Stephen Langford

Stephen Langford started out as a writer-for-hire on '80s primetime sitcoms like "What's Happening Now!" and "Silver Spoons," but it was his long association with the "Perfect Strangers" spin-off, "Family Matters," that brought him his biggest success. Langford joined the "Matters" writing staff in 1990, and penned over 20 episodes of the Friday-night sitcom, which originally intended to focus on the middle-class Winslow family but eventually gravitated towards nerdy next-door neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), the show's breakout character, who became a '90s pop culture phenomenon. In addition to his writing work, Langford produced over 100 episodes of the hit series, including the series ending "Pop Goes the Question," in which Steve finally proposes to his longtime love, Laura Winslow. He next served as writer and producer on "Malcolm & Eddie," starring "The Cosby Show"'s Malcolm-Jamal Warner and comedian Eddie Griffin as mismatched roommates who run a neighborhood bar. Langford branched out into directing with "Warm-Blooded Killers," about two not-quite-ready hit men, and later wrote the romantic comedy "Love Wrecked," about a teenager who becomes stranded on a beach with her rock idol.