Why Jo Marie Payton Quit 'Family Matters' - Here's Why 

I think I stopped watching Fresh Prince after ,they changed moms.

@@patrickcollins1855 OG Aunt Viv got the boot by the producers for being "difficult" and such after season 3. She was pregnant at the time and in a relationship that she said was abusive. As she only appeared in a handful of episodes during season 3, the producers offered her a new contract for the following season with her appearing in half of the season (and a lower salary). The OG Harriet left after the first half of the final season because the writers kept cramming everything onto Urkel and whatnot, with the storyline involving Urkel becoming tiresome. In addition to this, she wanted for years to write or direct an episode, but never got the chance, so she was done and left after that last Christmas episode in season 9.

TRUTH!!!

I could tolerate replacement Aunt Viv, the replacement for Harreit was terrible imo. She didn't fit the roll at all.

@@DAM251983 Honestly, I think I straight up stopped watching when Harriet was replaced. That new chick did nothing for me.🤷

Just like New Aunt Viv couldn't compare to the old Aunt Viv

I never saw the cbs version until a few years back on syndication and when I saw the new Harriette I was like nope!

@@Kamgolf 😂😂😂😂she tried but nahhh

And her voice

Notice how both of them suddenly got lighter. Apparently those women were too black for television.

That was a mean old Lady & very manipulative!!!

Yet i I if men kii8 o 1

0p

I remember Jo Marie sitting in as a guest judge on BET's old 'Comic View' show - along with "Uncle Phil" (James Avery) from Fresh Prince. Hollywood is a "beast" in general and always much harder for dignified Black actors like Jo Marie. Ole girl super talented Viola Davis damn near had a meltdown over lack of quality Black roles before she got that series. Many talented Black actors just gave up and left the biz..

Good singer too

Lmao

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

🙏🏾🙏🏾

Facts, she had an authenticity when playing the character

Facts

Good Optics

Interesting breakdown and comments section. But yeah didn't even know it switched networks let alone just under a decade run is gonna have stuff run stale after 5 years. The proud urkel in a dress vid was ridiculous but I guess it's the style now.

It did stale after a while

@@AggravatedMan365 YEAH MAN URKEL WAS GETTING TOO OLD TO BE IN SOME DAMN SUSPENDERS -N- TIGHT ASS HIGH WATERS WITH BIG SHOES -N- GLASSES THE PRODUCERS TRIED TO SAVE THE SHOW BUT WHEN JO MARIE PAYTON LEFT, FAMILY MATTERS WAS ABOUT TO BE DONE. IT HAD IT'S RUN.

thank you!

10 years including her time on Perfect Strangers was longer than average so it’s not a surprise she was ready to go.

@@stewrobb2329 JO MARIE PAYTON ALSO PLAYED ON MOESHA, THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW, THE PARKERS, GIRLFRIENDS, MEET THE BROWNS, SHE DID THE VOICE FOR SUGA MAMA FROM "THE PROUD FAMILY" SHORTLY AFTER FAMILY MATTERS ENDED SO LET'S GIVE JO MARIE PAYTON HER FLOWERS 💐

the reason family matters change was bad is because the show was meant for a full family not JUST the kids. when urkel came in, it was all.about stupid laughter. kiddy or teen laughter. where it used to be some laughter, some pain, some feels. we still got some of that but mostly there was urkel to distract from the fullness of it

@@agonleed3841 ...I agree one hundred percent. But they was hitting up the big Neilson Ratings because of Urkel crossover appeal and scene-stealing. There is only one Cosby Show so they needed one good goofy. But I looked at 227 as a serious balanced family show.

So true and it's crazy how they replaced Harriet and Aunt Vivian with lighter skin Black Women and I wish that Family Matters would've kept Judy(Maybe just maybe the real person that played her might've been more successful and not dove into the world of porn)and as well as gave Aunt Rachel and Richie more story lines,and made Eddie's and Waldo's Friend Weasel a a permanent character 💯💯💯💯💯

@@agonleed3841 exactly, I heard it was supposed to be your typical Cosby show about family..... until it became all about Steve Urkel

Yeah because Estelle Rolle wasn’t a fan of all that “Dyn-o-mite” ish and neither was the dad.

