Fuller House: The Complete First Season – DVD Review

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

For eight season, Full House was a successful family-friendly hit for ABC. Its presence helped launch TGIF for the network, along with shows like Perfect Strangers, Mr. Belvedere, Just the Ten of Us, and Family Matters, until Full House moved to Tuesdays where it also did very well in the ratings. At the end of its eight-year run, Full House had remained one of the Top 30 shows on TV, hitting the Top Ten in its fifth and sixth seasons.

Twenty-nine years later, the original series is still in syndication, still has an audience, and many were contemplating a very serious question: What would the Tanners be up to in the 21st century? Well, the answer to that question, and many more, is answered in the new and fantastic series, Fuller House.

Thankfully, Jeff Franklin who created the original series is at the helm, which means that the characters, the tone, and the humor feels like familiar yet different; exactly what a follow-up series should be. And with 98% of the cast back for more wacky and heartfelt antics the show is a definite must-watch for fans of the original series.

I grew up watching Full House, I own the entire series on DVD, and I can tell you as a die-hard fan of the show, Fuller House is just as funny and entertaining as the original series. Yes, the show was cheesy, but that’s exactly what made the series such a joy to watch. And now that I’m older I enjoy and appreciate the series even more due to its even-keel approach to comedy. And while Fuller House does have the occasional racy joke, it’s nothing that wouldn’t be present in a Shrek or Despicable Me movie, so most of the more risqué one-liners will go right over kids’ heads.

So, what’s this new series about?

Full House’s premise was a widower (Danny Tanner) enlists the help of his best friend (Joey Gladstone) and brother-in-law (Jesse Katsopolis) to help him raise his three daughters (DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle). Fuller House is about a widow (DJ Fuller) who enlists the help of her best friend (Kimmy Gibbler) and her sister (Stephanie) to help her raise her three sons (Jackson, Max, and Tommy Jr.). Both have a similar premise, but the execution of both is very different and leads to a multitude of new storylines and subjects that the original series never explored.

Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and Andrea Barber reprise their roles as DJ Tanner-Fuller, Stephanie Tanner, and Kimmy Gibbler, respectively. They are a great comedy trio playing characters who are independent, strong, and very funny. It’s nice to see these three back in these roles, playing off each other, and really having a good time in each and every episode.

I was very excited that everyone – with the exception of the Olsen twins so far – from the original cast comes back in several cameo appearances throughout the season. It was nice to see all the familiar faces like Bob Saget, John Stamos, Lori Laughlin, and Dave Coulier and to catch-up with characters who seem like old friends (including Mr. Woodchuck!). Is that weird to say? Probably. I also loved the self-referential moments, the flashbacks to scenes from the original series, and the updated version of the theme song performed by Carly Rae Jepsen.

And I can’t forget to mention the very talented kids that populate the cast that include Michael Campion, Elias Harger, and Dashiell & Fox Messitt as DJ’s three sons, and Soni Nicole Bringas as Kimmy’s daughter, Ramona. Each brings a unique comedic energy to their characters that makes them more than just by-the-numbers kid characters. All of them are fantastic!

Fuller House is hilarious, very entertaining, and fun. I blew through all 13 episodes in a matter of days and waned more (so it’s good that Season Two is on Netflix!). The one thing I wish the DVD edition had were special features with interviews with the cast or with the series creator or even with Carly Rae Jepsen about updating the original theme song. Hopefully season two’s DVD will have a few extras.

I highly, highly recommend Fuller House for any fellow Full House fans who loved the original series and want to continue the fun with this ever-growing group living at 1882 Gerard in San Francisco, California. I can’t recommend it enough!

Fuller House: The Complete First Season is available February 28, 2017 on DVD!

What’s your favorite Full House/Fuller House moment? Who’s your favorite Full House/Fuller House character? Leave a comment and let us know!

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