The Original Name For Full House Might Surprise You
As one of the most successful sitcoms of the '90s, "Full House" is one of those classic TV shows that people still enjoy watching today. Featuring Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier, the family-centered show follows widowed father Danny Tanner as he struggles to raise his three girls with the help of his brother-in-law and best friend.
The cast of "Full House" also included Candace Cameron Bure as oldest sister DJ, Jodie Sweetin as middle sister Stephanie, and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen as youngest sibling Michelle.
Although the last episode of the show aired in 1995, it has maintained its popularity and even spawned a 2016 reboot, "Fuller House" (via TV Tropes). Joined by Andrea Barber as DJ's best friend, Kimmy Gibbler, "Fuller House" centered on DJ and Stephanie as adults living together to care for DJ's three sons. Streaming on Netflix, the reboot ran for a total of five seasons.
Despite the ongoing popularity of the original sitcom and its spinoff, many fans will be surprised to learn about the true origin story of "Full House."
Full House was originally pitched with a different name
If you're a fan of the beloved sitcom, you might be surprised to find out that the original pitch for "Full House" was much different than the show we all know and love. Originally, screenwriter Jeff Franklin proposed a show he called "House of Comics" to ABC (per Mental Floss). Similar to "Full House," it featured three grown men living together, but this version saw them as stand-up comedians instead of co-parents.
In an interview with Variety, Franklin explains that he actually came up with the idea for "House of Comics" after he was asked to work off a movie deal by selling a sitcom. "To get my paycheck, instead of a lawsuit, I came up with possibly the laziest idea for a sitcom ever, a show called 'House of Comics' about three single guys sharing a house trying to make it as stand-ups," he said.
When ABC told Franklin that they were looking for something family-oriented, similar to "Family Ties," the screenwriter reworked his idea into something much closer to what we now know as "Full House." After making the suggested changes, Franklin liked the new iteration. "The more I thought about it, the more I realized my lazy idea had accidentally turned into a very strong premise for a TV comedy," he said.
It turns out he was right, and, as a result, "Full House" was born.
The Full House creator was removed from Fuller House
As the original creator of "Full House," Jeff Franklin also went on to become the showrunner of the 2016 reboot, "Fuller House" (per PopCulture). This five-season show ran on Netflix until 2020, but Franklin's time on set was cut short in 2018. According to Variety, he was dropped from the show due to allegations of misconduct in the writer's room, including verbal abuse and gender discrimination.
Franklin has denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against Bryan Behar, the showrunner who filled Franklin's position after his removal. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Franklin accused Behar of leading the campaign for his dismissal because he wanted to replace him. Despite the allegations, stars such as John Stamos and Candace Cameron Bure have stood behind Franklin (per USA Today).