“Full House” was a family-favorite sitcom that lit up living rooms all throughout America in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. It was so popular that it expanded into a sequel titled “Fuller House”, starring most of the original cast (minus the Olsen twins, who want nothing to do with acting anymore.)
But, even if you’re a superfan who’s seen every episode of the show multiple times, there are probably some things that you had no idea happened, and some things that were meant to stay secret. Here are some behind-the-scenes “Full House” facts you’ve never heard.
A Different Vision
If the show’s creator would’ve gone with his original ideas, "Full House" would have been an entirely different entity.
Initially, it was set to be called "House of Comics", and would follow three single stand-up comedians who were living together. The men would all stir things up just to have some spicy material for their acts. “That was the show I wanted to do,” said Jeff Franklin. Eventually, it was morphed into the show that everyone knows and loves.
Locked in
During the casting process, Franklin had to work pretty hard to secure his first choice for the leading role of Danny Tanner. Bob Saget was locked into a contract with his role on "The Morning Program".
So, when the pilot went into production, Franklin had to think quickly. He wound up casting actor John Posey. The episode never ended up airing, as he was replaced by Saget before production continued. Had he appeared in the episode; the actor would have been in every episode of the show that ever aired.
Uncle Adam
Uncle Jesse was a favorite on the show, have mercy, but things could’ve turned out very differently – and they almost did. The character’s name was originally written as Adam Cochran, but John Stamos wasn’t having it.
He really didn’t feel like an “Adam,” so he requested the name be changed to Jesse. Even then, it was Jesse Cochran, but not for long. The actor decided he wanted his Greek heritage to come through in the name, and it evolved into Jesse Katsopolis.
Living the Cry-Free Life
According to inside reports, one of the main reasons the Olsen twins were cast into the singular role of Michelle Tanner was their good behavior during auditions.
They were around nine-months-old at the time, so it’s understandable that all of the other babies who came to try out for the role cried during their time at the studio. But after they landed the role, they weren’t shy about letting the tears flow. In fact, it apparently got to be so much that some of their co-stars wanted them fired.
Give the Babies the Boot
John Stamos reportedly insisted that nine-month-old Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen be released from their newfound role on the show. According to the actor, it was because “all the Olsen twins did was cry.”
He told showrunners to find some new actresses, and they did – but it didn’t work out for very long. For a couple of takes, they invited in a new pair of babies but ended up deciding that the Olsen’s were just so adorable they could handle the crying (or they would try.)
Two for One
Hollywood certainly loves to shroud things in secrecy, and, for some things, it makes sense, but for others, not so much. Take the fact the credits removed the “and” from the Olsen’s names so that it appeared as Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen for the opening credits in the first seven seasons of the show!
Although they were credited “Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen” in the closing credits of the first season, Mary Kate was reportedly used for more scenes because Ashley cried the most when she was put on the set.
One Down
Although Mary Kate and Ashley are fraternal twins, it was very hard to tell them apart as babies because of how similar they looked. However, as they started to get older, it became more obvious that they were not the same person and this worried producers.
They started to talk about letting one of the twins go and just keeping Mary Kate to play the role of Michelle. An unlikely hero would step forward to ensure they both got to stick around when Stamos of all people said they should both get to stay.
Matching Pairs
Mary Kate and Ashley weren’t the only twins on the set of the show. Well, they may have been the only actual twins, though if you look particularly closely during season one, you’ll see another pair that always matches.
Joey’s mannequin, which sits in the alcove, always has on the same shirt as he does, which begs the question: but why? Did he buy two of each shirt because he genuinely liked them, or because he had some strange thing where he didn’t feel quite right if his mannequin wasn’t dressed exactly alike? Hmmm…
Cut It Out
One of Uncle Joey's quirks was his famous catchphrase, “Cut. It. Out.” On "Full House", it spurs from Joey’s time doing standup comedy and hosting his own children’s show with his puppet, Mr. Woodchuck. But in reality, it originated in the comedy duo Coulier shared with Mark Cendrowski before his role on the show.
The duo, which they called C and Ski, consisted of Cendrowski (Ski,) unbuttoning his shirt and making eye contact with women in the audience who he saw watching him. He’d say, “You’re in love with me, now. Cut. It. Out.” Coulier borrowed it for his new role.
A Different Kind of Love
In one season-three dream sequence, actress Jayne Modean played an all-grown-up Michelle. She and Coulier really hit it off. In the episode, titled "Those Better Not Be the Days", there’s a “Freaky Friday” vibe when the guys and girls switch roles for the day.
The two developed such an intimate relationship that they decided to tie the knot just four months after meeting on set. The two would go on to have a son, Luc, but the wedded bliss was fairly short-lived, and they ended up getting divorced just two years later.
