After a successful role in Burger King commercials, Emmanuel Lewis got his very own sitcom, rushed into production by ABC executives who were afraid the diminutive actor would grow taller and lose his cuteness factor. They needn't have worried: Lewis started out on Webster at a little over 3 feet in height and churned out cuteness by the bucketload.

In an attempt to duplicated NBC's highly successful Diff'rent Strokes, Webster told the story of a tiny African-American boy being raised by a white family. After the death of his parents, Webster went to live with George and Katherine Papadapolis; George was an ex-NFL pro who had played football with Webster's late father. The couple didn't have any children of their own and were mostly at a loss about child rearing. Katherine, especially, was a refined socialite with no inclination towards domesticity. Regardless of George's awkwardness and Katherine's cluelessness, they both loved Webster dearly and strove to make a happy home for him.

The series relied heavily on Webster's size and sassy personality for humor. Webster and his little friends stirred up a torrent of "Awwww!"s from the studio audience. Recurring themes centered on George and Katherine struggling through lifestyle changes due to their adopted son, George's transformation from rough and gruff pro athlete to sensitive father and Katherine's wrestling matches with a roast, a pile of laundry or a sewing machine.

Several attempts to remedy flagging viewership included the family's move from their swanky apartment to an old Victorian home; Ben Vereen's cameo as Webster's uncle who wants the boy to live with him; and the addition of George's nephew Nicky, as Webster's older brother figure. Webster aired for four seasons on ABC and then moved to first-run syndication for two more seasons, until its cancellation in 1989.