Family Matters

ABC | Release Date: September 22, 1989

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

51	METASCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

Ken TuckerJun 7, 2013

Season 1 Review: Family Matters offers a picture of black family life that takes its middle-class ordinariness for granted, which is unusual for TV. Even more unusual, it's a show you can watch with your whole family, and chances are, everyone will get a few good laughs out of it. Read full review

Eric MinkAug 16, 2013

Season 1 Review: Family Matters has assembled one of the most broadly appealing casts seen in recent years. Reginald VelJohnson, who played the sympathetic cop in the movie "Die Hard," is almost irresistible as a character. And yet the show's concept is so familiar that Family Matters will have to struggle to be fresh, to avoid going over old ground, to give its characters texture and definition. The potential for some excellent comedy is certainly here. [18 Sept 1989, p.1D]

Tom ShalesAug 16, 2013

Season 1 Review: Remarkable for one reason only: It achieves levels of warmth that are rare for such shows. It may not make everybody laugh, but a decent human being would have a hard time not smiling. [22 Sept 1989, p.B1]

Richard ZoglinJul 2, 2013

Season 2 Review: With his deft timing and vaudeville hamminess, White brings such extravagant high spirits to the role that he is hard not to like. Read full review

Matt RoushAug 16, 2013

Season 1 Review: A homogenous Cosby Show clone with no distinguishable character...It's inoffensive and sometimes affectionate, as when the clan pulls together in the second episode after Harriette loses her job. It might play, then, on ABC's benign made-for-baby-sitters Friday lineup.[21 Sept 1989, p.3D]

Rick KoganAug 16, 2013

Season 1 Review: Though inoffensive, this is as standard as sitcom gets. [22 Sept 1989, p.1]

Joe SteinAug 16, 2013

Season 1 Review: Family Matters is a spinoff from "Perfect Strangers," but not nearly as good. [22 Sept 1989, p.C-16]

Ed SiegelAug 16, 2013

Season 1 Review: There are plenty of black faces on this show, but there should be red faces at producing a comedy with so few laughs. Family Matters makes "The Cosby Show" still look fresh. Family Matters makes "Father Knows Best" look fresh. The writing is practically nonexistent. [22 Sept 1989, p.29]