‘Fuller House’ is the reboot Generation X craves

Published 1:30 am Sunday, January 8, 2017

Sometimes the world knocks you down on your tushie. That happened to me this winter when I slipped on ice and fell down a flight of outside stairs.

Thankfully, I didn’t break my neck, but I did bruise my tailbone. The emergency room doctor prescribed a doughnut pillow and pain meds. I passed on the narcotics (too many side effects) and toughed it out with Netflix instead.

There I was, lying on my side, doped up on Advil, and scrolling through Netflix for a program I could binge-watch with children present. That’s not as easy as it sounds.

Then I saw the icon for “Fuller House,” the reboot of the popular show “Full House” that first aired in 1987 when I was 9 years old. This was exactly the sugary-sweet pill I needed to make my pain in the butt fade away.

“Fuller House” takes the original premise of “Full House” and turns it inside out. Instead of Danny Tanner raising three daughters with the help of Uncle Jesse and best buddy Joey, now it’s daughter DJ Tanner raising her three boys with the aid of her sister Stephanie and BFF Kimmy Gibbler. Netflix recently renewed the program for a third season.

I was never a huge “Full House” fan when I was younger, but I do remember how jealous I was of DJ’s big hair, Stephanie’s wardrobe and how easy it was to take care of their baby sister, Michelle. All anyone had to do, it seemed, was drop Michelle in her crib — with the lights on — and she would fall asleep.

That never happened with my baby sister! No wonder so many adults I knew thought the show was corny.

But now I am the adult, binge-watching the reboot, and I am grateful for its existence. These days, finding a program that is both entertaining and family-room safe is a challenge, even with Netflix and Hulu at my fingertips.

Maybe I am awash in nostalgia, or not thinking clearly because of my bruised tailbone, but a 1980s sitcom is just what I need.

I want a world where heartfelt chats and hugging-it-out can solve all problems. I love hearing a live studio audience laugh on cue, because I need more laughter. I want my kids to watch siblings navigate conflict in healthy ways. Does realism matter in the face of so much positivity?

In the past years, the entertainment industry has made one reboot after another. Americans enjoy hopping on the nostalgia train and traveling back in history to a time when the world felt predictable. We still want Uncle Jessie and Joey to swoop in to save the day and Danny Tanner to be the father who cleans up our messes.

But what’s even better is watching girls from the 1980s and 1990s grow up, take charge of their lives and make the present a better place. As far as I am concerned, laughter and inspiration are the best medicine of all.

Jennifer Bardsley is author of the books “Genesis Girl” and “Damaged Goods.” Find her online on Instagram @the_ya_gal, or Twitter @jennbardsley. or on Facebook as The YA Gal.