Full House is still one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. For 8 seasons fans diligently tuned in to get their fix to see what was going on at the Tanner household. Although most fans can easily recall their favorite scenes featuring Bob Saget, John Stamos or the Olsen twins, here are some behind the scenes secrets you probably didn’t know.
1. AN EPISODE OF THE ORIGINAL SERIES WAS TITLED “FULLER HOUSE”
It was the 20th episode of season four, in which the recently wed Jesse couldn’t emotionally handle moving out of the Tanners’ home. Meanwhile, Stephanie struggled with fractions.
2. THE ORIGINAL PREMISE WAS CALLED HOUSE OF COMICS
Jeff Franklin, a former writer for Laverne & Shirley, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, and Bosom Buddies (where Bob Saget was the warm-up comic) initially conceived of a show about three stand-up comedians living in the same house. ABC told him they were looking for their own version of the very popular family-oriented shows of the time, like Family Ties, so he made some changes. Franklin admitted that he never thought ABC would like his idea, and that the scenario he dreamed up of a widower inviting his best friend and his brother-in-law to live with him and help raise his children is a scenario that exists “nowhere in the real world.”
3. BOB SAGET DID NOT PLAY DANNY TANNER IN THE ORIGINAL PILOT
Saget was Franklin’s first choice, but he was employed on CBS’ The Morning Program. Paul Reiser was also on the list, but he opted to star in My Two Dads, the other new sitcom involving a plethora of fathers, instead. John Posey portrayed Danny in the original pilot seen by the network, but after Saget was fired from his job (The Morning Program would end up lasting all of nine months anyway), Franklin re-shot the pilot for broadcast with Saget.
4. SAGET AND DAVE COULIER HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE 1979
Aspiring stand-up Dave Coulier met established comic Bob Saget in 1979. Six months later, Coulier took Saget up on his offer to give him a call if he was ever in Los Angeles. “The irony of all of this is that when I didn’t have an apartment, I slept on Bob’s couch,” Coulier told The Huffington Post.
5. COULIER STOLE “CUT. IT. OUT.” FROM HIS FRIEND
Mark Cendrowski is a television director who has been behind the camera for virtually every episode of The Big Bang Theory. In their brief time as a comedy duo, Cendrowski played a “Mark Suave” character who would tell a woman in the audience, “You’re in love with me, now cut. It. Out.” “So I told him, ‘I’m going to steal that. I’m going to use that someday,'” Coulier admitted to BuzzFeed. “And he said, ‘Ah, you can’t steal that.’ So I starred on a show on Nickelodeon called Out of Control and it became my hook on the show. And when Full House started, I just brought it over and it stuck.”
6. UNCLE JESSE WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO BE UNCLE ADAM
But John Stamos told Franklin he was much more comfortable as a “Jesse.” Franklin had no problem with that, because Jesse was the name of Elvis Presley’s twin brother.
7. AUNT BECKY WASN”T SUPPOSED TO BE JESSE’S WIFE
Lori Loughlin was originally only hired for a six episodes—but her character became so popular, producers made her a permanent addition.
8. MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN WERE HIRED BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T CRY AT THEIR AUDITION
Because child labor laws severely limit the hours a very young child can work in a day, twins were needed to play the role of Michelle, the youngest Tanner. Out of the 10 sets of twins who auditioned, Mary-Kate and Ashley were the only ones who both behaved.
9. COMET WAS ALSO AIR BUD.
Comet the dog was actually named Buddy. Buddy was a golden retriever who could shoot a basketball, stop soccer balls and hockey pucks, and catch baseballs. Those basketball skills landed him the starring role in Air Bud and Air Bud 2. Sadly, he died from synovial cell sarcoma in 1998.
10. BLAKE AND DYLAN TUOMY-WILHOIT AREN’T THE ORIGINAL NICKY AND ALEX
That honor goes to twins Daniel and Kevin Renteria, who filled the roles when they were babies.
11. ONLY ONE EPISODE WAS ACTUALLY SHOT IN SAN FRANCISCO
That was the season eight premiere, “Comet’s Excellent Adventure.” Aside from the three episodes shot on location in Hawaii and Walt Disney World, every installment was taped on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.
