DJ’s Fuller House story mirrored Danny’s in Full House but she was originally going to have a different predicament at the start of the show.
DJ’s situation at the start of Fuller House was originally different, and it was eventually changed to suit the story. The Tanners re-opened their iconic San Francisco home in 2016 with the Netlflix spin-off series which ran for five seasons. Except for Michelle, the main cast of Full House returned for the revival with the focus shifting to DJ, Stephanie, and their friend and neighbor, Kimmy.
Named after Tommy Fuller Sr., DJ’s husband who suddenly died on duty as a fireman, Fuller House revolved around the young widow who was left to raise their three sons. Stephanie and Kimmy then move in with her to help with household chores as she continued work. The premise is almost an exact copy of Full House’s; as a single father Danny, who had to take care of three daughters following his wife’s death was helped by Jesse and Joey. The two shows mirroring each other was an intentional creative decision as creator Jeff Franklin believed that they needed to prioritize the original sitcom’s established fanbase. However, when the idea of Fuller House was first conceived, DJ circumstances were entirely different.
While the death of her husband was always meant to kick off the events of the spin-off, DJ was supposedly pregnant in the earlier version of the show. The Fullers already had two sons by then, Jackson and Max, but Tommy Jr. hadn’t yet been born. This detail was in the official synopsis that was released for Fuller House as reported by outlets, but it was subsequently changed. In an interview with THR Cameron Bure talked more about the decision to change DJ’s situation. “She’s actually not pregnant anymore. The baby’s been born. We didn’t start it off quite so heavy, so some more time has passed than they originally intended,” the actress said. It’s worth noting that by the time Fuller House began, people who came to San Francisco to support DJ throughout the whole ordeal were getting ready to leave. But while the older cast eventually left, Stephanie and Kimmy decided to stay.
In hindsight, this still paralleled Full House in a way. The sitcom started just when Danny’s mother who had been helping him take care of his daughters was leaving to go back home. This was followed by Jesse and Joey moving in with him. Putting a little bit of time between the actual tragedy and the start of the series made sense considering that Tommy Sr., like the Tanner matriarch, was barely mentioned in the show. Tackling the immediate aftermath of his death would dampen the otherwise cheery vibe of Fuller House. In addition to that, starting with a pregnant DJ would slow down her arc. Much of the earlier seasons of Fuller House was about getting her back out, and in the middle of the season, she was already dipping her toes back into the dating pool. This would not be possible if she was still pregnant or had just given birth.
Ultimately, the decision to change DJ’s character and personal situation at the beginning of Fuller House made sense. Still, the character is notably different from her Full House counterpart. She was stern and controlling; at times, she can even be a drag — far from the fun but still responsible version of the character in the original sitcom. This was all a part of the sequel’s attempt to recreate its parent series and draw a stronger parallel between Danny and his first-born.
