Full House

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Full House
Full House title card
Format	Family sitcom
Created by	Jeff Franklin
Starring	John Stamos Bob Saget Dave Coulier Candace Cameron Jodie Sweetin Mary-Kate Olsen Ashley Olsen Andrea Barber Lori Loughlin (1988 recurring, 1989-1995 cast member) Scott Weinger (1991-1995) Blake Tuomy-Wilhoit Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit (1992-1995)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	192 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jeff Franklin Thomas L. Miller Robert L. Boyett Marc Warren Dennis Rinsler (seasons 6-8)
Location(s)	San Francisco, California
Running time	23-25 minutes
Production company(s)	Jeff Franklin Productions Miller-Boyett Productions Lorimar Television (seasons 1-6) Warner Bros. Television (seasons 7-8)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Original run	September 22, 1987 – May 23, 1995

Full House is an American television sitcom that ran from September 22, 1987 to May 23, 1995 on ABC. Set in San Francisco, California, it chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) who, after the death of his wife in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) to help raise his three daughters, and later on in the series Jesse's wife Rebecca Donaldson (Lori Loughlin) joins the household.

The series was named after the hand in the game of poker known as a full house, with Danny as the "player", his three daughters as the "three of a kind", and his best friend and brother-in-law as the "pair".

The series was created by Jeff Franklin (who would later create Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, which was placed directly after Full House on Tuesdays in 1992 and on which Stamos and the Olsen twins guest starred) and executive produced by Franklin, along with Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, who also produced the popular ABC sitcoms Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Bussom Buddies, Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, and Step by Step.

The series was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions and Miller-Boyett Productions, in association with Lorimar-Telepictures (1987-1988), Lorimar Television (1988-1993), and then by Warner Brothers Television (1993-1995). It is also the only videotaped sitcom produced by Miller-Boyett Productions; all other Miller-Boyett comedies were shot on film.

Characters

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Adults

• Jesse Katsopolis (played by John Stamos) - One of the series' four main protagonists. Danny's brother-in-law, who is an up-and-coming musician. He eventually marries Rebecca Donaldson, and has twin boys, Nicky and Alex. Early in the series, he was known as Jesse Cochran(presumably a stage name for his music career) and worked as an exterminator, until upsetting his father and telling him he wanted to leave the family business to pursue a career as a musician. He is known to be obsessed with his hair and Elvis Presley, and rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. His catchphrase, usually when he kisses or meets a beautiful woman, is "Have mercy!". Throughout the seasons, Jesse makes some special musical appearances with The Beach Boys. Jesse's older sister, Pam, was Danny's wife, who died in a car accident before the series began. Jesse did not finish high school and goes back to get his GED later in the series. He is very close to Michelle whom he often calls Shortie or Munchkin. Before moving in Jesse was a bad boy, and he still sort of was after, but when he's around Michelle his heart melts. It is often like he is Michelle's dad. He also acts like a father to DJ and Stephanie. When he thought DJ was drinking at a school dance, he instantly became the father figure. He helped Stephanie help her friend who was being physically abused. There were changes on his character; first his last name then his school history. In the one episode Jesse's old girlfriend shows up making him doubt how he feels about Rebecca, they flash back to his high school graduation and tell the story. But in later episodes he asked by DJ to make a speech about staying in school and he says he can't because he never finished school. Later on he gets his GED even though he had graduated. Before Full house he played the character blackie on a soap.
• Daniel "Danny" Tanner (played by Bob Saget) - One of the series' four main protagonists. He is a sportscaster and later the co-host of the morning talk show Wake Up, San Francisco, along with Rebecca Donaldson, who later becomes his sister-in-law. Danny is best known for his obsession with talking and cleaning. In the later seasons, Danny seeks out a potential wife, and at one point is engaged to Vicky, but that ended as she moved across the country to pursue her career in broadcasting. Danny is overprotective of his three daughters, especially DJ and Stephanie. He doesn't always approve of them dating. When Stephanie got stood up, he gave a firm talking to the boy, which embarrassed Stephanie because she thought he threatened him, but in the end he was commended for helping her out. He was upset when Becky was named producer of Wake Up San Francisco in the eighth season. Later, Becky agrees to share the job with him and he becomes co-producer.
• Joseph "Joey" Gladstone (played by Dave Coulier) - One of the series' four main protagonists. Danny's best friend through grade school and college. He moves in to help Danny with his three girls. He makes a living primarily as a comedian. He is also known for his imitations of cartoon characters including Popeye and Bullwinkle the Moose. He is also the puppeteer behind the annoying Mr. Woodchuck in the "Ranger Joe Show". But he quit after being forced to work with an abusive co-host, moving on to co-host the radioshow Rush Hour Renegades with Jesse. His catchphrase is "Cut..It..Out!", accompanied by hand gestures. He has some girlfriends throughout the series, but never has long-term relationships.
• Rebecca "Becky" Donaldson-Katsopolis - One of the series' four main protagonists. (played by Lori Loughlin) - Co-hosts the morning show Wake Up, San Francisco with Danny. Introduced in the second season, Becky dates Jesse for about two years before becoming his wife, and in the fifth season she gives birth to twin sons Nicky and Alex. By the eighth season, Becky has been named as producer of Wake Up, San Francisco, a title which she later agrees to share with Danny. She is known for her witty jokes and unexpected surprises (usually embarrassing) towards Danny.

