‘Fuller House’ spinoff series brings ’90s nostalgia
Spin-off television series are either a hit or miss. But I’m willing to bet the new sitcom “Fuller House” will be just as great as its predecessor.
Premiering Feb. 26 on Netflix, “Fuller House” comes full circle two decades after “Full House,” which aired from 1987 to 1995. Now, eldest daughter D.J. Tanner is a veterinarian and recent widow raising her three young sons with the help of her family. The show features the original “Full House” cast and takes place in the same suburban house in San Francisco.
“Full House” wasn’t your typical family dynamic, but nonetheless each character learned valuable life lessons while facing coming-of-age struggles. From dealing with breakups and peer pressure, to the loss of a parent, audiences have watched D.J., Stephanie and Michelle Tanner grow up before our eyes. And now they’re back on air.
The best part of the original show was that even though each episode involved family bonding and a well-deserved pep-talk, the show was also comedic gold. From Joey’s funny voices to Jesse’s Elvis Presley impersonations to Danny’s bad jokes, “Full House” always gave viewers a reason to laugh. Luckily, judging from the trailer for “Fuller House,” all the greatness is still intact.
Danny is still a hug-loving clean-freak, Joey is still the jokester and Jesse is still the cool uncle we all love. Rebecca will still probably play the matriarch role, but D.J. and the other ladies will likely grow into similar roles as the show progresses.
D.J. seems to still fulfill the role of the show’s sweetheart while Stephanie seems to be the more adventurous one. Minus Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Michelle, the rest of the cast is all returning — with the new addition of children.
Based on the official trailer, annoying neighbor Kimmy Gibbler moves in with the family along with her middle-school age daughter, who could possibly have a budding romance with D.J.’s oldest son. (It amazes me that Kimmy still looks the exact same. Her outfits are so 90’s, but the actress playing her hasn’t aged a day.)
The characters I’m most excited for are Jesse and Rebecca’s twin sons Alex and Nicky. They were toddlers when “Full House” ended, so now as teenagers we’ll get to learn who they are as people.
Also important to note, the iconic theme song “Everywhere You Look” remains — but is now sang by Carly Rae Jepsen.
This isn’t the first 90’s show to make a sequel with the original cast. Fellow comedy “Boy Meets World” made a spin-off in 2014 starring Cory and Topanga Matthews’ teenage daughter in “Girl Meets World.” Just as this show has discussed pressing social issues, it is expected “Fuller House” will do the same.
I can’t say that all the classic “Full House” sayings, like “how rude,” “have mercy” and “cut it out” are making a comeback because the truth is they never really left. Reruns of “Full House” still air on Nickelodeon, so “Fuller House” is really just showing us a long-awaited chapter of one of America’s most beloved television families.