Full House

For other uses, see the American television series.

Full House
File:FullHouseLogo.jpg Full House title card
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)
Theme music composer	Jesse Frederick, Bennett Salvay & Jeff Franklin
Opening theme	"Everywhere You Look", performed by Jesse Frederick
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	192 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Jeff Franklin Thomas L. Miller Robert L. Boyett Marc Warren Dennis Rinsler (seasons 5-8)
Production locations	San Francisco, California (setting) Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California (taping location)
Camera setup	Videotape; Multi-camera
Running time	23-25 minutes
Production companies	Jeff Franklin Productions Miller-Boyett Productions Lorimar Television (seasons 1-6) Warner Bros. Television (seasons 7-8)
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	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. Later on in the series, Jesse's wife, Rebecca Donaldson, (Lori Loughlin) joins the household.

Production

Production companies and filming locations

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, Bosom 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 sitcom produced by Miller-Boyett Productions to be recorded on videotape; all other Miller-Boyett comedies were recorded on film.

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.

Casting

John Stamos' original character name, Jesse Cochran, was changed after Season 1 to "Jesse Katsopolis". The change in last names 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 mother also let them stay due to the fact that they became so popular.

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 for. 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 two seasons later.

Characters

Adults

• Jesse Katsopolis (played by John Stamos) - Danny's brother-in-law, who is an up-and-coming musician. He eventually marries Rebecca Donaldson, and has twin boys, Nicky and Alex.
• Daniel "Danny" Tanner (played by Bob Saget) - 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.
• Joseph "Joey" Gladstone (played by Dave Coulier) - Danny's best friend through grade school and college. He moves in to help Danny with his three girls.
• Rebecca "Becky" Donaldson-Katsopolis (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. .

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.
• Stephanie Judith Tanner (played by Jodie Sweetin) - middle daughter of the Tanner household. She went from five years old to a seventh grader.
• Michelle Elizabeth Tanner (played by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen) - the youngest of Pam and Danny Tanner's daughters. She was around six months old when her mother died and by the end of the series she was around eight.
• Kimberly Louise "Kimmy" Gibbler (played by Andrea Barber) (Recurring; Seasons 1-4, Regular; Seasons 5-8) - The annoying neighbor that Danny, Jesse, and Joey dislike. Kimmy usually just jokes right back at them. She is D.J.'s best friend, except when they get in fights. She usually serves as a punchline while visiting the Tanners' home.
• 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, on the same day as Michelle's 5th birthday. Nicky was named after Jesse's father, and Alex was named after one of Rebecca's old professors.

Friends

• Steve Hale (played by Scott Weinger) (Recurring; Season 5, Regular; 6-7) - D.J.'s boyfriend in Seasons 5 through 7. Steve was a popular jock at school. He always came by the Tanners' home and went straight to their fridge. He and D.J.'s relationship was very loving and unbreakable until late in season seven when they started to drift apart. He was written out of the series at the end of the seventh season. However, although he isn't seen until the very end, he is mentioned once in the series finale at the end of Season 8. He makes his last appearance at the end of the episode as D.J.'s date for the prom (arranged by Kimmy).

• Vicky Larson (played by Gail Edwards) (Recurring; Seasons 5-7) - Danny's girlfriend turned fiancee. She and Danny didn't get along at first because they had different opinions and interests while working on Wake Up, San Francisco. They eventually fell in love and he proposed to her during Season 6. In the middle of the seventh season, Danny calls it quits with Vicky due to the fact that she now lives in Chicago, and he feels threatened by a long-distance relationship. This ends Vicky's run on the series but she is mentioned once during the eighth (and final) season.

• Teddy (played by Tahj Mowry) (Recurring; Seasons 4-6 and 7-8) - One of Michelle's best friends. They first met in Season 4. At first, Teddy tried to avoid Michelle because he thought she was strange. They later became good friends. Sadly, during the sixth season, Teddy is written out of the series when his family has to move away to Texas. He returns to the series during the seventh season when his father gets a job in San Francisco and they move back. He and Michelle's friendship appears to be the same as it was when he left. He plays a prominent role as one of Michelle's friends during the eighth season.

• Denise (played by Jurnee Smollett) (Recurring; Seasons 6-7) - One of Michelle's best friends. She became friends with Michelle after Teddy moved away. The girls would always get into silly antics together such as ordering stuff over the phone without permission and nosing around in other people's business (with no malicious intent). When Teddy returns, Denise feels threatened by him because Michelle spends more time with him instead of her. Michelle assures her that both of them are her friends. Denise does not appear in Season 8, nor is her name mentioned. Her uncle has been found to be Little Richard in the Season 7 episode, Too Little Richard Too Late.

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 (as she liked her name), and Stephanie wanted to name him Mr. Dog.

• Bubba - A turtle that saved Jesse's (and his motorcycle's) life by a runaway street cleaner in the Season 1 episode, The Return of Grandma. He appeared only once.

