'Full House' revival: Stamos and other stars on board. Will fans have mercy?

A revival of the hit television show of the 80s and 90s 'Full House' is rumored to be in the works, but will the comedy hit the mark for today's audiences?

August 27, 2014

"Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, there’s a heart, a hand to hold on to…" Most TV fans of the late 80s and 90s can easily remember the "Full House" theme song, played over idyllic scenes of San Francisco.

Today "Full House" fans are holding on to rumors of a revival of the hit series, after news reports have mentioned that John Stamos (Uncle Jesse) and producers Bob Boyett and Jeff Franklin are leading the way to bring back the family-friendly comedy, which ended its 8 year run in 1995. 

The hashtag #Fullhouserevival is making its way around Twitter, capturing some fan response: 

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TV Guide reports, "Candace Cameron Bure (D.J.), Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie) and Andrea Barber (Kimmy) are on board, while Bob Saget (Danny) and Dave Coulier (Joey) are also involved in some way." 

The format of the show is unclear so far, though original producer Jeff Franklin is reportedly writing the script. In terms of how a pilot and subsequent epodes would pan out, reports speculate that if a network picked up the show it would have to pick up a 90-episode package, if the first 10 episodes hit a certain rating. This model is currently being used with the FX series "Anger Management." 

I fondly remember stretching out on the floor in front of my family’s TV, watching "Full House" while my mom prepared dinner in the next room. The puns from Kimmy, the consummate sidekick character to plucky D.J. Tanner, always drew an unwitting smile out of my dad. 

There were some incredibly sweet moments as single dad Danny parented his three little girls tenderly, with plenty of hiccups along the way. Of course the Olson twins were endlessly adorable, and the show is credited with launching their entertainment careers, which included a mini-dynasty of children’s movies. The twins turned 28 in June and now have their own high fashion line called The Row. 

It was a show that my entire family could enjoy together – with humor reaching across multiple generations. Today’s network primetime family comedy’s – including "Modern Family," "The Middle," "The Goldbergs," do get laughs, but in many ways the dynamic seems to have shifted more to the adult audience. Humor from the original show might even be considered by some audiences today as more suited for the Disney Channel than anywhere else. 

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While "Full House" did depict an untraditional family structure – three single guys raising three little girls – it will need to be shifted to meet modern audience sensibilities. In the time since the show has been off the air, families have arguably become even more unconventional. Gay parents have become the new normal, like the two now-famous TV-uncles – Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Prichett – who recently married in the 2013 season of “Modern Family” which continues to clean up at the Emmy Awards.

I hope that the writers can nail the balance of funny and family-friendly content that I grew up with. Perhaps I'll even be able to enjoy the show with my own daughter, though no matter what, we'll always have the re-runs to hold onto.