Says nobody

Mine too, still watch the reruns when they come on!😊

ME TOO

You know that’s not true right?

yeah that pretty much summed the show after fourth season.

I said the same thing. Once the show became all about Urkel the show lost it's family story line

@@derricknreginaHell they even "lost" a member of the family.

@@1talldaddy That's what I was about to say. Forget losing a story line. They lost a whole child, never to be spoken of again. Poor Judy.

@@Kindred04 yeah all of sudden Judy never existed.

@Bradley Kemper yeah Waldo was gone and I didn't even realize until after the final season aired! 🤔

Yeah it wasn't the same without the original crew and I believe around the time they moved to CVS the woman who played grandmother Winslow she passed away

@@ladynikkie I thought they moved to Walgreens???

I dont know about you, but I actually liked how it ended the way it did. The longest running subplot of the series was Urkel trying his damndest to win Laura's heart despite how much she desperately tried to avoid him (I even enjoyed the time with the 'rival' love interest Myra). Over the years, Laura really opened up to Steve and by the final season they were actually going to get married. And the series finale was pretty much Steve's final obstacle toward that eventual wedding.

Yeah gmom got married and moved, Judy dissapeared and the aunt they never explained what really happen

Same here...The actress that replaced played Gina's mother on Martin and Lamont's girlfriend "Darlene" on Sanford and Son.

Yeah, after a while people just weaned themselves off of family matters. Kids got older and weren't watching as much. I didn't know they switched Harriettes until it was in syndication 2 or 3 years after the show ended

You didn't miss much it was maybe 5-6 episodes of the very last season

@@Still-Learning ……Damn age gets us all. Darlene was some fine.

@@thepoeticbutcher3370 Season 1, 1972, Lamont Gets a Pad. Yeah, she was good to go. Although...Lamont's girlfriend Judy Ann Fisher, played by Jeannie Bell, in the "Lamont is that You" episode, gives Darlene some strong competition. -Later

Yes it is and one of the best show ever

I agree cause the urkel character made family matters and you always learned something from him and he was a true friend and on top of that his character blew up so big that he even had his own line of urkel dolls in the mid 90's now that was huge for him.

True. But they were definitely overdoing it by the time the series ended. And that's why she left. It was her star vehicle only for her to be upstaged a young kid who not only was a scene stealer but completely took over after the first season. Same in the case with _Good Times_ with Esther Rolle's star vehicle only to have JJ become the main star.

That’s what is wrong with black people they like foolishness and then when y’all get nothing but foolishness y’all complain that’s what you get when you support foolishness

@@JessicaL3003 🙄

@@JessicaL3003 Exactly, the show was intended to be a more relatable version of the Cosby Show and then it turned into something different. Some people love to sell their integrity for a dollar.

What are talking about cause according to J White and the cop dad was like a second parents to him it was Laura and Eddie who had issues with him being the star the younger actors who had beef with him when they was teens which they grew out off and they still talk to each other tell this day

@@crazymtfcrazyblue3142 Where in my comment did I say it was Jo or VelJohnson that had an issue? She said "some people" and I'm commenting about those "some people".

@@goodfellabeats You say "they" without specification you including everyone which means you also including Jo Marie

@@crazymtfcrazyblue3142 Why would I need to specify? Using "they" by definition is referring to two or more people or things previously mentioned or easily identified. Jo used "some people" and didn't specify. By me saying "they" I'm referring to whomever Jo was referring to. Basic English noun and pronoun usage.

If i was an actor on that show i would thank jaleel as he kept me PAID for nearly 10 years+ them royalties

Except for Eddie's cop storyline

Same with Martin show last season was 🗑!

@@yeahisaidit5633 yeah once Gina missed the boat and all of a sudden went out of town for her job,the vibe wasn't the same.