• Martin - A fish that Michelle won from a Carnival. She gave him a bubble bath and died causing Jesse, Joey, and Danny to say Martin was "sleeping". (In the Season 4 episode, A Fish Called Martin)

Gilbert a pet bunny at camp the Michelle watched only seen once

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 quickly became popular during Season 2 as it was placed immediately following the established hit show Perfect Strangers, 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).

Season	Year	Ranking	# of est. viewers
One	1987-1988	#70	N/A
Two	1988-1989	#32	N/A
Three	1989-1990	#22	14,091,300
Four	1990-1991	#14	14,802,900
Five	1991-1992	#7	15,657,000
Six	1992-1993	#10	14,709,800
Seven	1993-1994	#16	13,376,400
Eight	1994-1995	#25	11,829,600

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 42 seconds in season 8.

In the beginning, the six original characters were shown either sleeping, 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

United States

• ABC (1987-1995; first-run)
• Syndication (1991-2003)
• TBS (1998-2002)
• ABC Family (2003-present; Originally aired from 6-7 PM/ET, then moved to 7-8 PM/ET, then moved to 4-5 PM/ET, and currently airing from 3-4 PM/ET on weekdays, also airs weekend mornings; since ABC Family began running the show, it always has aired a replay of the previous afternoon's episodes weekdays from 12-1 PM/ET)
• Nick at Nite (2003-2008)
• The N (August 31, 2009-present; will continue to air until September 27, 2009)
• TeenNick (debuts September 28, 2009; carryover from The N)

Canada

• 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. 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 2003. 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.

Reruns of Full House began airing on The N starting on August 31, 2009, and it will then subsequently move to the new TeenNick network when it debuts on September 28, 2009, taking over The N's channel space.

Full House will join TV Land's rendering of TGIF which will begin 2010.

Film

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

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. .

Episodes

Main article: List of Full House episodes

Season	Episodes	First airdate	Last airdate
Season 1	22	September 22, 1987	May 6, 1988
Season 2	22	October 14, 1988	May 5, 1989
Season 3	24	September 22, 1989	May 4, 1990
Season 4	26	September 24, 1990	May 3, 1991
Season 5	26	September 17, 1991	May 12, 1992
Season 6	24	September 22, 1992	May 18, 1993
Season 7	24	September 14, 1993	May 17, 1994
Season 8	24	September 27, 1994	May 23, 1995

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.

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
The Complete First Season	22	February 8, 2005
The Complete Second Season	22	December 6, 2005
The Complete Third Season	24	April 4, 2006
The Complete Fourth Season	26	August 15, 2006
The Complete Fifth Season	26	December 12, 2006
The Complete Sixth Season	24	March 27, 2007
The Complete Seventh Season	24	August 7, 2007
The Complete Eighth Season	24	November 6, 2007
The Complete Series	192	November 6, 2007

Awards and nominations

Kids' Choice Awards

Year	Nomination
1994	Favorite Television Actress - Candace Cameron Bure (won)
1995	Favorite Animal Star - "Comet" (nominated)

TV Land Awards

Year	Nomination
2004	Quintessential Non-Traditional Family - Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Bob Saget, John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin (nominated)
2007	Favorite Elvis Impersonation - John Stamos (won)

Young Artist Awards

Year	Nomination
1988	Best Young Actress Under Ten Years of Age in Television or Motion Pictures - Jodie Sweetin (nominated)
	The Most Promising New Fall Television Series (nominated)
1989	Best Young Actor/Actress - Under Five Years of Age - Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (won)
	Best Family Television Series (nominated)
	Best Young Actress - Starring in a Television Comedy Series - Candace Cameron Bure (nominated)
	Best Young Actress - Starring in a Television Comedy Series - Jodie Sweetin (nominated)
1990	Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series - Jodie Sweetin (won)
	Best Young Actress Supporting Role in a Television Series - Andrea Barber (won)
	Outstanding Performance by an Actress Under Nine Years of Age - Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (won)
	Nominated Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series - Candace Cameron Bure (nominated)
1991	Best Young Actress Supporting or Re-Occurring Role for a TV Series - Andrea Barber (won)
	Nominated Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series - Candace Cameron Bure (nominated)
	Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series - Jodie Sweetin (nominated)
1992	Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten - Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (won)
	Nominated Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Television Series - Andrea Barber (nominated)
	Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Under Ten - Tahj Mowry (nominated)
	Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Television Series (nominated)
1993	Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series - R.J. Williams (nominated)
	Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Television Series - Andrea Barber (nominated)
	Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series - Candace Cameron Bure (nominated)
	Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series - Jodie Sweetin (nominated)
1994	Best Youth Actor Guest Starring in a Television Show - J.D. Daniels (nominated)
1995	Best Youth Comedienne in a TV Show - Andrea Barber (nominated)

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 were 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.

External links

• Full House at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com
• Full House: ABC Family
• Full House Community