Aunt Becky
These days, Lori Loughlin is more infamous than famous, considering her recent trouble with the law. But, when the show was on the air, she was beloved for playing the sweet role of Aunt Becky.
Initially, she was only written into the show for a small stretch of episodes, but after showrunners saw the potential between her and John Stamos, they decided to make her a permanent part of the story.
Chemistry Rising
Lori Loughlin’s chemistry with John Stamos is what convinced producers that she deserved to stick around as a regular, and that’s exactly what happened with D.J’s on-screen boyfriend, Steve Hale, played by Scott Weinger.
He told the Huffington Post in one interview that he was only originally supposed to appear in one episode but ended up sticking around for several seasons. It was already up in the air that D.J. was to have a boyfriend in the season that followed his appearance, and they liked him so much they decided to give him the spot.
Granted
While most of the actors and actresses who appeared on the show auditioned for it, one of them bypassed that process altogether. Jodie Sweetin, who played the role of Stephanie Tanner, was cast directly into it by producer Jeff Franklin himself.
Franklin was impressed with the work she’d done in a guest role as a girl named Pamela Poole on "Valerie" in 1987. When the show ended, Sweetin found herself spiraling down a dark path of substance abuse. Luckily, she was able to overcome it and now works as an advocate to help others do the same.
Couch Surfing
On the show, “uncle” Joey moved in with Danny Tanner not too long after Pam, Danny’s wife, passes away. Joey Gladstone moves in to help raise the girls when Danny’s left in such a traumatizing position. But as it turns out, living together was something the actors had done off-screen, as well.
It wasn’t for very long, but Coulier actually did stay with Bob Saget for a couple of weeks one time during a swing through L.A. The twist? This was before the days of "Full House", as they’d known each other since Coulier was just 18 years old.
No, You
You may assume that on a set full of children, it’d be the kids who were the immature ones, but as Bob Saget said back in the days, that wasn’t the case on the set. It may be the young Tanners who make the trouble when the cameras are on, but when they weren’t rolling, it was the men who’d stir things up.
In fact, they found themselves in trouble with the moms for letting their adult humor reach their young ears. In their defense, they didn’t know they could hear them – as they were in the prop room, and unaware of the turned-on monitors.
Uncles J & J
Joey and Jesse become fast friends after Jesse shows up. Jesse was only supposed to stay for a few weeks, which isn’t exactly how things turned out. When he arrived, he had zero experience in dealing with children, and he wasn’t very responsible – which was one of the reasons those two hit it off.
In one episode, the two grow their bond after taking a road trip to Las Vegas together. The trip was originally meant for all three men, but Saget couldn’t bring himself to go, which made the relationship between Jesse and Joey grow even stronger.
Regulars
During the eight seasons of the show, from 1987 to 1995, three actors can be seen in each and every episode. Jodie Sweetin, Dave Coulier, and John Stamos were in it from start to finish. Bob Saget would’ve been included on the list, too, had he not missed the pilot due to his commitment to his previous job with The Morning Program.
Sweetin once said that, although many memories were made on screen, they were nothing compared to the “family” they become off-screen. After all, they worked side by side for the better part of a decade!
Fake Out
The opening credits of each episode include some stunning shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, along with Alamo Square and Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, but it isn’t where it was filmed. The majority of the show was filmed in Burbank, at the Warner Bros. studio.
The Tanner house is a series of sets designed to look like one. In fact, it’s meant to look just like one of the Painted Ladies on Postcard Row. The house with the red door that’s seen on the show is actually located about a mile North, on Broderick Street.
A Whole New World
A year after Scott Weinger first appeared on the show, he was cast into another major role, this time, as the voice of Aladdin in Disney’s hit film.
He told "Today" in a recent interview that more people are starting to connect the dots these days, thanks to "Fuller House". Afterward, producers decided to nod to the character by filming an episode at Disney World, in which he appears in the Aladdin costume.
Clean House
During the later seasons of the show, the house always seems impeccable, thanks to Danny demanding of it. However, early on, when the guys are first finding their footing, developing their relationships, and learning to take on their new roles, cleaning isn’t exactly something they’re well-versed in.
In fact, during Season 1, Episode 4 (The Return of Grandma), the boys’ mothers show up and have to get on them about cleaning the house until it gets taken care of.
Prom Queen
Candace Cameron Bure and Steve Weinger made an adorable on-screen couple throughout season 5. But as it turns out, the actress decided to make things real between the two when she invited Weinger to her real high school prom.
Bure sported a sleek, black dress and a corsage her date brought her, while the actor dressed traditionally in a nice black suit. Bure, who is a married mother of three, posted a throwback picture of the event on her Instagram a couple of years ago, which garnered numerous likes from fans.
