John Stamos

Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan, and John Stamos all return to reprise the roles they originally played on Broadway in this made for television take on Lorraine Hansbury's timeless play about a 1950s-era Chicago family longing for a better life. Walter Lee has died, and now his widow Lena Younger (Rashad) is about to receive a $10,000 check from her late-husband's insurance company. Everyone in the family dreams about the ways their lives will be changed with the arrival of the money, family matriarch Lena - who longs to retire from her job as a domestic servant for a wealthy white family - in particular. Having lived in a one room tenement apartment ever since she and her late husband originally married, Lena is eager to purchase a house of her own and provide her family with a real home. Lena's son Walter Lee, Jr. (Combs), currently employed as a chauffer, and has recently become taken with the idea of purchasing a liquor store as a means of solving his family's financial woes. Like her mother-in-law, Walter's wife Ruth (McDonald) is also a domestic servant for a white family, and dreams of the day she can walk away from her job. While Walter's sister Beneatha (Lathan) strives to become a medical professional, tuition is expensive and she is currently being pursued by two men - wealthy but superficial George Murchison (Sean Patrick Thomas) and intellectual classmate Joseph Asagai (David Oyelowo). Much to everyone's surprise, Lena uses the lion's share of the money to purchase a home in the all-white residential neighborhood of Cllaybourne, splitting the remainder between Walter (for his entrepreneurial endeavor) and Beneatha (for tuition). Around the same time Walter loses his share of the inheritance to a smooth talking con man who claimed he could help finance the liquor store, the Claybourne "home improvement" association makes the discovery that the Youngers are black and sends emissary Mr. Lindner (John Stamos) to try prevent their neighborhood from becoming integrated by buying the house back. Now faced with the prospect of losing it all, Walter considers making a deal with Mr. Lindner in order to recover his losses. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The romantic comedy Knots follows what happens to a group of friends when their romantic entanglements begin to transform the nature of their relationships. Scott Cohen plays Dave, a man who is shocked when he comes home one night to find his wife Greta (Annabeth Gish) in bed with their mutual friend Lily (Paulina Porizkova). This stunning turn of events upsets the balance of their social circle, which includes resident good guy Jake (Michael Leydon Campbell, who also has the hots for Lily), lothario Cal (John Stamos), and Cal's clueless girlfriend (Tara Reid), and triggers a hilarious chain reaction of further infidelities and lies among the group. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

After being pulled from CBS amid a flurry of controversy, The Reagans was finally aired on Showtime and went on to earn Golden Globe nominations for its stars, James Brolin and Judy Davis. Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman (Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows) and based on a book by Carl Sferrazza Anthony, the film offers an intimate and some may say scathing look at the family behind one of the 20th century's most hotly debated presidencies. Also starring John Stamos and Zeljko Ivanek, the made-for-television biography is unrated. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

