On Friday, February 26, 2016, Netflix released the first season of "Fuller House," the spin off of the classic ABC sitcom, "Full House."
The show's premise is that DJ Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron-Bure) is all grown up with three children of her own. Her husband recently died fighting fires and has moved back in with her father, Danny Tanner (Bob Saget). Danny, Jesse (John Stamos) and Becky (Lori Laughlin) are moving to Los Angeles for Danny and Becky's new talk show and Jesse's new job as a sound designer for the soap opera General Hospital, which John Stamos once starred in. Joey Gladstone (David Coulier) has a comedy show in Las Vegas. Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) is a party-loving DJ across the seas and Michelle Tanner (Mary Kate and Ashley Olson) is running her fashion empire in New York. Although the Olson twins do not appear in the show, the cast mentions them numerous times.
The gang is all moving out, and DJ is going to find a new place to live with her boys. However, once the family sees that she is struggling as a single mother, Stephanie decides to move back in with her sister and help her raise her children, just as Uncle Jesse did for Danny after the death of Jesse's sister and Danny's wife. Joey's role is taken over by Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) as the child-like best friend that also joins the collective parenting gig. Kimmy also has a child of her own, a daughter named Ramona, that pairs nicely with DJ's children, Jackson, Max, and baby Tommy.
The show brings back so many references to the good old days that this show isn't even for the children - it's for those who grew up watching the Tanner family in their living room. I own every single season of "Full House" and have watched every single episode. While I am definitely not old enough to have been around since the very beginning when the show premiered in 1987, I have definitely been a fan of the show for as long as I can remember.
The best part of "Fuller House" is that they aren't afraid to be as cheesy as their parent sitcom. Just about every episode ends with a big family hug, much like it did in the 90s. Violins play as DJ and her son have a heart to heart, and the lesson is always learned. Many criticize this show for it's sickly plot lines, but I love them. It takes me back to the good old days when watching Full House was the highlight of my night (it was a privilege to stay up late enough for the reruns to play on Nickelodeon).
This show also isn't afraid to piggy-back onto "Full House." The first episode alone is a flashback to the 90s and almost every single line is referencing the original show. The opening credits are filled with nostalgia. Take a look at the official opening credits here and please, try not to cry all over your computer:
And when the camera zooms out to reveal a side-by-side shot of the cast then and now, it makes every "Full House" fan want to sob. They are singing "Meet The Flintstones" to DJ's youngest son Tommy when it flashes back to the first episode where the gang sings the same song to baby Michelle.
The show most certainly has some adult undertones - it references Stephanie having pot brownies, DJ being a floozy, and that Kimmy was very pregnant during her wedding. This show is for the adults that truly miss the Tanner's and all of their quirky, good-hearted family fun. I've already watched all 13 episodes of the first season and I am definitely ready for more.
