, producers felt that as Jaleel White got older, Urkel had to change as well, changing his catchphrase to "Look what you did," blaming others for accidents throughout the series. A running gag through out the series is Steve getting jealous of every guy that Laura goes out with. He is a very good basketball player, something viewers would not think he would be good at because of his clumsiness.

Stefan Urquelle

Stefan Urquelle is the alter ego of Steve Urkel, also portrayed by White. While Urkel is clumsy and unpopular with the people around him, Urquelle is popular and suave, especially with women. Steve originally made the "transformation" to Stefan to win Laura Winslow, who, as with other women encountered by Stefan, is enamored of the persona. Steve created a formula called "Cool Juice" to transform into Stefan. Originally, the effects of the transformation were only temporary; Stefan would change back into Steve after a certain amount of time (originally a week). In his first appearance, however, he was very narcissistic, cold-hearted, and shallow, which quickly turned Laura off. Laura decided she wanted the real Steve back because he, unlike Stefan, cared about others.

Steve later improved the formula to limit the effects it had on his personality, and re-dubbed the formula "Boss Sauce". He also invented a "transformation chamber", which allowed him to turn into Stefan for extended periods of time. As the show went on, Steve enhanced the "Boss Sauce" even further, completely removing the change-over from Stefan back into Steve. Stefan could only change back into Steve by drinking an antidote. He was also able to alter the nature of his "Boss Sauce" to induce other personalities, such as morphing himself into a martial arts master using hair samples from legendary martial artist Bruce Lee (he referred to this altered "Boss Sauce" as "Bruce Juice"). Eventually, however, Steve's transformations to Stefan became limited, when Steve started dating his girlfriend, Myra.

At the end of the seventh season, Steve creates a cloning machine, which he uses on himself, briefly duplicating himself. It is suggested by Laura that the clone be permanently transformed into Stefan, allowing him to become a real person separate from Steve. He then became Laura's boyfriend.

In one episode, the Winslows go to Paris. Stefan decides to stay there to work as a fashion model, and the two begin a strained long distance relationship. A few episodes after, Stefan couldn't resist the fact of missing Laura, and decides to move back to Chicago, where he sees her from the stage at a New Edition concert. The two are together again until one of Laura's former boyfriends, Curtis, returns to the show. Eddie tells Curtis that Laura still loves him as a prank to get back at Laura. The story arc was introduced apropos to an off-screen intervention for White. Curtis tries to get her to come back to him, but when he realizes Stefan is her boyfriend, he gives him a warning that if he ever breaks Laura's heart, he'll get what he deserves. Near the series finale, Stefan and Steve both propose to Laura. In the end, Laura chooses Steve over Stefan, finally ending their long-distance relationship (that went on until Stefan was finally a real person). Stefan leaves, and the rest of the series goes on without him.

Relatives

The Urkels are very intelligent people; Steve and his family were known to do the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in pen in about 20 minutes. His father is also a brain surgeon. However, Urkel's parents did not love him. This is made clear through the recurring gags of comical verbal and physical abuse mentioned in the show (i.e.: his parents set a curfew for when he is allowed to come home at midnight , used birthday candles that blew up, etc.)When he was born his parents tried to push him back in and his parents do not own a car because he was born in one. In 1995, his parents moved to Russia without Steve, because he didn't want to go, apparently disowning him. He wanted to stay with his friends and finish his senior year of high school. Steve was then allowed to live with the Winslows. In addition to his parents (who were never seen, although his mother once was heard off-screen, and a glimpse of the side of her face is in one of Steve's baby pictures), his family also included his cousin, Myrtle Urkel (also played by White), a southern belle whose innocent infatuation with Laura's brother, Eddie, equaled to that of Steve's for Laura---except Myrtle (try as she might) never grew on Eddie as Steve over time grew on Laura.

The viewers see that Urkel has at least three relatives who do care about him. Besides Myrtle, in an early episode, entitled "The Big Fix - AKA Mercy Date", his uncle Ernie, drives him on his date with Laura, and takes a picture. He also seems to have a good relationship with his "Aunt Oona from Altoona", (notably played by Donna Summer), as she pays him visits in two episodes. Other relatives included Myrtle's father "Big Daddy" (played by Reginald VelJohnson in a dual role) who didn't think Eddie was a good choice for his daughter, and Urkel's gangster cousin Cornelius Eugene Urkel (also played by White) who went by the moniker "Original Gangsta Dawg".

