Full House reunion and spinoff Fuller House confirmed by John Stamos, Netflix
13-episode spinoff will premiere on the streaming service in 2016
It's official. Netflix will be the home of a long-rumoured Full House reunion, followed by a spinoff of the beloved 1990s sitcom that will be called Fuller House.
John Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse on the original ABC series, broke the news Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Netflix also confirmed details in a news release.
"We've been working on this for many, many years," Stamos told the late-night host. "It starts as a reunion and then spins off into this — like a spinoff," the actor explained.
Plot is 'sort of a reversal'
The original sitcom centred on the foibles of three grown men who were living together in San Francisco to raise three little girls.
Fuller House picks up with grown-up sisters Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and D.J. Tanner (Candice Cameron-Bure) two decades later.
But this time, D.J. is a recently widowed pregnant mother of two.
Andrea Barber will reprise her role as the annoying but beloved family friend Kimmy Gibbler.
The three women move in together to help raise D.J's kids — a similar plot to the original, when D.J.'s and Stephanie's dad, Danny Tanner, played by Bob Saget, invite Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey, played by Dave Coulier, to move in with him.
Talks are underway to have Saget, Coulier and other original stars, such as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who alternated in the role of Michelle, the youngest of the three Tanner children, and Lori Loughlin, who played Uncle Jesse's wife, make guest appearances.
"We're going to try and to get everybody in the first hour special." said Stamos, "and then it'll go into the spinoff."
Created by original Full House creator Jeff Franklin, Fuller House will premiere on Netflix in 2016.
Love for the show
Full House attracted a loyal legion of fans, many of whom grew up with the comedy over its eight seasons.
A total of 192 episodes aired during its run from 1987 to 1995 on ABC in the U.S.
"The love you saw on the show was real," executive producers Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Jeff Franklin said in a joint statement.
"The cast has remained a loving family off screen all these years. We are as excited as our fans to finally bring Full House back to life."
Banking on nostalgia
Fuller House is just the latest in string of television reboots.
Coach, The Muppet Show and Inspector Gadget are all being developed for a return to the small-screen as networks attempt to bank on viewers' nostalgia.
Cult crime drama Twin Peaks is being revived for Showtime, even after co-creator David Lynch dropped out of the project.
ABC is said to be working on a TV adaptation of John Hughes's Uncle Buck and Disney is revisiting the cartoon DuckTales.
X-Files fans rejoiced upon learning the popular paranormal drama is making a come back after 13 years off the air.
When asked about the sheer volume of '90s TV remakes, X-Files creator Chris Carter told The Daily Beast even he was skeptical.
"The cynical part of me says this is programming by feather duster," said Carter.
"The other part of me says that if something is good, that doesn't necessarily mean its over. It's not just sitting on the shelf gathering dust, it's actually accruing value."