Full House: The Complete Eighth Season – DVD Review

Available at Amazon.com

Creator

Jeff Franklin

Cast

Bob Saget………Danny Tanner
Candace Cameron………D.J. Tanner
Jodie Sweetin………Stephanie Tanner
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen………Michelle Tanner
Dave Coulier………Joey Gladstone
John Stamos………Jesse Katsopolis
Lori Laughlin………Becky Katsopolis
Andrea Barber………Kimmy Gibbler

DVD Release Date: November 6, 2007
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 554 Minutes on 4 discs

The Show

It was a part of TGIF and every Friday you could sit in front of the television with your family and realize what it was like to have a, pardon the pun, full house. Problems like drinking, not listening, choosing a college, and breaking your nose were just a few of the things that the Tanners had to deal with. And together they worked through them and came out with great conclusions that benefited everyone. Best of all, they did them as a family. Yet when another season rolled around, they realized that eight was surely enough.

Full House was a great show from the start with the mom-less family of the Tanners. Crazy Uncle Joey comes in with his goofy voices and hi-jinks. The cool and hip Uncle Jesse makes his way in with long hair and leather jacket. But as time went on, things got to be a bit more slowed down. Another woman came into Danny’s life and didn’t replace the girls’ mother, but became a good alternative. Jesse settled down and had twins of his own. Joey was still crazy, but on a bit calmer scale. That is when things started to go sour and it began in season seven.

It’s rather sad to put it this way since I hate to give them any credit, but the success of the series came and went as Michelle Tanner (the Olsen twins) got older. Michelle was fantastic as a baby while staying cute and lovable as a young toddler. When she began to get older, she actually became rather annoying. The same thing happened with Stephanie Tanner who went from quirky and strange to a stuck-up, snobbish teenager. Then of course D.J. was getting older and about to head off to college so she would soon no longer be a part of the show. And we all know what happens when a main star leaves the show: see Jonathan Taylor-Thomas leaving Home Improvement.

The mid-nineties were in full bloom and kids were changing. They no longer found “making out at a party” to be as taboo as Full House made it out to be. The writers also seemed to be grasping at straws for storylines considering that Becky bungee jumping could be the subject matter for one entire episode (“Leap Of Faith”). Some episodes from the final season really kept the true spirit of the show and worked with the formula that made the series so successful from day one. “Under The Influence” and “You Pet It, You Bought It” are great examples of this, but most of the rest just are boring, dull, and way too corny. Full House lost its magic and knew it was time to say “good night San Francisco.”

Episodes

Disc One:

Comet’s Excellent Adventure
Breaking Away
Making Out Is Hard To Do
I’ve Got A Secret
To Joey With Love
You Pet It. You Bought It.

Disc Two:

On The Road Again
Claire And Present Danger
Stephanie’s Wild Ride
Under The Influence
Arrest Ye Merry Gentlemen
D.J.’s Choice

Disc Three:

The Producer
Super Bowl Fun Day
My Left And Right Foot
Air Jesse
Dateless In San Francisco
We Got The Beat

Disc Four:

Taking The Plunge
Up On The Roof
Leap Of Faith
All Stood Up
Michelle Rides Again (1)
Michelle Rides Again (2)

The Video

The episodes are shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and look almost exactly as they did when first run on the air. Each episode has bright colors and the show barely looks its age at all.

The Audio

The episodes are heard in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound and since almost the entire show is dialogue, except for the random song from Uncle Jesse, then it’s all you really need.

Special Features

None

The Inside Pulse

One less season would have done wonders for Full House, and no-one would have blamed them for ending after season seven. Luckily though, they didn’t completely ruin their reputation by laying out one more even though it’s mostly crap. Still it is a show that a lot of people grew up with and it will always be fun to look back years from now and see how the Tanner family household finished their television run. Looking back already, it is just strange seeing how much the Olsen twins have gone downhill…err, changed in twelve short years. D.J., Stephanie, and Kimmy are pretty much nowhere to be seen. The same can be said for Uncle Joey. John Stamos and Lori Loughlin show up from time to time and Bob Saget, well he hit the gutter hard and fast. See them while they were wholesome and normal, but start with a few of the earlier seasons. They’re much better.

The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for Full House: The Complete Eighth Season
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE SHOW

5
THE VIDEO

7
THE AUDIO

7
THE EXTRAS

0
REPLAY VALUE

4
OVERALL
4
(NOT AN AVERAGE)