Kids

• Donna Jo "D.J." Margaret Tanner (played by Candace Cameron Bure) - Oldest daughter in the Tanner household, who over the series went from ten years old to a senior in high school. She is into fashion, boys, and her struggle for independence and privacy while living in the bustling Tanner household. For a couple seasons she has a long-term boyfriend Steve. She has two occasional catchphrases, "Whoa, baby!" and "Oh, My God!". She was born on February 9, 1977. She is often babied by her dad. On her first day on Junior High she was ridiculed, so on her second day her and her best friend, Kimmy Gibbler, piled on the make up and wore revealing clothes. She has told Danny in the episode Where Oh Where Has My Little Girl Gone? "I'm not your little girl anymore!", but she soon made up for it. She dated Steve on and off for a while and they were completely off until the show's final episode when he took her to senior prom. She struggled with believing in herself and became anorexic until Stephanie told the family.
• Stephanie Judith Tanner (played by Jodie Sweetin) - Middle daughter of the Tanner household. She went from five years old to a middle schooler. She is known to have an energetic, excitable and talkative personality. Stephanie is known for invading D.J.'s privacy, such as reading her diary. Her most valuable possession is Mr.bear, a stuffed animal which her mother gave her. He is often addressed in the first few seasons. She also has a few catchphrases such as: "How rude!", "Well, pin a rose on your nose," and "Hot dog!" As well as her catchphrases, Stephanie is known for her dancing. She was born on January 14, 1982.
• Michelle Elizabeth Tanner (played by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen) - Michelle was the youngest of Pam and Danny Tanner's daughters. She was the younger sister of both D.J. Tanner and Stephanie Tanner. She was around six months old when her mother died and by the end of the series she was around nine. Common nicknames for Michelle include: Shortie and Munchkin (by her Uncle Jesse Katsopolis), Squirt Jr. (by Kimmy Gibbler (although Kimmy did call her Squirt in the season 8 episode "You Pet It, You Bought It"), Squirt usually refers to Stephanie), and Princess (by her dad Danny Tanner). Her notable phrases are:"You got it dude!", "You're in big trouble, Mister!", and "Aw, Nuts!". Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen made their big break at a very young age playing the part of Michelle Tanner. She is one of the most lovable characters on the show, and is often seen giving advice to her uncle, or being wise with her sisters. She is very close to her Uncle Jesse and was very sad when he was going to move out. When Danny tried to treat her like a baby, she took a stand. She was born on November 12, 1986.
• Kimberly Louise "Kimmy" Gibbler (played by Andrea Barber) (Seasons 5-8 ; Recurring Seasons 1-4) - D.J.'s best friend and next-door neighbor, who usually serves as a punchline while visiting the Tanners' home. She is known for her lack of a "fashionable" wardrobe. She is also known for her stinky feet and eccentric family. Kimmy also has been known to have quite a wild side at times. An interesting note is that Kimmy in season one is said to have three sisters but later on in the series she says that she only has an older brother. Although she has proven to be ditzy and brain-dead, she has a sweet and kind heart. She actually one time paired up with Stephanie to help her with a problem, even though in almost every episode, they are seen making fun of each other. Kimmy lives with her parents and her older brother, Garth, who lent her his car "Wild Thing."
• Steve Hale (played by Scott Weinger) (Seasons 6-7 ; Recurring (Season 5) ; Special Appearance (Season 8) )- He was originally introduced in season five as Steve Towers. He was D.J.'s steady boyfriend for two years. He began dating D.J. during her trip to Spain. He is quite athletic, most notably as the captain of his high school wrestling team. He is also known for his immense appetite, as he is constantly eating large amounts of food in the Tanners' kitchen during his visits. He came back for the very last episode as D.J.'s date for her prom and they kiss. However, since the series ended it is unknown if D.J. and Steve get back together.
• Nicholas "Nicky" and Alexander "Alex" Katsopolis (played by Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit) - Identical twin sons of Jesse and Rebecca, born in the fifth season. Nicky was named after Jesse's father, and Alex was named after one of Rebecca's old professors. With Jesse and Rebecca already living in the Tanners' apartment-sized attic, the boys are also raised there, and bringing the household head-count to 9 people. They were born on Michelle's 5th birthday, (Making their birthdays November 12, 1991) thus cutting her party short. They are very mischievous and are well known for laughing at Joey's corny jokes. Their catchphrase was 'Shame On You.. Double Shame'

