Urkelbot
Urkelbot, (portrayed by Michael Chambers and voiced by Jaleel White), is a robot that Steve created to do taskly chores for him in season 3's Robo-Nerd, as part of a contest in which a laptop computer was first prize.
Character Background[]
According to Urkel, the robot's intelligence doubles every twenty minutes. However, he soon developed a personality of his own and locked his creator in a closet inside the basement of the Urkel home to pursue Laura. Eventually, Steve got the upper hand and shut him down with fire extinguisher foam. After that, Laura thanked Steve for saving her, and then demanded him to turn the robot into a go-kart due to its destructive antics. Steve claimed that he could reprogram him and add a few adjustments with his personality, but Laura pointed that he was a monster. Steve, however, defended him and pointed out that Urkelbot was a "machine with feelings", and felt hopelessly in love with her (much like Steve himself) meaning that he and Steve both have great taste in girls; Laura then said that was sweet of him to say. Urkel then said that he is a sweet person, and that someday she will finally realize that, which turned out to be true years later when Laura and Steve went to their senior prom in Dream Date.
Sometime later in Robo-Nerd II, he rebuilt Urkelbot and had a heart-to-heart talk with him. Feeling remorseful for his actions, Urkelbot asks Steve to help him out. He learns that Urkelbot needed a job to distract him from causing harm again and revamps him as a crime fighting robot known as Urkelcop. Steve encouraged Carl to use the technology provided to help stop a string of robberies plaguing convenience stores all around Chicago. Urkelbot was able to detect a pattern via triangulation and Carl found himself in disguise at a convenience store called "Pete's Shop and Save". The robber holds both Steve and Carl hostage by forcing them to do tasks for him. However, by that time Urkelbot easily gained the upper hand against the robber and had him arrested. Sometime later after buying wigs, Harriette, Laura, Rachel and Estelle asked Steve if he can use Urkelbot to track down the con-artists who sold them the shampoo that made them bald and have them arrested too. Unfortunately after having a talk with him, Steve tells them that Urkelbot has no interest in being a police officer because it's a dangerous job and wants to be a dancing robot. He created a dancing robot partner named Laurabot to dance alongside him. Urkelbot hasn't been seen since, possibly living happily ever after with his soulmate, Laurabot.
Appearances[]
Season 3[]
Movie Special[]
Trivia[]
- In Scooby-Doo and Guess Who, Urkel Bot (voiced by Jaleel White once again) returns with a new appearance then is later upgraded. The robot's voice has also been updated.
- In the episode Home Sweet Home, after Urkel moves in with Eddie and Waldo, the heads of both Urkelbot and Laurabot can be seen on the kitchen counter among Urkel's belongings.
- Designed by make-up effects creator Kenny Myers, Urkelbot was Family Matters most expensive and elaborate costume. It required approximately three hours to put on and two people to operate. Michael Chambers performed within the costume while a puppeteer controlled the animatronic features on the head (mouth, ears and eyebrows).
- A full day was required to shoot Urkelbot's scenes and voiceover work was done by Jaleel White in post-production.