@@yeahisaidit5633 True... but as bad as it was it was still 5x better than season 9 of Family Matters😅

I don't even remember the last season 😩

Well, to a certain extent. Look at Sister, Sister(ABC to the WB), The Game(CW to BET to Paramount Plus) & Brooklyn 99(Fox to NBC).

@@Toya2529 Girlfriends never switched networks technically it stayed on the same network..UPN merged with WB making the CW

@@brandonbates9259 same concept.. same end result .. cancellation.

@@Toya2529 i ain't say all that now lol but also Technically they canceled Girlfriends and a bunch of shows on other networks cause of the writers strike around 2008

Yeah when Sam was added it was a wrap

yup, same as aunt viv

I can tolerate the 2nd actress who played Aunt Vivian. I didn’t like the new Harriett . No offense to the actress

Not an bad idea, that could work

It would have, but no one wants to say that.

@@nmw654 the world my never know

Nah tbh ppl hated steve urkel me and a few agree his parts wasn't needed

@@johnnhendog2819 I can’t see family matters without him tho idk why.. I still watch them today & im like i see why they added him

It wouldn’t last without him in fact it was kind of boring until they added him.

Right!

Judy Winslow wasn't a interesting character..we all just feel bad because what Jaimee Foxworth ended up doing for awhile

I know

Right then replaced her with Lil Micheal Jackson. (Richie)

and the most jacked up part about that is later they wanted to adopt 3J

@@1talldaddy yes

@@netsartisticexpressions7163 even though it's a tv show,i still get mad at that.lol

Harriet is a good actress, but in no way would she have been able to carry the show, it would have gotten so boring without Urkel.

@@almcdaniel1035 he didn't quit the show he was fired after making that suggestion

The show became too self centered around him

She moved in with Chuck Cunningham

@@potsdam28 actually it was season 4. She disappeared after playing a flower girl in a wedding.

@@InIversal True but what is also very sad is that she has been left out of Family Matters reunions? I know about the whole adult films she did etc to make money after the was let go from the show. She has kept in touch with Shawn Harrison aka Waldo and Daruis McCrary aka Eddie.

​@@InIversal because Richard was the favorite

yeah we can all agree that was foul as hell.

Soo petty 😒

I was just thinking this it’s very irritating!

🎯Agreed!

They were trying to be another Cosby show but it wasn't working. Family Matters wouldn't have survived the first season if Urkel wasn't written in.

It was just awkward and a waste of that woman, Judy Ann’s time. You can’t change a character of 9 years out and think the audience is gonna respond well. The showrunners put that woman in such a rough spot. Not to mention she came into an established show that was a family.

@@SLa-pb1gg You are absolutely correct! Couldn't have said it better myself.

Steve having to turn into someone else in order for Laura to like him.instead of being with Myra who accepted him for who he was.should have been the best time to turn off the show.

@@1talldaddy This ....a million times this

@@madddoggnogood1491 and Myra was fine hell too.

@@1talldaddy Exactly i would've taken Myra and never looked back

@@madddoggnogood1491 hell yeah at least she worshipped the ground he walked on.

I mean they were switching up and writing off different cast members esp ones that made the show funny . After they got rid of rachel and ritchie waldo then harriet left it was dry.

Hahaha, you ain't lying. It was embarrassing watching Urkel getting older and still acting like that.

@@nathanielraydavis708 dont get me wrong urkel was still funny as hell 🤣🤣🤣 but i didnt like how they got rid of certain supporting cast members that made family matters funny as hell. Like waldo and weasel lol then how do u get rid of baby ritchie his mom rachel and make 3j a main cast member tho 😑😑

@@datboyphil ...I feel you. Remember, at the end it was like it was just Urkel and the Dad.

@@datboyphil it may have been their choice to leave though.

i know that’s right !

Martin was great but only really had 3 good seasons. By season four it really started to decline, and season five was forgettable.

Naw....

