The Full House Episode You Probably Don't Remember Urkel Appeared On
The family sitcom "Full House" has maintained a lasting legacy since it premiered on ABC in 1987. Through its coming-of-age storylines, family hijinks, and feel-good endings, the show touched the hearts of families all across America (per Hello Giggles).
The show follows the Tanner family after recently widowed father Danny invites his rock-'n'-roll brother-in-law, Jesse, and goofy best friend, Joey, to move in and help raise his three young daughters (per IMDb).
Bob Saget, whose death the "Full House" cast mourned in early 2022, plays Danny Tanner, while John Stamos and Dave Coulier play the roles of his co-parents. Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin, who both star in the 2016 reboot, "Fuller House," play older sisters DJ and Stephanie, and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen started their careers by jointly portraying baby sister Michelle.
Despite its ongoing popularity, there are a lot of fun facts about "Full House" that longtime fans may have forgotten. For one, the show had several special guests over the course of its eight seasons, including Jaleel White's Steve Urkel from "Family Matters."
Urkel's Full House episode is about Stephanie getting glasses
Originally airing in 1991, Season 4, Episode 16 of "Full House" is titled "Stephanie Gets Framed" and follows middle daughter Stephanie, played by Jodie Sweetin, as she struggles to accept her new glasses (per Full House Fandom). To the surprise of fans, though, this episode also includes the iconic character Steve Urkel from "Family Matters."
Although his character was originally planned to appear on "Family Matters" only once, Urkel's instant popularity with audiences made him a staple of the show (per Final Draft). Played by Jaleel White, the character is known for his nerdy personality, clumsy mishaps, and silly catchphrase, all of which he brought to his guest appearance on "Full House."
Introduced as a cousin of DJ's friend, Urkel appears on "Full House" ready to provide encouragement to Stephanie, who is too embarrassed to wear her new glasses to school. According to Full House Fandom, Urkel tells Stephanie that "the trick is to get them to laugh with you before they can laugh at you," leading her to borrow a pair of her uncle's "funny glasses" to make the class laugh.
Urkel's appearance on Full House isn't the only ABC crossover
While Steve Urkel's appearance on "Full House" may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, fans may be surprised to learn that all of ABC's "TGIF" sitcoms from the '80s and '90s exist in the same universe, lending themselves to a variety of crossovers (per Decider).
According to TV Tropes, "TGIF" primarily consisted of the network's family sitcoms, including "Boy Meets World" and "Step by Step," in addition to "Full House" and "Family Matters." This lineup was originally created to challenge what was known as the "Friday night death slot," a time that generally garnered low viewership.
Because all of these titles existed in the same universe, Urkel was not the only iconic character to appear on another show. In fact, Michelle from "Full House" appeared on an episode of "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," while Harriette Winslow, the mother from "Family Matters," had her character debut on "Perfect Strangers."