The Mama Who Came to Dinner
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Episode 1
- William Bickley
- Michael Warren
| "The Mama Who Came to Dinner" | |
|---|---|
| Family Matters episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Joel Zwick |
| Written by |
|
| Featured music | |
| Production code | 445230 |
| Original air date | September 22, 1989 |
| Running time | 21 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Mama Who Came to Dinner" is the pilot episode and series premiere of the American sitcom Family Matters, which is a spin-off of the American sitcom Perfect Strangers, which is set in Chicago. The episode was directed by Joel Zwick and written by William Bickley and Michael Warren, and originally aired on ABC on September 22, 1989.
In the episode, police sergeant Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) and his wife Harriette (Jo Marie Payton) prepare for the arrival of his mother Estelle (Rosetta LeNoire), who is moving in to live with them. While Carl confronts his mother's want to usurp his authority over his family, his son Eddie (Darius McCrary) tries to convince him to let him go to a party.
The episode marks the only appearance of Valerie Jones as Judy Winslow before she was replaced with Jaimee Foxworth in the following episode. In its initial airing, "The Mama Who Came to Dinner" received mixed reviews from critics.
Police officer Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson), his wife Harriette (Jo Marie Payton), and their three children prepare for the arrival of his mother Estelle (Rosetta LeNoire), who is moving in to live with them in their Chicago home. While Carl confronts his mother's want to usurp his authority over his entire family, his son Eddie (Darius McCrary) tries to convince him to let him go to a party that would result in him violating his curfew. After various discussions, Carl lets Eddie go to the party. The episode ends with the Winslow family singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" around the family piano, with a camera pan fading over the Chicago skyline.
Production
"The Mama Who Came to Dinner" serves as the pilot episode of the American sitcom Family Matters. Directed by Joel Zwick, the episode was filmed in front of a studio audience at Lorimar Studios in Culver City, California; the closing shot of the episode was taken from a helicopter in Chicago, where the series is set.[1][2] The pilot also marks the only appearance of Valerie Jones as Judy Winslow, Carl's younger daughter, as she was replaced with Jaimee Foxworth in the following episode.[3] Furthermore, the episode is one of five to include "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong as its theme song; this was later removed entirely from the episode during reruns and from the rest of the series with "As Days Go By" by Jesse Frederick, Bennett Salvay, and Scott Roeme.[3][4]