Sarah Warsi

It was May 23, 1995, the day the final episode of the classic family sitcom, Full House, aired marking an end to a wonderful eight years and a lifetime of laughs to look back on in the years to come.

Full House was always one of my childhood favourites growing up. I still remember eagerly waiting for each Tuesday evening to come so that I could watch it.

Now, almost 21 years after that last episode, here we are: graced with the pleasure of a revival – Fuller House.

Where previously Danny Tanner was a widowed father of three, DJ Tanner (now Fuller), is a widowed mother of three boys facing the challenges of life as a single mom.

I want to note that I really admire and respect the level of camaraderie between the cast members over the years. It’s heart-warming to see how close they have remained. You don’t see that happen very often after a series ends as everyone goes on to pursue other projects and just generally move on with their lives. I think the fact that they’ve remained so tight-knit added to the momentum in reviving this spin-off. It would have been a lot harder if they had all fallen off with each other.

I was really on the fence about how this show would turn out, because of how much time had passed. It’s always touch and go with spin-offs since they air in entirely different times from when the original series was on. Therefore, it can be challenging to find that fine balance between re-capturing the essence of the original series but also staying current with the times.

The show made its much-anticipated debut on Friday, February 26th on Netflix, and after having now seen the first nine episodes, I must say, that I was pleasantly surprised and give the show 4/5 stars.

So here’s my take:

The Fuller House – Literally

You would think that the obvious decision would have been to restore the original set, but surprisingly, in the show’s developmental stages, there had actually been talk about having the story originate in an entirely new place with the Tanner family home only being used for reunion episodes. Thank goodness they did not go that route! The house is iconic and key to Full House‘s legacy. I would be skeptical as to how well-received Fuller House would have been, had it been set in any other place. It just would not have had the same feel to it.

With the original sketches long lost after the show ended 20 years prior, the production team built the entire set from scratch and boy did they do a fantastic job! With the exception of a few subtle differences, the new set is as good as the original.

(Feel free to read more on this here)

The Show Itself

I thought opening credits were really fun, it was nice to see the childhood pictures and then the current ones – it really illustrated the character’s evolvement over the years.

The Ladies

The leading ladies of Fuller House look positively radiant and fabulous! It’s been so nice to see them blossom from kids into adulthood and motherhood over the last 20 years.

When I first saw the trailer for the show, I felt that Kimmy Gibbler’s dorkiness was more believable when the character was younger. However, after watching several episodes now, Andrea Barber’s performance has been on point! She recaptured her role beautifully and no one can master those goofy facial mannerisms better than her.

Also, the wardrobe team did a perfect job to keep Kimmy dressing outrageously. I could not stop laughing out loud at this ridiculous ‘bacon and eggs’ scarf!

The New Kids on the Block

A revival would not work without some fresh new faces and I was very pleased with the new kids on the show. They are great actors and super fun to watch. Max and Jackson are lively and energetic and Ramona has just the right mix of sweetness and spunk to suit her character.

And let me just say that the Fuller House baby is too cute for words! The Messitt twins are well on their way to baby stardom with those adorable cheeks and smile.

The Olsen twins were missed on this reboot but I do appreciate that life took them in a different direction and they continue to thrive in the fashion industry. The best line was when for me was in a later episode when Kimmy comes back from shopping with Ramona and remarked about the expensive dress Ramona bought from Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s clothing line: She stated, “At these prices, no wonder they don’t need to act anymore.” Cheeky!

And now a quick recap on the recurring cast members:

John Stamos (Uncle Jessie) and Lori Loughlin (Aunty Becky) look better than ever having aged so gracefully over the years. They remain the ‘it’ couple and their on-screen chemistry from the original show never wavered and is even more apparent on Fuller House. It was also great to see the original Nicky and Alex back all grown up!

Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone) still has the kid in him which was evident in the funny antics with DJ’s kids. He also hasn’t lost his touch as a ventriloquist with “Mr. Woodchuck”.

Bob Saget‘s return (Danny Tanner) was so welcoming. As the patriarch of the original series, I couldn’t imagine a reboot without him. He continues to have the warmth and charm that we always loved about Danny, along with, of course, his obsession with cleanliness and love for hugs!

It was also great to see Scott Weinger (Steve, DJ’s boyfriend) back hungrier than ever – for food and for DJ! It will be interesting to see how his desire to win DJ back plays out.

To sum it up: Fuller House is a hit for me. I’ve got five more shows to go in season one, but I’m sold. I can appreciate the fact that those who grew up with Full House will watch this show with a pre-existing level of loyalty, and those that were not privy to the original series may have a tougher time getting past the ‘cheese’ factor. If you fall into that category, give it a chance, and you will fall in love with it.

If not, how rude! 🙂

Update: As of March 2nd 2016, Fuller House has been renewed for a second season! That’s quite impressive considering it hasn’t even been a week since season one was released. So, like it or not, the Fullers and Tanners are here to stay! 🙂

Are you a fan of Fuller House? Share your favourite moments from the show!