The iconic sitcom “Full House,” which brought us the Olsen twins, comedians Bob Saget and Dave Coulier, and heartthrob John Stamos, originally aired thirty-eight years ago! The feel-good, family-friendly show presented an option for all ages that we typically don’t see any more these days.
A combination of comedy around a family dynamic, with a life lesson at the end of each and every episode, pretty much wraps up ’80s and ’90s television in a nutshell. So, unless you’re a “nerdburger with cheese,” if you want to know the pop cultural impact and some great references, “you got it, dude!”
You Don’t Love “Full House?” Cut It Out!
You can’t tell me that you don’t have a soft spot for “Full House.” If you did, I would simply respond with a Stephanie Tanner “How rude!” The show aired for eight seasons from 1987 to 1995, this year marking its 30th anniversary! “Oh Mylanta,” I feel old, as DJ may say. Whether it was on the classic TGIF two-hour block or on the legendary Tuesday night lineup, clean freak Danny Tanner and the rest were bringing families together for a half hour every single week.
The widowed Danny Tanner seeks help from his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (formerly known as Jesse Cochrane), who brings his rockstar, biker, hardass with a soft side, heartthrob, and his goofy, childlike best friend, Joey Gladstone, to help him raise his three girls. By the way, Joey is not their uncle, he is never called “Uncle Joey” and I will fight you over it! But I digress.
“Full House” provided characters, storylines, and life lessons for the entire family. You could be the comedic one in your family who puts a woodchuck puppet on your hand to make a loved one smile. Maybe your dad is a complete neat freak, who has a cleaning OCD thing, but secretly can shred on the guitar with a sick stage name like Mildew.
Are you the oldest child who has dated an array of guys that drive your dad crazy? You start dating a jock, things don’t work out, so you go with a rich guy, but he’s not as dangerous as the member of “Jesse and the Rippers,” just to end up back with the jock at the end. At least you didn’t go with the guy who only says “Whatever.”
Maybe you were a huge fan of Ranger Joe or Professor Egghead. Did you have a super annoying neighbor who barged into your house without notice? Then clears the room as she removes her shoes?
Full House Provides Life Lessons and Heavy Moments
There are plenty of teachable moments in the “Full House” series. Episodes about child abuse, losing a best friend due to moving, underage drinking, and grieving the death of loved ones. Every episode left us with a tear-jerking message to teach our children and made sure we are able to laugh one more time at the end. The relatable storylines sucked us in, and the iconic characters kept us part of the Tanner family.
Did you get made fun of for scoring on the wrong goal like Michelle did? Did you have a crush on a boy, and he wrote your initials on his bat during the big game, only for you to strike his a** out? Did you give a presentation to your parents to bid for your own room, like DJ? Do you name your cleaning supplies like Danny does? Maybe your band is huge in Japan, and you even get to play with a legendary band in Hawaii? Or maybe you think you’ve won a jackpot at the casino, only to realize that your niece has broken the law and gambled on your behalf?
Final Thoughts
So, if you wish you woke up every day to “Wake Up San Fransico” and then got to listen to the “Rush Hour Renegades” on the way home, you probably loved “Full House!” You can’t tell me you didn’t shed a tear when Papouli didn’t show up to Show N Tell, and we found out he passed away. The show had us asking ourselves, “Whatever happened to predictability?” Is there any chance that the tablet, phone, or laptop you’re reading this on could be made of (looks up, down, and side to side) WOOD?
