By Matt Sernaker (Managing Editor),
Everywhere you look, there seems to be another announcement about a rebooted TV series. Everything old is new again, and now it is time for the Tanner family to return as well. This Friday, Netflix will be releasing the 13 episode first season of Fuller House. The kids are all grown up, and the new series features D.J., Stephanie, and Kimmy taking on the world of parenting (with a little help from some old friends).
The original series of Full House ran for eight seasons, and focused on Danny Tanner and his kids. When Danny’s wife was killed in a car accident, his Brother-In-Law Jesse and best friend Joey moved in to help raise his family and provide support. Fuller House retains this basic formula, but with an updated twist. D.J.’s firefighting husband Tommy Fuller (hence “Fuller House”) has passed away, and Danny invites her and the kids to move back into the family home. When new job opportunities open up in LA, the adults decide it is time for them to move on, and Danny decides to sell the house. When it becomes clear that D.J. is still struggling to balance being a single mom, Stephanie decides to move in and support her sister…and so does Kimmy Gibbler. The old, yet new, dynamic between the characters allows for some interesting developments, and sets the stage for new comedy and antics.
The pilot features the return of the original cast (minus Michelle, who does receive several shout-outs). Bob Saget (Danny), John Stamos (Jesse), Dave Coulier (Joey), Lori Loughlin (Becky), Candace Cameron Bure (D.J.), Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie), Andrea Barber (Kimmy), and Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit (Nicky and Alex), return to the small screen with ease. Each of the returning cast members gets some time in the spotlight, and the pilot proves that you absolutely can go home again. It was also extremely satisfying to learn what each of the family members has been up to since the show went off the air in 1995. The MVP of the series is actually Andrea Barber, who returns as the notorious neighbor Kimmy Gibbler. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the character in the original series, Barber provides much needed humor and balance to the new show that took me by surprise. Additionally, Jodie Sweetin steps up to be “Cool Aunt Stephanie”, who took after her Uncle Jesse and pursued a life of music. The original cast is joined by the next generation of kids, which includes Soni Bringas (Ramona Gibbler), Michael Campion (Jackson Fuller), Elias Harger (Max Fuller), and twins Dashiell and Fox Messitt (as Tommy Fuller Jr.). The kids fit in very well with the cast, and you can tell that they are definitely related to the family that we grew up watching. D.J.’s ex-boyfriend Steve (Scott Weinger) also makes an appearance in the pilot, and brought along another old friend to join in the fun (no spoilers).
Full House was well known for being a family-centric series, with weekly lessons and focus on family-values, and Fuller House continues that tradition with a modern update. While it is still a very family friendly show, Fuller House manages to sneak in some edgier jokes for adults, similar to the writing style of Toy Story. The series has something for everyone, and manages to blend nostalgia with contemporary storytelling.
Since the original series went off the air, the landscape of television has changed pretty dramatically. TV theme songs/opening credit sequences for prime-time shows are unfortunately a thing of the past. I was extremely pleased to find that the new series has brought back the classic “Everywhere You Look” theme (with an updated spin by Carly Rae Jepsen), and also maintains the classic opening title sequence.
Overall
Many other television reboots have been attempted, and only a handful of them have been any good. As far as comparison, Fuller House is closest to Girl Meets World in terms of writing quality and respect for their audience. While there are cameos, call-backs, and elements of the original series, the new show needed to evolve in order to be accessible to a new audience, and it definitely feels like the cast and crew has accomplished that. If you grew up watching the original series, then you can rest easy. Fuller House is the family reunion that we’ve all been waiting for.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Fuller House 4 out of 5 – Mr. Woodchuck jokes.
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