Bryton James, who played Richie Crawford on eight seasons of Family Matters, is exploring a new way to revive the beloved 1990s sitcom: animation.
The actor revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he “had an idea to take the show and turn it into an animated series,” describing the project as a way to “take the old episodes and modernize them… starting from scratch for the new generation.”
James said he is “pretty far along” with the idea, sharing that he found a production company to finance the project and succeeded in bringing “everybody on board,” including Jaleel White, who played Steve Urkel. “It’s sitting in Warner Bros.’ hands right now,” James told EW. “That plan is still kind of floating around out there, and I’m still trying to pursue it.”
Warner Bros. Television has not commented on the project. A source familiar with Warner Bros. Animation told EW they are aware of James’ interest, but the reboot “has not moved beyond that.”
Family Matters debuted in 1989 as a spinoff of Perfect Strangers and ran for nine seasons, following the Winslow family across 215 episodes. Alongside James and White, the series starred Reginald VelJohnson, Jo Marie Payton, Telma Hopkins, Rosetta LeNoire, Darius McCrary, Kellie Shanygne Williams, Jaimee Foxworth, and Michelle Thomas, among others.
For James, animation makes sense because the original sitcom often leaned into fantasy. “I remember when [Urkel] created a tornado in the kitchen one time,” he said. “You could really take the show into animation and have us voice our characters again.” He also noted that going animated means the cast wouldn’t have to be in the same city to film—or, as he joked, force White to wear the Urkel outfit again.
Since the sitcom’s end in 1998, the cast has reunited for photo shoots and interviews, with some members expressing interest in revisiting the series. White has reprised Urkel in one-off appearances but has previously turned down other reboot pitches, including one that would have centered on Urkel and Laura’s son.
While James’ vision is still only an idea, he believes Family Matters “could be brought back to life in a new, fresh way” for audiences old and new.