Being born in the 90’s, Full House was obviously a huge part of my life. I mean, who didn’t watch that show? I woke up every Saturday morning and watched endless reruns with my family. The show demonstrated a relatable but semi-dysfunctional family lifestyle, and touched the hearts of anyone who ever just spent a minute watching it.
After the terrible series drop off when Michelle Tanner regained her previously lost memory and DJ Tanner went off to prom, fans couldn’t help but be disappointed. Their favorite show went off the air and left the Full House community begging for more. We’ve been secretly waiting in the shadows for just over two decades to see our favorite show come back to life, and it finally has.
I was unbelievably excited to hear about the reboot of the show. It was a huge part of my childhood and I always wished that it never ended. As the premiere crept closer, I began to become nervous. Would it live up to the original? Would it ruin the original’s reputation? It was my favorite childhood show, and I did not want to be disappointed.
But what I came to realize after only minutes into the first episode is that Fuller House is Full House. While I had my reservations, the show truly seems to be a success. I find myself completely disagreeing with critics’ terrible reviews. Their most prominent critique is that the show is just the same thing as the first show. And while they are right, they are also very, very wrong.
Critics don’t like the similarities between the original and the reboot because it is repetitive. But it has to be. That’s why the show is able to be successful-- because it's a reboot. “Fuller House” is a direct parallel to “Full House,” but flip flopped just a bit. The old show was all about a dad who enlisted the help of his brother-in-law and best friend in order to raise his three growing girls after their mother died. The only difference now? Now grown DJ Tanner recruits her sister and her best friend to raise her three boys after her husband dies. The show takes place in the same home they grew up in with the same cast, in addition to brand new kids. They demonstrate yet another slightly dysfunctional family trying to navigate their way through life by passing on lessons from generation to generation. The concept isn’t genius, it’s the same. That’s why it works.
“Fuller House” markets on the past show and the love of old fans in order to create a new audience. It draws on the same values of the original season to tug on the heart strings of the “Full House” community turned family. Through the use of their old catchphrases to the constant references to the old show, fans can’t help but be enthralled from episode to episode. And who doesn’t want to see Danny Tanner, Uncle Jesse, and Joey Gladstone make their guest appearances from time to time. I mean, have mercy.
But while the show may rely on the past, you can still see the true transition of the show. What people may not understand is that the original “Full House” audience is grown up now. The same type of humor that was funny while watching the show when we were kids is not necessarily funny now. It is the principle of it all that brings us back. It is the memories and the nostalgia. The creators knew this, and knew that they would have to build off of it. They brought the 90’s comedy back, but placed it in a current era of new technology and pop culture. The use of cell phones, selfies, and terms such as “on fleek” strike a chord with a new audience, while still using old references to reach out to the old fans.
The character development, while I’ll admit was slightly off-putting at first, is what is truly genius. While you still have characters who are unabashedly true to their kid self, you have some that push the envelope. DJ Tanner grew from a kid trying to be an adult to a real adult with a family of her own. Kimmy Gibbler, well, is the same old Kimmy who never really left the 90’s. Her sense of humor and her enthusiasm to be part of the Tanner family is just as amusing as it was the first time around. Stephanie Tanner, on the other hand, is almost like a shock to the system. All grown up, Stephanie Tanner is a DJ who tours the world and parties like there is no tomorrow. Little, innocent Stephanie? “How rude” Stephanie? It threw me at first. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure if I liked it. But like I said before, it's the growth that makes the show work.
While the old show was strictly family friendly, the new show moves into a more adult approach, to make sure it can still appeal to their now grown audiences. Watching Stephanie Tanner drink a margarita and talking about how she never dropped acid is not exactly something I expected. But now, I think it makes the show funnier. I’m not a little toddler watching television on a Saturday morning anymore. I’m an adult who appreciates a little adult humor in a show that shaped my childhood. It makes me feel like I’ve grown with the show and the characters. It makes the show just as relatable as it was before, but in a new way.
The show remains true to its old self, but in a progressive way that showcases its new-found growth. It is able to target a newer, younger audience who is new to the “Full House” franchise, while still tugging on the heart strings of the original community. I was almost in tears watching the first episode. Hearing Uncle Jesse sing “Forever” and the “Flintstones” lullaby? Never mind the side by side screen comparisons from now to the very first original episode. Please, get me tissues. I’ve waited more than half my life for this reboot without even realizing it, and everything is being done the right way. It brought back the little kid inside of me while simultaneously engaging the grown-up part of me as well (even though I’m still fighting that part). This revival is everything.
Because, after all, we’ve missed our old friends just waiting around the bend. And now they’re back.