12. THE HOUSE FROM THE OPENING CREDITS WAS SOLD IN 2014 FOR $3.1 MILLION
It’s the largest and oldest of the seven San Francisco houses known as the “Painted Ladies.” The owner was asking for $4 million for the five-bedroom home, which was built in 1892.
13. ONE OF THE STAIRWAYS IN THE TANNER HOME LEADS TO NOWHERE
On the set, there is a staircase in the living room and the kitchen—but only one staircase and hallway upstairs.
14. THE WRITERS OF “EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK” ALSO WROTE THE THEMES FOR PERFECT STRANGERS, FAMILY MATTERS, AND STEP BY STEP
Jesse Frederick was the performer, and Bennett Salvay was the writing partner. (Jeff Franklin also received a writing credit for the Full House theme.)
15. D.J. STOOD FOR DONNA JO
The eldest Tanner child’s full name was Donna Jo Margaret Tanner.
16. CANDACE CAMERON’S FIRST KISS WAS ON THE SHOW
The young actress was embarrassed because she was 13 and inexperienced. She had to ask Lori Loughlin, who played Becky, if she should keep her eyes open or closed.
17. D.J.’S BOYFRIEND STEVE WAS THE VOICE OF ALADDIN
Scott Weinger’s big Disney gig was referenced in their two-part Disney World episode “The House Meets the Mouse.”
18. LITTLE RICHARD ACCIDENTALLY SLAPPED JODIE SWEETIN
In “Too Little Richard Too Late,” the singer inadvertently finished a piano flourish with a smack to Stephanie Tanner’s face. “He felt so bad,” Sweetin told The Huffington Post. “But I’m on a fairly short list of people who can say they’ve been slapped by Little Richard.”
19. THE MANNEQUIN AND UNCLE JOEY SHARE SOMETHING IN COMMON
In the first season, the mannequin in uncle Joey’s room is always wearing the same shirt as Joey in the episode.
20. DJ’S MIDDLE SCHOOL ON THE SHOW, VAN ATTA JUNIOR HIGH, WAS NAMED FOR ONE OF THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS
Don Van Atta was producer from 1987 to 1992, then co-executive producer from 1993 on.
21. TWO ADDITIONAL SEASONS ALMOST RAN ON THE WB
Because the budget was getting bigger and bigger, and family shows were suddenly not as cool, ABC cancelled the top 25-rated show after eight seasons. The brand new WB Network wanted an established major network show to poach, but some of the actors weren’t interested in that arrangement. (The WB ended up becoming Sister, Sister’s new home instead.)
22. FRIENDS FILMED IN FULL HOUSE’S SOUND STAGE AFTER ITS CANCELLATION
When John Stamos guest starred on Friends’ 2003 episode “The One With the Donor,” he claimed that Dave Coulier’s underwear was still on the roof of his old dressing room.
23. GAIL EDWARDS RETIRED FROM ACTING SOON AFTER PLAYING VICKY LARSON
Vicky and Danny broke off their engagement in the season seven episode “The Perfect Couple,” and Edwards never returned to the show. At about the same time, her recurring role on Blossom also concluded. The next year, she made one final TV appearance on Touched By an Angel before leaving show business altogether at the age of 41, moving to the Southwest.
24. ALEX KATSOPOLIS GREW UP TO BECOME A FOLEY ARTIST
Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit has made sound effects for Game of Thrones and Furious 7. His twin brother, Blake, is a firefighter.
25. DAVE COULIER ALSO MET HIS FIRST WIFE JAYNE MODEAN ON SET
She appeared as Michelle in a dream sequence in season three.
26. THERE HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTS AT TELEVISION AND MOVIE REMAKES BEFORE
In 2008, Stamos pitched a “semi-remake” of Full House that went nowhere. In 2009, he said he was working on a movie idea, and had James Franco in mind as Uncle Jesse, Steve Carell as Danny, and Tracy Morgan as Joey.
27. JESSE AND THE RIPPERS REUNITED IN 2013