This tongue-in-cheek ABC adventure series used the basic premise of the old Robert Wagner starrer It Takes a Thief, but with an attractive addition to the formula. John Stamos and Melissa George starred as Johnny and Rita, a brace of good-looking professional cat burglars (in an amusing twist, he was the brains and she was the brawn!). Caught in the act, Johnny and Rita were approached by the FBI and made an offer they couldn't refuse. If they hoped to avoid jail time, they would have to assist the authorities by using their larcenous talents to "recover" stolen or missing government property. Though Johnny and Rita insisted that they could not abide each other's company, the viewer knew better. Assigned to supervise the two not-quite-reformed crooks was harried FBI special agent Shue (Robert Knepper). Filmed in Toronto by Warner Bros./Kopelson Entertainment, the weekly, one-hour Thieves made its first network appearance on September 28, 2001 (its original September 21 debut date was pushed forward by ongoing coverage of the World Trade Center disaster). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though not the first TV dramatization of the lives and careers of the popular 1960s singing group the Beach Boys, this two-part miniseries was the first that did not concentrate exclusively on Brian Wilson, arguably the most brilliant and troubled member of the quintet. Instead, the production details the triumph and heartbreaks of all five Beach Boys: Brian (here played by Frederick Weller), his brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson, and non-related members Mike Love and Al Jardine. Played by Kevin Dunn, the Wilson brothers' father Murray Wilson is cast as a complete monster, shown to be both verbally and physically abusive to his grown sons, as well as a money-grubbing dictator while managing The Beach Boys during their most prolific period. The miniseries also delves into the darker side of the singers themselves, especially when Dennis Wilson (played by Nick Stabile) begins carousing with a would-be tunesmith named Charles Manson (Erik Passoja). Producer John Stamos had originally wanted to appear in the production as Dennis (who died in a surfing mishap in 1983), but the ABC network decided that Stamos was too old for the part. Many (including, reportedly, Brian Wilson himself) complained loudly about the gross liberties taken with actual events in this picture. The Beach Boys: An American Family was originally telecast on February 27 and 28, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Yuletide-season TV movie reverses the standard "three girls on the make" formula of many an old 20th Century Fox movie, of which How to Marry a Millionaire is a choice example. This time out, a trio of enterprising young men decide to go on the prowl for rich wives, after first consulting a nonplussed department-store Santa with their intentions. The plan, as hatched by the impoverished heroes, Tom (John Stamos), Jason (Shermar Moore), and Mark (Joshua Malina), is as follows: They will pose as hot-shot Hollywood movie producers, the better to entice attractive and wealthy young women to invest in their newest "production" -- and hopefully, to entrap said women into matrimony. As so often happens in stories of this nature, however, love ultimately triumphs over money. A bit too top-heavy with racy double entendres and potentially unsavory situations, the film is redeemed somewhat by the presence of Dabney Coleman and Rhea Perlman, cast as an older couple named -- believe it or not -- John and Jackie Kennedy. How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale made its first Fox Network appearance on December 20, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted by Richard Vetere from his own play, the made-for-TV The Marriage Fool served to reunite Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett, the stars of the 1972 theatrical feature Pete 'n Tillie. Matthau is cast as widowed septuagenarian Frank Walsh, whose sedentary lifestyle is shifted into third gear by the arrival in his life of flamboyant, sixtyish widow Florence (Carol Burnett). Falling in love, Frank and Florence try to convince Frank's son Robert (John Stamos) to tie the knot with his own girlfriend, Susan (Teri Polo). Robert not only resists the entreaties of his father, but he also refuses to give his consent to Frank and Florence's planned marriage. Charles Matthau, son of star Walter, directed the film and has a cute cameo role. First telecast on CBS on September 20, 1998, The Marriage Fool has since been released on cable and video as Love After Death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Between Larry's (Garry Shandling) wining and dining of paramour Lori Loughlin, Hank's attempt to romance paralegal Michelle (Cecil Hoffman), and Phil's scheme to hold fake auditions in hopes of meeting an actress, it seems that nearly everyone involved with the show is feeling a bit lonely. Despite each desperate attempt at a little romance, however, strike one occurs when money turns up missing from Larry's wallet and the host hastily accuses Loughlin of theft. When Hank books Michelle's precocious son, Roger (Christopher Riccio), on the show in a desperate bid to impress, it's strike two when the plan backfires as the camera-shy boy freezes up on the air. When Phil is caught faking auditions by victim Jenette Robbins' manager, the jig is up, the inning is over, and any chance for romance is quickly dashed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Season eight of Full House was supposed to have been the occasion that one of the two Olsen twins (Ashley and Mary-Kate) was to take over the role of Michelle Tanner, youngest daughter of San Francisco TV host Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), on a full-time basis. Previously, both girls had shared the role, but now the time had come for one girl to remain and another to leave the series. But thanks to the intervention of co-star John Stamos (who played Danny's brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis), both Olsen girls continued alternating in the role of Michelle -- and both were given special billing at the beginning of each episode. This was the major event of Full House's eighth and final network season, though there were plenty of other highlights. In the season opener, rock-star wannabe Jesse is unceremoniously fired by his own back-up band -- and later replaced by Brady Bunch regular Barry Williams. Also, Jesse's twin children, Nicky and Alex (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit), are poised to begin pre-school, provided their over protective parents allowed this rite of passage. Danny continues fretting over his oldest daughter D.J. (Candace Cameron) and her choice of dates, notably the well-named Viper (David Lipper); meanwhile, middle daughter Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) is just as boy-crazy, at one point auditioning for the lead role in a school play in hopes of getting her handsome co-star to kiss her on-stage. On a more serious note, D.J. and her friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) are crestfallen when they aren't accepted by the college of their choice; the audience learns for the first time what caused the death of Danny's wife, Pam; and in the two-episode series finale, Michelle suffers a serious injury which causes her to lose her memory. This final predicament, is, however, resolved long before the episode's warmhearted and sentimental fadeout, in which the cast bids an affectionate goodbye to Full House's legions of fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Series regular John Stamos essays a dual role as Jesse Katsopolis and Jesse's lookalike Greek cousin Stavros. Invited to stay at the Tanner household, Stavros quickly reveals himself as a duplicitious con artist. The rest of the family sees through Stavros immediately, but agree to put up with him for Jesse's sake--until Stavros literally overplays his hand with Jesse's wife Becky (Lisa Loughlin . (Trivia note: David Dean doubles for John Stamos in the scenes where the cousins appear together). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Christina (Claire Yarlett) disappears while taking a little excursion on a friend's yacht. It looks like an accident to some, like suicide to others. There are also those who believe that Christina was killed by her businessman husband (John Stamos). He is convinced that she's still alive -- but the police think otherwise and charge him with murder. A USA Cable Network suspense thriller, The Disappearance of Christina debuted on November 9, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide