We’ve talked about plenty of TV on the podcast before. From Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave to HBO’s Succession, we’ve covered comedies, dramas, and everything in between. But before there was streaming, there was cable, and before that, network. And before streaming allowed niche cultures to flourish because of the limitless number of television offerings that a million different platforms offered, television was more homogenized, and there were only a few things that everybody across the country could watch. In many ways, television of the 1980s represented a pendulum swing from edgy, liberal Norman Lear-led sitcoms of the 1970s to more conservative, Regan-era family-focused sitcoms. These shows—Family Ties, Roseanne, The Cosby Show, to name a few—have been staples of syndication, influencing several generations of young television viewers. And while The Keatons and The Bundys and The Winslows are American families that people remember, one American family that has maintained relevance all the way up to today is San Francisco’s favorite blended family: The Tanners.
Full House debuted in 1987 to terrible reviews. Even after eight seasons, the show was never really able to receive much positive attention from critics. But it became a consumer success nearly overnight, and it remains one of the most iconic and beloved sitcoms of all time. Much like its theme song implies (“whatever happened to predictability?”), Full House is a standard, formulaic show. The A plot advances a Tanner’s arc while the B plot sees two other Tanners on a quirky adventure (you’ll usually find Joey in the B plot). So what makes Full House so important to so many?
There are a million answers—some big, some small—to this question (Olsen Twins, anybody?), but the truth of the matter is that you wouldn’t love Full House if you didn’t love each member of the Tanner family. Not only is each character supremely defined, but they all serve the greater whole in a way that a lot of other sitcoms of the time simply can’t. Our six leads are a dad, three daughters, an uncle, and a friend, and as the series grows, we seem to accumulate more friends, some of whom become family but all of whom love to hang out at 1882 Girard Street. The home is a house and an apartment and a recording studio; it’s the neighborhood swing-by for The Honeybees, Lamaze class, and, of course, Jesse and the Rippers. The Tanners are the quintessential “big, happy family,” and if any one of them were to go, then the family would fall apart.
Of course, this has so far been a dissertation on excellence in ensemble shows as exemplified by Full House, and while we love an ensemble show, we’re always in the market to unfairly place one member of the ensemble above the rest. So we’re asking you this week: which Full House character is the best? “How rude!” you say in response to this question. We know, we know. It’s never fair. But throw on a couple episodes this week and make the tough decisions. And just to boost your confidence in your ability to choose, we’ll bid you with this: “You Got It, Dude.”
Listen to our seeding story and our predictions on our newest episode below:
Voting Schedule
Elite Eight: Monday 11/8, Tuesday 11/9
Final Four: Wednesday 11/10
Championship: Thursday 11/11
Winner reveal on a brand new episode on 11/12!