Urkel Was Based on a Real Person
The show’s co-creator, Michael Warren, named Urkel after his real-life friend, Steve Erkel. Warren later admitted to regretting the decision once he saw just how popular the character became. As Urkel’s popularity grew, so did the number of prank calls placed to his friend Steve.
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The truth is Warren only intended for Urkel to be a one-off character – to appear in one episode. It’s hard to imagine the Winslow family without their nerdy neighbor, but Urkel was never supposed to be a regular on the show, let alone its main character. Urkel showed up about midway through the first season. The suspenders-wearing pre-teen became an instant hit, and his role was quickly beefed up to meet the audience’s demand.