Pets

• Comet - The golden retriever adopted by the Tanners. Son of Minnie, a dog they kept overnight in Season 3. He was named by D.J., she chose the name because he was fast and had a tail, like a comet. Michelle, however, wanted to name him Michelle, and Stephanie wanted to name him Mr. Dog.

History

John Stamos' character name was changed after Season 1 to "Jesse Katsopolis". The name change was due to Stamos wanting his character to better reflect his Greek heritage. In one episode, Jesse admits his birth name was "Hermes", which actually happens to be his real-life paternal grandfather's name.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen nearly left the show after the first season because their real-life mother was concerned about them missing out on having a "normal" childhood. After a significant raise in salary from the show's producers, she agreed to let them continue. Their being so popular was also one of the reasons their mother let them stay.

During the show's run, only four main characters were added to the main cast. Lori Loughlin, who played the role of Rebecca Donaldson (later Katsopolis), was initially scheduled to appear in six episodes in Season 2 as Danny's co-host on Wake Up, San Francisco. However, producers decided to write her character into the show, and give her a permanent role in the third season.

Season 5 saw the debut of characters Nicky and Alex Katsopolis, who were the twin sons of Jesse and Rebecca. The characters Nicky and Alex were created to complement the popularity of the Olsen twins. However, the new characters did not achieve as much popularity as the producers had hoped. The "baby" versions were played by Daniel and Kevin Renteria until the end of Season 5. Beginning in Season 6, Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit played the roles of toddlers Nicky and Alex until the series ended.

Ratings

Full House later became part of the TGIF Friday night line-up after it was created in 1989. But the show actually aired on Fridays from the fall of 1987 to the fall of 1991, which spanned the show's first, second, third, and fourth seasons. The show was moved to Tuesdays for Season 5, and ratings shot up to number 7, which is not typical for an aged series to gain viewers, putting the show in the top ten. It remained on Tuesday until its ending in 1995. While Season 1 was not successful, the show was placed immediately following the established hit show Perfect Strangers in season two, and it quickly gained popularity, and from Season 3 onwards it was ranked among the Nielsen Ratings' Top 30 shows. [4] By Season 4, it jumped to the top twenty and remained there until season 7 (including season 5 & 6 earning their peak spots in the top ten). [5].

In 1995, despite the fact the show was still rated in the top 25, ABC announced that it was canceling the show after the eighth season due to the increasing production costs. The new WB network wanted to pick up the show for a ninth season, but John Stamos announced that the eighth season would be his last (he was mainly upset about Full House defecting from one of the "Big Four" networks to a network which had not yet received full national distribution). Eventually, the other actors announced they were also ready to move on to other projects, thus ending the show's eight-year run. The one-hour finale was watched by 24.3 million viewers (25 percent of all Americans watching television at the time).

Production

Although the series was set in San Francisco, and the opening credits featured a row of classic Victorian houses on that city's Steiner Street, the sitcom itself was taped at Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles. The only episode to have actually been taped in San Francisco was Comet's Excellent Adventure, the first episode of Season 8. There were also a few episodes where the cast would shoot in other locations, most notably Hawaii in the third season premiere Tanner's Island, and at Walt Disney World for the episodes The House Meets the Mouse (Parts 1 & 2) at the end of Season 6.

Full House was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions & Miller-Boyett Productions in association with Lorimar-Telepictures (1st season only), then Lorimar Television (later to become Warner Bros. Television).

Theme song and opening sequence

The show's theme song "Everywhere You Look" was performed by Jesse Frederick, which he co-wrote with Bennett Salvay and series creator Jeff Franklin. An instrumental version of the theme song was used in the closing credits, and in the opening credits in some early syndication runs, although the song was almost always truncated to the chorus for broadcast. Season one was the only season that used the full version of the theme song, after that it became shorter (as was the case with the theme songs of fellow Miller-Boyett sitcom Step by Step, and to a lesser extent Perfect Strangers and Family Matters), until it was down to about 30 seconds in season 8.

The original long version featured the verses, "How did I get delivered here, somebody tell me please? / This whole world's confusing me / With clouds as mean as you've ever seen, ain't a bird who knows your tune / Then a little voice inside you whispers, 'Kid, don't sell your dreams so soon'", which was shortened to "You miss your old familiar friends, but waiting just around the bend" in the short version of the theme, making it one of the few TV theme songs to feature different sets of the lyrics for the same theme song.

In the beginning, the six original characters were shown either sleeping, or at home or in various shots in San Francisco. Beginning in season 4, the opening credits for the adults were also filmed in San Francisco as well as the last shot of the opening credits of the show, which features the cast having a picnic in Alamo Square in front of the row of Painted Ladies in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. Contrary to popular belief, the red-doored Victorian where the Tanners live is not one of these houses. The address of the Tanner house was mentioned in "Blast From the Past" as being located at 1882 Girard Street in San Francisco, CA. The actual location of the house used for exterior shots in the series is 1709 Broderick Street. It was not until season 8 that the opening credits were changed to feature the entire cast in various locations around San Francisco. From seasons one through five, select shots from the opening credits were seen in the closing credits as well, switching to still shots of episode scenes starting with season six.

The role of Michelle was credited as being played by "Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen" from seasons 2-7 (the duo was only credited in the closing credits in season 1, as "Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen"; though in syndicated reruns, they are also credited in the opening credits as the former) because the show's producers did not want audiences to know that Michelle was played by twins. Ashley's name was made to appear as Mary-Kate's middle name in the titles (the role of Michelle was played by two children because California state law regulates the number of work hours for a young child, therefore it is common for the role of one baby in a TV or film production to be played by twins). In season 8, with the entire opening credit shots revamped for the last time, the Olsen twins were now given special billing in response to the popularity they earned as separate performers over the years. Appearing last in the credits, they were credited as "and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Michelle". Fittingly, Mary-Kate is the twin appearing in the shot, but the girl in the painting is Ashley. It was not until season 5 that Andrea Barber (who played Kimmy Gibbler) was added to the opening credits, despite her recurring role on the show since the first season. The long opening was cut when the show started regular rotation upon the end of first-run airing.

Broadcasting history

• ABC (1987-1995)
• Syndication (1991-2003)
• TBS (1998-2002)
• Nick @ Nite (2003-2009)
• ABC Family (2004-present)
• CTS (2008-2009)

Syndication history

Since its 1995 finale, the sitcom has continued in syndication while gaining even more popularity among newer generations of family audiences. Full House was initially syndicated on various local stations nationwide. During the summer of 1991, reruns of the early seasons began airing in a daily daytime strip on NBC.^[6] In the late 1990s, TBS Superstation and WGN aired the show every day until 2003, when the show was dropped from the daily schedule on both networks. Later that year, Nick at Nite acquired the show, as well as ABC Family in 2004. Several episodes on ABC Family feature the original extended version of the theme song. As of 2009, the show still airs daily on ABC Family. The show also airs on CTS (Crossroads Television System) in Canada.

