Moving

Followers Pay Tribute to Bob Saget on the ‘Full Home’ Victorian in San Francisco

By Lindsay Blake | dirt

The theme song of hit ABC sitcom Full House, which aired from 1987 to 1995, tells us, “Everywhere you look, there’s a heart, a hand to hold on to.” Lately, it seems however, there is bad news everywhere you look, such as the sudden and unexpected death on January 9th of Bob Saget, who played Danny Tanner on the popular show. As reports of his death circulated on social media, fans, friends and former co-stars all expressed their sadness and shock at the devastating loss.

Saget is famous for a plethora of film roles, big and small (including the voice of adult Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother), as well as a rather racy stand-up routine. Saget will undoubtedly be best remembered as the Tanner family’s good-natured patriarch. Incredibly, although the role was conceived for him, he wasn’t the first actor to be cast as the beloved TV dad. Full House creator and executive producer Jeff Franklin said on Instagram: “I wrote the role of Danny Tanner for my friend Bob Saget. The character was friendly, genuine, neurotic, a little nerdy, a hugger with a heart of gold, and endearingly funny. That was Bob.” But when it came time to film the pilot in early 1987, scheduling conflicts prevented the comedian from being signed. So actor John Posey was hired instead. The pilot (which never aired but parts of it can be viewed on YouTube) was then filmed, bought around and eventually acquired by ABC. As fate would have it, Saget’s schedule had opened up by this point, leading to the network launching Posey, replacing him with Bob, and reshooting the pilot. The rest is TV history!

A “Full House” role secured from the start? The handsome San Francisco Victorian who portrayed the Tanner residence in the series. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Franklin “handpicked” the three-story Italian-style property in early 1987 “after a site manager visited San Francisco to select options.” He told the outlet: “I wanted the family to live in one of those classic Victorian houses. For some reason I noticed this. There were many candidates but this was the winner.”

Although it’s often erroneously reported that the Tanners reside in one of SF’s famous Painted Ladies, these structures only appear in the show’s opening credits as family picnics in nearby Alamo Square. The actual apartment featured on the show is about a mile away at 1709 Broderick St. in Lower Pacific Heights. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not enter or harass residents or property in any way.)

Over the years, the idyllic abode has blossomed into a virtual icon that’s as synonymous with “Full House” as Saget himself, so it’s not surprising that fans now go there to commemorate the comedian, and flowers, notes and even bread and beer left on the sidewalk in front.

(Warner Bros. TV)
(Google)

The quaint residence appeared regularly on footage of the Tanners’ home throughout the eight seasons of “Full House.” Interestingly, however, the production team only took pictures of it once, in early 1987 when “Full House” was in pre-production. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the crew “filmed a bunch of shots of the house – everything from lights on, lights off, day and night – so they would have options to move on.” So much footage was shot that Franklin recalled, “We didn’t have to go back there until a few years later, but by that point the owner must have been upset with the fans passing by and they weren’t in a cooperative mood.” The 1987 images were hence used throughout the show’s run and also in the 2016 reboot of Fuller House. As Franklin said, “Our audiences have watched the same cars drive past this house for 29 years.” However, fans never seemed to mind.

(Facebook)

The beautiful property, which is pretty much the quintessential San Francisco Victorian style, was originally designed by architect Charles Lewis Hinkel way back in 1883. After recent renovations, the place actually has four bedrooms and four bathrooms on a spacious (San Francisco specific) 3,728 square meters.

(Michael Rankine)

When the residence launched in 2016, in a highly unusual twist, it was acquired by none other than Franklin, who secured it in a $4 million deal. Although the producer originally hoped to remodel the interior to look like the Full House sets (a near-impossible feat, as the team behind A Very Brady Renovation will tell you), the neighbors, Those long tired of the place’s tourist attraction status weren’t too keen on the idea and thwarted his plans. (How rude, right?) So Franklin set about renovating and flipping the property, with architect Richard Landry at the helm. As evidenced by the pre-renovation photos, this was a major job, opening up the floor plan and modernizing the fixtures. The revamped Victorian building was finally dumped in October 2020 for a cool $5.35 million, with the listing calling it “an ethereal residence that offers comfort, class and opulent finishes.”

(Michael Rankine)

Though Landry has been dubbed the “king of the tacky mega-villa” (Oh, Mylanta!), the architect managed to retain many of the property’s original features, such as the Corinthian columns, large bay windows, and wide crown moldings. More modern amenities include skylights, marble-fronted fireplaces, and wide hardwood floors.

(Michael Rankine)

Updated living spaces include a family room, formal living room and kitchen outfitted with a walk-in pantry, Viking appliances, custom navy blue cabinets and Calacatta Oro marble countertops.

(Michael Rankine)

The luxurious owner’s suite, located on the third floor along with two other bedrooms, has a fireplace, walk-in closet and a spa-like bathroom with penny tile floors and a spacious shower.

The lower level consists of an additional bedroom and bathroom, walk-in closet, laundry room and study with wet bar.

(Makler.com)

The home also features an attached two car garage with a large storage room and a well maintained back garden on its 0.07 acre lot.

(Michael Rankine)

On “Full House” only the front of the house appeared. The interior of the Tanner residence and the adjacent backyard were designed by Art Director Lynn Griffin, first on Stage 28 at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, where the show’s first six seasons were filmed, and then on Stage 24 at Warner Bros Studio in Burbank, where production has moved for the last two seasons. The last phase was also used for the reboot of “Fuller House” as well as for seasons two to ten of the legendary series “Friends”.

Although the Tanner home set differs markedly in design from the actual residence, the decorative archways framing the bay windows throughout are an obvious carryover.

(Michael Rankine)
(Michael Rankine)
(Michael Rankine)

“Full House” fans hoping to see the pad in person but unwilling to brave the unfriendly neighbors shouldn’t sell their dreams now that a replica of the residence is now at the Warner Bros. studio. Built to promote Fuller House, the facade is a popular stop on two-hour tours of the site, which are offered several times a day. There, fans can snap photos, pose for selfies on the stairs, and even say a private thank you to Saget for the years of laughs while gazing at the familiar red front door.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button