Martin is vastly overrated The Bernie Mac show, My Wife and Kids, Black-ish are all way better

The best sitcom is Lucy

@@cleverboy867 too dry

Or maybe the just hire the next best actor/actress for the show

Same

They went with a new direction judy didn’t bring anything to the show to be honest it was focused on eddie, laura, lil Richie and steve. That’s why she went porn

@@wwme985 because they wrote her out of the show

@@leecanash9538 u are so right about that one Every time I be seen that show of family matters after me watching first episode of it Always be notice Judy normally be staying upstairs but don't hardly never come back down then decied to join right along with the Winslow family I guess thats why the producer manage to exit her out of a show ..

@@leecanash9538 they was focused on eddie,laura,lil richie and Steve They added 3j played by Orlando brown in one of those seasons But he didn't stay too long Cuz they kept on changing different cast members

Sometimes ain't nothing next. You have to be lucky as hell to be near a highly successful show.

They did the show dirty, but throwing it on another channel with no explanation and it quietly died off like most black shows with no decent ending.

Final episodes of season 9.

😂😂😂😂😂

@@nenepchildofthemosthigh4307 😄😄😁

Will dayuuuum but she was a southern bell

Lol!😂😂😂...🤔

Welp lol

I was scrolling just to see this comment lol

😂

Hollywood is no joke...and it does get cold at night here in LA lol...

*you're i don't normally correct grammar, but you used 'your" wrong so many times. you're = you are your is for ownership (such as your book, your car, your parents)

@@lang-ed3bk really? I will take note of this, thank you.

@@leelee185 thank YOU for your open mind, i appreciate it

I have that same question about PS, who was she talking about? I have read that Bronson Pinchot wasn't always nice to people and could be very difficult to work with.

Lol 😆 🤣

Uh….Frasier Crane?? So, it’s not that uncommon that one person plays the same character for 10+ years.

@@robtheoutsider and that’s the exception, most sitcoms don’t get more the five or six seasons.

@Jana Walker as you may or may not know many tv shows end without a proper ending because most times the cast nor the producers know the fate of the series until after the season has wrapped as originally the cast was told that there would be a season 10! But CBS cancelled the series hence no Wedding for Steve and Laura which was originally planned if the show had returned! Even Judy would have returned for Laura and Steves wedding and the explanation for her absence would have been that she as living with Aunt Rachel in Detroit.

@@SuperMarioBrosIII that wouldn’t have made any sense to have Judy back for the wedding of Laura and Steve. The family after the later years started kept only referring to Eddie and Laura as if those were the only two kids……🤷🏻‍♀️

@@janabanana1976 I hear you Jana Walker. Also the 10th season would have also given us the death of Stefan! I kid you not! Stefan begins to feel ill and and Steve traces this back to his cloning machine which means that the results aren't permanent. So before Stefan fades away he says goodbye to Laura, Steve and the rest of the Winslows and as he disappears his cool and suave blend back into Steve giving him a more mature appearance and deeper voice. The series would also see Laura pregnant with their first child whom would be born in the series finale Laurene Stephanie Urkel. Myra would of course try to stop the wedding of Steve and Laura but would later concede. Even Waldo would be brought back to patch things up with Maxine. I know Michelle Thomas died in 1998 of stomach cancer. 🤔😢

@@SuperMarioBrosIII well that’s depressing. As much as I like Steve as himself I also loved Stefan. Poor guy

Not really! He couldnt stand him either

It was a double edge sword. The show wasn't doing too hot until Urkel, but at the same time it took away the original plot of the show

@@AnimeProfilePicture true

@@TheConnonedrum I used to watch the show but can't remember how it ended. Mind giving a quick summary?

@@icarusachilles6777 the last episode I believe Carl was talking about Steve and how he was going to marry Laura.

@@TheConnonedrum And he was in space simultaneously.

Meredith grey Olivia Benson

yeah in the first few season it actually was about the family.and then Judy disappeared and then outlandish plotlines came.

Not that deep

Facts

the show became repetitive. it was always steve being clumsy, causing some chaos, then saying, "did i do that?"

Even from perfect strangers

I wasn't really watching

You went old school with bewitched lol 😆 the goldfish reference 😆

😅😅😅😅🥰