One year after it was originally supposed to debut, the Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie! will be hitting the small screen on Nov. 21. 

According to Pop Culture, the Ukrel Saves Santa: The Movie! was in the works last year. Although the famous Family Matters character was originally supposed to have a spot in WarnerMedia Kids & family’s programming black, ACME, Max had shelved the project. The film’s trailer surfaced today (Nov. 15).

Jaleel White, who played Urkel, will not only act in the animated film but is also a producer. The official synopsis reads, “The holiday season is here, and brilliant but accident-prone super genius Steve Urkel has only one mission: to make the holidays the best they can be for everyone! However, things are off to a not-so-merry start after he ruins a celebration at his local shopping mall and humiliates the department store Santa. Hoping to make things right, Steve invents a device that helps people spread holiday cheer, but it only manages to make things worse. Using his big brain and an even bigger heart, it’s up to Steve to help the city rediscover the holiday spirit.”

Along with White, Nicole Byer, Roy Wood Jr., and Kym Whitely star in the holiday film. While Family Matters is currently available on Max, the Ukrel Christmas film will only be available to buy digitally.

Jaleel White Once Stated That He’s Grateful for the Opportunity to Play Steve Urkel on ‘Family Matters’ 

During an appearance on The Talk in 2022, Jaleel White spoke about his role as Steve Urkel on Family Matters. The actor admitted that he didn’t actually want to play Stefan, the geeky character’s alter-ego. 

“I thought Stefan was boring!” White declared. “And I mean, thank God I played Stefan because it allowed Black women to see me the way I actually am. I had no idea!”

White then said that Stefan is now considered a “standard” for how people recognize him. “I could be driving down Crenshaw, and immediately at a bus stop, ‘Hey, that’s Stefan.’ Black people, we got a special vision in the hood!”

White went on to add that he appreciated his time on Family Matters and playing Urkel. “I’m really happy I played that character because it saved me in my own community.”

Family Matters aired from 1989 to 1997. The sitcom, which was a spin-off of Perfect Strangers, followed the Chicago-based family, the Winslows. Urkel, the nerd next door, appeared on the show and was madly in love with Laura Winslow (Kellie Shanygne Williams). He would spend the entire series trying to earn Laura’s love while going on adventures with her brother, Eddie.