A Comparison of the Two Shows

By: Carlos Glick

A cast photo of “Fuller House” with its original cast members from “Full House”/”Fuller House.” Credit: ComicsOnline

We all know and love the iconic show “Full House,” which ran from the late 80’s to mid 90’s (1987-1995) and had approximately 193 episodes out of its eight season run. In 2016, they decided on doing a reboot series on Netflix called “Fuller House,” which ran from 2016 to 2020 and had approximately 75 episodes out of its five seasons.

“Full House” follows three men, Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier), who raise Danny’s three girls, DJ Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle Tanner (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). 

In the reboot series, the show follows three women, D.J. Tanner-Fuller, Stephanie Tanner and Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), who in the original show appeared in every episode from the start of season 6 all the way through the season 8 finale. 

Just like the original series, when three men raised three girls, the reboot series had three women raising three boys, Jackson Fuller (Michael Champion), Max Fuller (Elias Harger) and Tommy Fuller (Dashiell and Fox Messitt). In the same household, there are also two additional members, but are the husband and daughter of Kimmy Gibbler. 

The other two members of the household are Fernando (Juan Pablo Di Pace) and Ramona Gibbler (Soni Bringas). They are raising four kids at once, in the same household.

Unlike the original, out of the three young girls, DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle, there is an absent member from the original series in the new series. That one person is Michelle Tanner, played by the Olsen twins. 

The reason why the Olsen twins never appear in the reboot series of “Fuller House” is because according to a YouTube video, the Olsen twins had declined to take part in the revival.  

According to the same YouTube video from a blog post from Bob Boyett, a “Fuller House” executive producer, he stated “Ashley said, ‘I have not been in front of a camera since I was 17, and I don’t feel comfortable acting.” Mary-Kate said, “it would have to be me because Ash doesn’t want to do it. But the timing is so bad for us.”  

According to Dave Coulier, who played Joey Gladstone in both the original and new series has made special guest appearances in the reboot, along with Bob Saget, John Stamos and Lori Loughlin. He discussed his relationship with the Olsen twins, “They’re family members. But I think they have a different perspective. When we get together and we reminisce, they were babies [at the time]. So, they don’t share those same memories. I can’t really speak for them, but I would understand why they don’t have the same sentiments that we all do.” 

In the reboot series, we are also reconnected with another member from “Full House,” who played DJ’s love interest, Steve Hale (Scott Weigner). In the reboot series, they remain friends, but I think somewhere down the line, they will eventually get together again. 

I don’t really know yet, I’m only on season 3. 

Speaking of love interests, aside from Steve, DJ has another love interest, Dr. Matt Harmon, who works alongside DJ at her job as a vet at a veterinarian hospital. They eventually date and have romantic chemistry with one another. I have a hunch however that DJ will end up falling for Steve again. 

At the beginning of season 2, Stephanie actually has a love interest of her own, Jimmy Gibbler (Adam Hagenbuch), who is Kimmy Gibbler’s younger brother, which I find really confusing at the Tanner, Fuller, Gibbler residence in terms of relationships and family tree line.

Another technological aspect of the show is the fact that technology has changed a lot from the late 80’s to mid 2010’s. Fashion has also changed a lot over the years. The fashion and technology you see in “Fuller House” is way different to the fashion and technology you see in “Full House.” Keep notice of those things as you are watching the reboot.  

Out of all the episodes I’ve seen so far, “Fuller House” is amazing! Who knows, maybe another 20 years down the line, they will make a reboot from the reboot of the original show. 

Only time will tell.