Comet Conspiracy
The internet is truly an amazing thing. It’s capable of connecting us all and spreading information at the speed of light. However, it’s also capable of spreading a bunch of nonsense, because when a rumor takes hold, it just gets out of hand.
Take the fact that for years, people thought Comet was played by the same dog who played in "Air Bud", though he was not. The rumor got so big Buzzfeed published an article about it to set the internet straight. It turns out the real Comet was played by an adorable rescued Golden Retriever.
Books
After the show had become wildly popular, some of the characters got their own book series as well. Michelle and Stephanie each got their own series, which at one point was combined and just called “Sisters.”
Stephanie got 32 books of her own, the latest of which was "Girl Power", which came out in October of 1999. Most of the books are still sold online today, on sites like Amazon.
Going Global
In the late ‘00s, Full House was adapted into a Russian version, which, when translated to English is basically called "The House is Upside Down", or "Topsy-Turvy House". The premise was the same, but the language and actors are obviously different.
A quick search on YouTube will deliver some results, and you can see for yourself the similarities between scenes of the original and the Russian syndication. As it turns out, the daughter of the CEO of CTC Media, the Russian broadcasting company, was a huge fan of "Full House", which is what started the whole thing!
Canceled
Despite the show’s top 25 ratings, ABC announced its cancellation in 1995, much to the disappointment of fans everywhere.
The show had gotten too expensive to produce, and apparently cost over $1 million per episode. At one point, there were talks that they would move it over to the WB, but the deal never went through.
Everyone Else Said No to the Reboot
You would expect a hit show like "Full House" would have producers lining up for the privilege of rebooting it. The reality, however, was oddly different.
According to Stamos, they were trying to get a spinoff going for several years before "Fuller House" came into being. On his Instagram, he posted that “every single network and streaming service” turned them down, until Netflix finally said yes.
Reviews for "Fuller House" Weren’t Kind
After getting shut down at the door by different networks, things started picking up and they got into their groove with the reboot.
But critics, as they often are, were quick to dismiss is when the show first came out and didn't show much kindness. Then again, like Cameron Bure said, “the critics never had a good thing to say about "Full House" and yet it ran for eight years in primetime!”
The Most-Watched Show in 2016
Critics aren't always good at predicting public opinion about a movie or a TV show. "Fuller House" is just one example of that.
According to an "IndieWire" report, the reboot was the most-watched show in 2016, drawing nearly 14.5 million viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 in just over a month. That’s more than "The Walking Dead", which was at that point, the highest-rated show on TV!
Kimmy Came Out of Retirement
Andrea Barber played the role of D.J’s goofy best friend Kimmy Gibbler from ’87 until 1995. You know, the girl next door with notoriously stinky feet and heart of gold.
When the show ended, she decided to retire from acting and focus on herself. But when the reboot came into the picture, she was more than happy to bring her role back to life, too!
Elizabeth Olsen Wasn’t Part of Casting
Despite the rumors, the Olsen twins’ little sister was never offered the role of Michelle in the reboot, which is a shame if you ask us.
You see, unlike her sisters, Elizabeth still works as an actress and hasn't shown any signs of shying away from the spotlight recently. She can be seen in a number of films from the 2010s and has even made her way into the Marvel Comic Universe playing the role of Scarlet Witch. Ironically, the Scarlet Witch character is a twin.
Scott Weinger Added as a Regular
People just can't get enough of seeing their favorite couple on screen, and can easily revolt if their happily ever after is being threatened in some way.
This is how Scott Weinger became a frequent face in the show. He was only supposed to guest star in season one, but producers were so excited about the prospect of getting him back together with D.J., they promoted him to a regular by the second season.
A Long-Overdue Reunion
The show's creators had been waiting since the original show to get D.J. and Steve back together, and fans have been feeling the same.
Jeff Franklin, along with most fans of the show, wasn’t thrilled when D.J. and Steve broke up on the original show. “The fact that producers chose to break them up, and the storylines that followed weren’t big crowd-pleasers,” he said.
Bure and Weinger Went on a Show-Themed Date
These two went to prom together in real life, but, That wasn’t the only time Cameron Bure and Steve Weinger hung out outside of work hours.
In fact, Weinger asked her to accompany him to the premiere of "Aladdin". How cute! (And yes, it was definitely a date, according to them both.)
Sweetin’s Season-Three Injury Was Real
Sometimes, writers have to work their way around unexpected events. In season three of "Fuller House", Jodie Sweetin doesn’t move around too much – and that’s because she really couldn’t.
She’d actually broken her ankle climbing over a fence to get her sons their toys back. Producers had to write it in, since, as she put it, “there’s no hiding that I can’t walk.”
Production Designers Were Very Busy
Recreating the Tanner house after so many years of it being lost in the void wasn’t an easy feat for production designer Jerry Dunn.
