Full House is a family-friendly sitcom that focuses on the Tanners. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some intriguing BTS stories.
During its eight-year run, Full House has some intriguing behind-the-scenes stories that change how the family sitcom is perceived. The ABC cult classic introduced the Tanner clan and their extended family led by Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner. Full House was never a critical darling, but it was a commercial success thanks to its realistic portrayal of the joys and difficulties of parenting.
Half of Full House’s main cast members are kids. Candace Cameron-Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen play the Tanner kids, DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. They join Saget’s Danny, John Stamos’ Uncle Jesse Katsopolis, and Dave Coulier’s Joey Gladstone. Over the years, the ensemble expanded with the addition of Lori Loughlin’s Becky Donaldson and Andrea Barber’s Kimmy Gibbler. With a big cast, Full House doesn’t have any shortage of curious behind-the-scenes stories.
10 Jodie Sweetin Didn’t Have To Audition As Stephanie
All four young actors brilliantly portrayed their respective roles. It’s arguably one of the primary reasons why Full House was so successful. However, while Cameron-Bure and the Olsens auditioned, Full House creator Jeff Franklin was set on Sweetin playing Stephanie. This means that she is the only character from the whole cast who didn’t need to audition. Sweetin’s appearance on Valerie when she was just four years old convinced Franklin that she would be perfect as the middle Tanner daughter
9 John Stamos Had The Olsen Twins Fired
Stamos was known for being great with kids, which was why he had such great scenes with the younger cast of Full House. Uncle Jesse was particularly close to Michelle. That being said, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, he had both of them fired from the show due to their constant crying. Stamos confirmed that the Olsens were indeed booted out of Full House because of him. However, it was only a matter of time before they brought Mary-Kate and Ashley back after realizing that they were still the best babies for the role.
8 Full House Season 9 Almost Happened
Full House ended with eight seasons in 1995. The show was still very popular at that point, but the growing production cost forced ABC to just pull the plug on the sitcom. Knowing full well how successful it was, The WB (now rebranded as the CW) attempted to pick it up for season 9. By that time, however, some of the cast members were already gearing up to move on from the sitcom. Cameron-Bure and Stamos in particular refused to partake in the revamped show. Soon after, they all decided it was for the best to leave the series as it was.
7 John Stamos’ Uncle Jesse Originally Had A Different Name
Stamos is still best known for his role as cool Uncle Jesse Katsopolis in Full House. However, had the show stick with his original name, the character would have been called something significantly different. Full House actually changed the name of Stamos’ character twice. Originally, he was Adam Cochran, but the actor didn’t like it, so they changed it to Jesse Cochran. Subsequently, Stamos made another request, this time to change his last name to Katsopolis to reflect his heritage as a Greek American.
6 Only One Full House Episode Was Filmed In San Francisco
Full House’s San Francisco Tanner home was as integral as every main character was to the show. The family sitcom often referenced its setting, with Danny’s job being the main host of Good Morning, San Francisco with Becky. Despite that, Full House was mainly filmed in Los Angeles. In fact, it only has one episode that was shot on location in the Bay Area and that was Full House season 8, episode 1, “Comet’s Excellent Adventure.” The outing featured a lot of outdoor shots, which had the cast and crew fly up north for filming.
5 Lori Loughlin’s Becky Almost Wasn’t Jesse’s Wife
All three adult characters in Full House were given their respective romantic partners. That being said, only Stamos’ Jesse has had a lasting relationship thanks to the introduction of Loughlin’s Becky. The chemistry between the pair was clear from the moment they shared the screen together. After seeing this, the producers of Full House decided to bring in Loughlin as a recurring guest star and eventual mainstay despite initially booking her for just a few episodes.
4 Bob Saget Wasn’t Full House’s Original Danny Tanner
It’s difficult to imagine any other actor playing the Tanner patriarch than Saget. Throughout Full House and Fuller House, the actor exuded fatherly love, and it helped that he had a great dynamic with all of his on-screen daughters. That being said, the original pilot for Full House actually featured John Posey as the Tanner children’s dad. Posey was actually the second choice to play Danny, but when Saget had a scheduling conflict after landing the CBS show, The Morning Program, the producers had to call him to take over the role of the Tanner patriarch. Eventually, however, Saget’s schedule cleared up, allowing him to take his role back.
3 The Olsen Twins Were Cast As Michelle For A Strange Reason
Stamos wanted the Olsen Twins fired as Michelle in Full House because they cried too much while filming the pilot. Ironically, however, when the show held auditions for the role of the youngest Tanner daughter, Mary-Kate and Ashley were the only two babies who didn’t cry. They were so well-behaved during the screening that it convinced Franklin and the rest of the executive producers that they would be great for the role.
2 Full House Almost Fired For Ashley Olsen A Second Time
Years after the Olsen twins were fired because of Stamos, Full House once again threatened to let go of Ashley from the show. Initially, the pair looked very much alike, which made them interchangeable. As they grew older, however, they became more distinguishable from each other. Because of this, ABC wanted only one of them to continue portraying the part in Full House, and they chose Mary-Kate. Interestingly, it was Stamos who intervened and stopped them from firing Ashley.
1 Full House Was Originally An Entirely Different Show (With A Different Title)
As successful as it was, Full House wasn’t originally going to be a family-oriented sitcom. In fact, its premise was so different from what it eventually became that it would be an entirely different show had the producers moved forward with the initial idea for the series. Franklin planned the sitcom to focus on three comics living together. Titled House of Comics, the series creator had to find another approach after ABC requested a more family-friendly show after seeing how big Family Ties and The Cosby Show became.