Inventions

Urkel is known for inventing devices typically considered impossible. These include:

• the Urkel-Bot (Played by Michael Chambers), an intelligent robot that fell in love with Laura and briefly became a police officer;
• the Transformation Chamber, which turned Urkel into "Stefan Urquelle" as well as other odd characters, such as Elvis Presley and Bruce Lee. At first, the effects of the Chamber were temporary, but eventually this was changed;
• Boss Sauce, a serum created by Urkel through genetic engineering that would multiply the very few 'cool genes' he had. Combined with the effects of the Transformation Chamber, this serum turned Urkel into the cool and suave Stefan Urquelle.
• the Expansion Machine, which made objects bigger, except for a small percentage of the time when it would malfunction and shrink things instead;
• the Cloning Machine, which created a second Urkel after a delay. Due to the delay, Urkel initially thought the machine didn't work. The "Urkel clone" was eventually permanently turned into Stefan; the device was only seen in "Send in the Clones" because Urkel destroyed it soon after the "Urkel clone" was made;
• A graffiti remover Steve dubbed "Tag-Be-Gone." however, in the final stages of development a jealous student converts it into a liquid bomb that blows up the schools science lab.
• the Urk-pad was a teleportation device, which sent Urkel to Paris and back; it only teleports to another Urk-pad, which made it unpredictable where it would go;
• the Time Machine, which Urkel knew worked before testing it, given that Carl saw his future self appear in the living room. Later combined with the Teleportation Pad, so that he could "travel anywhere in history";
• ice in a can;
• termites that consume wood thousands of times faster than normal, but they live for just 3 days;
• Woo-Woo juice, love potion with an antidote;
• lawn chair, an actual piece of furniture that Urkel modified to sprout grass on the exterior;
• vegetable bombs, in the same episode where Urkel designs the lawn chair, he invents vegetables that explode; he wants to sell this to the United States Army.
• In one episode, While Laura Winslow is dreaming, he builds an Atomic Bomb that eventually detonates. When she wakes up from her dream Urkel is there and claims "I'd never build an Atomic Bomb!...Although I could."
• Wacky Tacky glue, which could glue anything to any other object. He made it in the bathtub which cemented his mother in the tub, and according to Steve, has no solvent.
• Snooze Juice, which could knock out a person for hours, even days. This subsequently knocked out a wrestling tag team, forcing Steve and Carl to get in the ring and wrestle WWF's The Bushwhackers.
• Super Urkel Duck Call, attracting ducks from over 500 miles. However, the duck call ends up with too many ducks, all defecating on Carl's new car at once
• A vacuum cleaner that would play the bag pipes as it cleans
• A comfortable chair that makes popcorn and serves drinks
• An AM/FM toothbrush (however, this ends up shocking Carl)
• the Urkel Super Vac, which could quickly suck things up from the floor. However, it was too hard to control and caused a mess in the Winslow's house

Oddly enough, these inventions were really the only unrealistic elements of the show, and all the other plotlines in each episode were far more based in reality.

Episodes strained credulity more and more in the show's later seasons, and the series gradually developed a self-aware sense of humor on the subject. In the Season 8 episode "Father Time", Carl casually shrugged off Urkel's invention of a time-travel device, citing all Steve's previous impossible creations, and insisting a time machine was "no big deal" in comparison.

The Ratings

Urkel first appeared in the 1989 episode "Laura's First Date", where Carl and Eddie separately set up dates for Laura for a Sadie Hawkins dance, and the first thing known him is that he allegedly ate a mouse, and he later makes reference to a mouse when speaking to Carl, implying that it might be true. Several scripts had to be hastily re-written to accommodate the Urkel character, while several first-season episodes that had been completed had new opening gag sequences filmed featuring Urkel trying to push open a door while the Winslow family holds it shut. The addition of Urkel immediately helped the show's modest ratings. White was credited as a guest star in the first season and became a regular member of the cast in season two.

The Urkel Dance

The Urkel Dance was a novelty dance that originated in the episode Life of the Party. It was based around the character of Steve Urkel and essentially incorporated movements which made the dancer's posture more like his. The lyrics instructed the dancer how to pose: "If you want to do the Steve Urkel dance, all you have to do is hitch up your pants, bend your knees, and stick out your pelvis; (I'm telling you, baby, it's better than Elvis!)". It was popular enough to appear on another show, Step by Step. Jaleel White also performed the song, in character as Steve Urkel, on the 5th Annual American Comedy Awards. Bea Arthur joined him on stage to "Do The Urkel", after which she replied, "MC Hammer had better watch his back".

A promotional cassette single of the song that accompanies the dance was pressed and distributed in limited numbers. A t-shirt was also produced featuring lyrics and Urkel's likeness.

Appearances on other shows

• Full House – In the 1991 episode, Stephanie Gets Framed when he helps Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) deal with her anxieties after she has to get glasses. He was cousin to a friend of D. J..
• Step by Step – In the series' second episode, The Dance, Urkel helps his science-fair pen pal, Mark Foster and lifts Alicia "Al" Lambert (Christine Lakin) spirits after her potential date dumps her just before a school dance. White reprises his "Do the Urkel" dance in the scene where Al gives her boyfriend his comeuppance. Also, Urkel makes a brief appearance in the episode where Al gets the movie role over her two sisters. He can be seen for 2 seconds snapping a clapboard during the music video part. In another episode, Urkel lands in the Step by Step family's back yard after launching himself with a rocket pack from the living room of the Winslows' house on Family Matters (the two scenes being shown in uninterrupted sequence, as Family Matters and Step by Step were back to back on television at the time).
• Additionally, Steve once received a chain letter and thought he'd send it on to his friend Cory Matthews who lived in Philadelphia. It is the same Cory from Boy Meets World, though the two never actually met on any show.

Merchandise

At the height of his popularity, Urkel's name was branded to several products including a shortlived fruit flavored cereal known as Urkel-Os and an Urkel pullstring doll.[1] .