After all, a set that's been incredibly famous for eight years can't be simple to rebuild. He reported having to watch hundreds of hours of the show to get it done after all of the original drawings were lost!
Mr. Woodchuck Was Eaten
Remember Mr. Woodchuck, Joey's puppet who couldn't get enough of wood-related puns? Well, he was also part of the reboot. The famous puppet returns along with him in the reboot – or does he?
The puppet seen on the new show is a replacement since Coulier took the original home with him and, “my dog Ranger ate his face.” Oops!
Jason Marsden Said No Thanks
On the original show, Jason Marsden played Nelson, D.J’s ex-boyfriend. Bringing him back for the reboot would have created a much more complicated love life for D.J., but that plan never materialized.
When producers offered him the chance to revive the role in the reboot, he said no. Though it isn’t clear why, he did post that they “tried their darndest,” to get him aboard.
The ‘90s-Themed Episode
Cameron Bure’s brother, Kirk, is an actor as well, famously known for his work on "Growing Pains".
On one episode of the show during the final season, he makes an appearance, along with ‘90s pop star, Lisa Loeb. Cameron made the note of it being a “’90s episode.”
DJ’s Son Is Played by Twins
Just like Michelle on the original show, the youngest member of the cast, DJ’s son, Tommy, is actually played by a set of twins named Fox and Dashiell Messitt.
When they first got cast into their role, they “didn’t even know how to crawl,” said their mom, Kacy, but they learned throughout the process of filming!
Aunt Becky’s a Bit Tied Up
One of the best relationships on "Full House" was obviously Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky's. Fans couldn't wait to see the couple on screen again and they really did come back for the reboot.
However, while Aunt Becky returned for the first few seasons of the reboot, she was given the other kind of boot after her involvement in the college admissions scandal was revealed. She was sentenced to two months in prison.
Jeff Franklin Was Fired
There’s still a huge battle going on between show creator Jeff Franklin and the showrunners of the reboot, who fired him for allegedly creating a “toxic workplace,” for female employees by making inappropriate comments.
The comments range from derogatory remarks to plain brags about his bedroom adventures. Obviously, Franklin didn't last long on set. He fired back by suing the current showrunner, Bryan Behar.
Netflix Stopped the Buck Short
Despite the fact "Fuller House" was the most-watched show early on and is still very popular throughout the U.S, Netflix decided to cut it off after five seasons.
The cast members are obviously deeply attached to the show and their characters. They said they would’ve happily done more episodes, but Netflix apparently had their own reasons. Maybe they wanted to quit while they're ahead and leave people wanting more rather than letting the series die down.
There Almost Wasn’t a Fifth Season
Fans may be upset about the show being canceled – yet again – but they should be happy that they even got a fifth season because it almost didn’t happen.
Still, according to Cadence Cameron Bure, the cast would have kept going if they'd had the green light for another season. So we should probably just be grateful for what we have as long as we have it.
The Ongoing Michelle Gag
The Olsen twins have made it very clear (at least, to everyone but people who still keep trying to offer them money to come back into the public eye,) that they want nothing to do with acting.
Still, that didn't stop the constant jokes about Michelle not being around. “Michelle gets at least one little poke per season,” Andrea Barber told "TVLine".
A Firm No
It wasn’t for lack of trying on the show’s end that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen didn’t accept the revival of their old role.
Mary Kate and Ashley are living very different lives now, and, as Mary Kate told producer Bob Boyett when he contacted them with the idea, “I haven’t been in front of a camera since I was 17, and I don’t feel comfortable acting.”
Three Years of Persuasion
Jeff Franklin, former showrunner, gave an interview on "TVLine" and spoke about the reboot. He addressed the no-Michelle issue and reported that he’d had someone reach out to the twins over the course of three years!
Finally, he said, “they know the door is open, but I’m not going to be calling them anymore to invite them.”
Losing Viewership
Netflix, while they’re notoriously known for keeping numbers hidden, can’t hide the fact that the number of viewers started to slide over the years.
"Recode" published an article in 2018 that showed the streaming site’s most-watched shows of the year, and it didn’t even make the top 20.
It Wasn’t Much About the Fuller Family
When they first announced the show’s revival, fans everywhere rejoiced. Everyone wanted to see it come back to life and find out what they’ve missed from their favorite characters while they’ve been away.
Unfortunately, the reboot focused too much on things like D.J.’s current love triangle, rather than letting us know what Uncle Jesse has been doing all this time.
No More Netflix Studio-Audience Sitcoms
This isn’t the first time Netflix has tried their hand at the whole studio audience thing, but it should probably be the last.
After all, the types of shows that include canned laughter aren’t exactly a match made in heaven for a streaming service. Also, we have been seeing a general decline in the genre, so Netflix isn't the only one.