Comparing favorite TV shows is like comparing doughnuts to cupcakes. The decision is a deeply personal one that rises beyond the realm of comparison. On the other hand, when Netflix recently debuted its new sitcom, Family Reunion, we knew a TV showdown was inevitable. The premise drew too many similarities to the classic TGIF favorite, Family Matters, to be anything other than a direct challenge to the throne.
So we decided to binge the first season of both shows to see who packed the most laughs, won the most hearts, and blazed the most trails. Please stand at a safe distance and prepare to duck, as Netflix and Urkel go head-to-head in the latest Mandatory TV Battle.
Cover Photo: ABC Photo Archives (Getty Images)
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In the end, the new incarnation just doesn’t hold a candle to the classic. Instead of pioneering new territory, it’s relying on audience nostalgia from shows like Family Matters to worm its way into our hearts. Purely looking at the titles of the show alone, it’s clear which one has the depth to go the distance. While both contain double entendres, only one has the poetry of life baked right in.
Overall Winner: Family Matters
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TV Battle Family Reunion v Family Matters
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Cast
When it comes to making a successful sitcom, the most important ingredient is often the cast. Family Reunion pairs TV veteran Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Sister, Sister and The Game) with Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy) to lead an ensemble of relative newcomers. But Mowry-Hardrict’s expertise and incredible winning streak can’t buoy the lack of chemistry within the McKellan family.
The Winslows, on the other hand, hit the ground running with Jo Marie Payton and Reginald VelJohnson going tit-for-tat with instant results. VelJohnson’s Carl Winslow feels like the culmination of all his small roles as a police officer in hit movies like Ghostbusters, Turner and Hooch, and Die Hard. Then, Jaleel White joined the cast midway through the first season, quickly becoming America’s favorite next door neighbor and lighting the fuse on Urkel mania (for better or worse).
Winner: Family Matters -
Jokes
There’s more than one way to get a laugh, and while Family Matters started off relying on performances, timing, and context, the show eventually devolved into one-liners and shark-bait scenarios featuring Urkel's slapstick. While the jokes on Family Reunion consistently fall flat or pull punches, the show hasn’t shown us all its cards yet. The vintage sitcom peaked early and went downhill from there, but the modern incarnation is starting off so very low, it has nowhere to go but up.
Winner: Tie
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Production
Once sitcoms like The Office and Peep Show came along, the mold of three-camera, live studio audience sitcoms was broken wide open. Family Matters, as a product of the '80s, had no choice how it was made. Family Reunion does. And for some reason, the show chose to go back to the formula of its predecessors. As a novel, stylistic choice for younger audiences, the gambit may pay off, but judging from the current culture, it feels like a step in the wrong direction.
Winner: Family Matters
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Cultural Impact
Though it was originally a spinoff from the show Perfect Strangers, Family Matters went on to become one of the longest-running sitcoms on ABC’s famed TGIF line-up. The show also spawned one of the ‘90s biggest icons. Urkel appeared everywhere from Full House to Step by Step, as well as on children’s lunchboxes. He even catalyzed a national dance craze.
By comparison, Family Reunion looks like a third-string rookie, borrowing tricks from its idols to stay in the game. The Winslows are a working-class family struggling to make ends meet while dealing with life in the inner city. Compare that to the McKellan's well-to-do-family moving from Seattle to a small town in Georgia, and it’s clear which premise is more relatable. Bottom line: Family Matters was much more of the time and place it existed rather than as a throwback thumbing through all the familiar tropes.
Winner: Family Matters -
Theme Song
The ‘80s and ‘90s brought about the golden age of sitcom theme songs. If you grew up watching these shows, just the opening note of your favorite theme song will bring memories flooding back. Family Matters was no exception, with the song "Days Go By" nailing the classic formula of whimsical sentiment mixed with a few catchy melodies rising to a satisfying finish. Family Reunion, on the other hand, skips the theme song altogether in favor of a five-second club beat that sounds more generic than Sildenafil.
That crucial element shows a lack of detail that hamstrings the show from start to finish. They just don’t make them like they used to.
Winner: Family Matters
