Bob Saget used to compare Full House to Happy Days
When the cameras quit rolling on the set of ABC's Full House (1987), Bob Saget, and a few of his co-stars would pretend they were acting in other shows. This wasn't because they didn't love Full House, but because it was a fun inside joke that helped keep the set lively as if living under one roof with three kids and three adults wasn't lively enough.
"We kid that I'm Richie Cunningham and we're doing Happy Days," Saget said in a 1989 interview with Dayton Daily News. "Dave Coulier is Ralph and Potsie and John Stamos is the Fonz. Or we kid that we're doing Charlie's Angels. John is Jaclyn Smith, Dave is Farrah Fawcett and I'm Kate Jackson. It's just a way to have fun."
The idea of three kids and three adults all living under one roof may sound like a nightmare, but for Saget, it was actually a really great time. Saget starred as Danny Tanner, a San Francisco talk show host and widower.
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Before Saget was on Full House, he was mostly a stand-up comedian with a few acting gigs here and there. According to the interview, Saget had always been a big fan of sitcoms, including Happy Days. He said he liked the sitcom style because it was easy and straightforward.
"It took about 13 weeks for me and the writers to figure out who Danny is," Saget said. "It's the first time I've had the opportunity to develop the character. It took me longer to get a grip on my character than the other actors. I knew I wanted him to be neat and I knew I wanted him to hug a lot. Those were the external things."
"The internal thing is that there's an undercurrent of sadness because his wife died in an automobile accident only a year before," Saget continued. "He really does need all this love in his life. The thing I like about him is that, like Richie Cunningham, he's really a nice guy."
According to the interview, the cast connection we saw on-screen was an accurate representation of how close the cast was off-screen. With a couple of his own kids at home and three on the series, Saget was one busy dad, but he wouldn't want it any other way.
"They're like my pseudo-children," Saget said. "I'll do things with the girls that I know I'll be doing with my own daughter when she gets older."
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