“Full House” ran from 1987 through 1995, and it ran on pure charm. The show followed Danny Tanner, a widowed father raising three daughters alone, who turns to his brother-in-law Jesse and his best friend Joey to help raise the girls. It was wholesome, predictable, and built entirely around the idea that family meant everything.
Trailer, via SoulMediaDenmark.
Danny Tanner
Bob Saget played Danny Tanner as the straight man, the dad who had to keep things together while his friends made fools of themselves. He was steady, dependable, and rarely funny in the way the show wanted him to be. His role was to react to Jesse and Joey, not drive the jokes.
Jesse Katsopolis
John Stamos played Jesse Katsopolis, the ladies’ man and the show’s biggest joke. He was smooth, charming, and completely unable to handle his own life. The show leaned on Jesse being a mess as a way of making him feel more human, but the mess never went anywhere. It was a trick that stopped working after the first season.
Joey Gladstone
Dave Coulier played Joey Gladstone, the clown and the comic relief. His catchphrases and his physical comedy were the show’s biggest draw, and they aged poorly. Joey was a good friend, but he was also a little bit of a bully, and the show never quite figured out whether that was supposed to be funny or not.
The Girls
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen played Michelle, the youngest daughter, and Candace Cameron-Bure played D.J., the oldest. The show spent a lot of time on Michelle’s cuteness and D.J.’s maturity, and less time on the middle sister Stephanie, played by Jodie Sweetin. Stephanie got the least development of the three, which felt like a missed opportunity.
The Writing
The writing was thin. Gags were repeated from season to season, and plots often revolved around the same basic misunderstandings. The show rarely dealt with real problems, and when it tried, the solutions were easy. There was no sense that the characters were growing or changing over time.
The Music
The show’s musical numbers were a highlight, even if the rest of the production was weak. But the music could not save the show from its broader weaknesses. It was pleasant, not memorable.
The Run
The show ran for eight seasons and 192 episodes. That is a long time for a show this simple. Some viewers found comfort in its repetition, but others found it exhausting. The show was a product of its time, and it showed its age quickly.
The Verdict
“Full House” is not a terrible show, but it is not a good one either. It is a show about people who love each other very much, and that is worth something. But it is also a show that never grew beyond its premise, and that premise was not particularly deep.
“I’ll be there for you.”
That is the show’s motto, and it is honest. But honesty is not enough when the execution is weak.
The Final Score
“Full House” is a relic of a simpler era of television, and it deserves credit for that. But it also deserves blame for staying stuck in that era for too long. The show was better in its early years, when it was still finding its footing. By the end, it had settled into a comfortable routine that did not challenge anyone.
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