The show has also been acquired and aired by networks in various countries outside North America, and has a large amount of fans around the world.

Film

In a December 2008 news story^[7], it was reported that John Stamos was planning a reunion movie.^[8] Reports, however, indicate that this idea was quickly withdrawn, because most of the cast was not interested.^[9]

In 2009, Stamos announced that a feature film based on the show is still on. Stamos told The New York Daily News, "I'm working on a movie idea, but it wouldn't be us playing us. I'm not 100% sure, but it would probably take place in the first few years." Stamos has Steve Carell and Tracy Morgan in mind for the roles of Danny and Joey respectively. ^[10].

Episodes

DVD releases

Warner Home Video has released all eight seasons of Full House on DVD in Region 1. The first four seasons were also released on DVD in Region 2. A complete series set containing all 192 episodes was released on November 6, 2007.

Full House books

Books based on Full House are geared toward children primarily ages 8-14. However, many are considered enjoyable by fans of the sitcom, especially of the characters Stephanie Tanner and Michelle Tanner, who are the main focuses. Warner Brothers, the owners of Full House, would not permit others to use their characters, and selected who could write books based on the TV series. Such strict control by the owners of Full House means they may be considered more than fan fiction, and in fact represent a parallel universe known to many fans as the Book Universe.

The series include the following:

Full House Stephanie: These 33 books were written from the point of view of the Tanners' middle daughter, Stephanie Tanner. They take place with Stephanie in a different middle school, likely because of a slightly different redistricting plan compared to the one mentioned in season 7's Fast Friends. She has different best friends, Allie Taylor and Darcy Powell, as well.

Though these are book creations, she has known Allie since kindergarten, and there are several places in the first five seasons of Full House where fans think an unnamed extra could be Allie. The first ten of these books overlap with seasons 7 and 8 of the TV series, though the school is not the only difference; there are a number of differences in the Tanners from the series.

This series begins with Stephanie being pressured to join a clique called the Flamingoes, by completing a series of dares. She almost does the last one, though she's not sure if she wants to, before D.J. catches her trying to steal Danny's phone card. Stephanie explains tearfully what was happening, and D.J. helps her to understand what the Flamingoes were really up to: they wanted the phone card to use to call boyfriends. Stephanie and the Flamingoes become fierce rivals, though not all books surround this rivalry or even show the Flamingoes.

Two stories were translated and published in Japan in February 2007.

Full House Michelle: These 41 stories are told from Michelle's point of view. The first 27 feature more of her - and the other Tanners' - home life than others, though some focus on events at school, whereas the last 14, the "Michelle and Friends" series, focuses mostly on Michelle and her classmates. Unlike Stephanie, Michelle goes to the same elementary school, but is in a different class. The first four books in the Michelle series overlap with season 8 of Full House, though these, too, take place in this Book Universe. Two stories were translated and published in Japan in February 2007.

Full House Sisters: These 14 books focus on Michelle and Stephanie's friendship and comical situations that occur between them. The sisters often alternate points of view in the story.

Full House: Dear Michelle: These 4 books were published several years after the others stopped being produced. They take place with Michelle in the third grade, where she writes an advice column for her class paper. It is a different third grade class from either the first four books or the TV universe, though the class contains several of the same friends as in the other books.

Time frame

The books, most of which published between 1993 and 2001, along with the 2004 Dear Michelle series, span from Stephanie's sixth grade year (season 7 on TV) to her ninth grade year. No book has been written to date to show her in high school, nor Michelle starting middle school. The Flamingoes are featured less and less in Stephanie books, and the last Club Stephanie trilogy, shows Stephanie and her friends becoming friends with the Flamingoes by the end.

References

External links

• Full House at the Internet Movie Database
• Full House at TV.com
• Full House: ABC Family
• FH4ever.com - Full House Community