Robert L. Boyett Movies

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, Rovi

Season six of Full House had ended with widowed dad Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) proposing marriage to his longtime girlfriend, Vicky Larson (Gail Edwards). But during the summer hiatus, the series' producers had second thoughts about tinkering with the series' "single parent" premise, thus by the middle of season seven, Danny and Vicky have come to an amicable parting of the ways. Meanwhile, Danny's three daughters -- D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) all grow a little older and a lot more independent-minded. As for Alex and Nicky (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit), twin children of Danny's brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and his wife, Becky (Lori Loughlin), they are now undergoing "the terrible twos" -- with chaotic results. So what else happens during the series' sixth year on the air? Well, D.J. breaks up with her college film student boyfriend, Steve (Scott Weinger); Jesse inherits "The Smash Club," which he hopes to transform into Frisco's trendiest nightspot; Jesse's grandfather (Jack Kruschen) pays a visit -- and promptly drops dead; Danny's daughters learn a valuable lesson when a much-vaunted toy action figure proves to be less than was advertised; and in the guest-star department, Vanna White plays a dual role in the episode "The Test," while in another installment, singer Little Richard is revealed to be the uncle of series semi-regular Denise Frazer (Jurnee Smollett). As the season ends, there is the distinct possibility that the main characters will be moving out of their familiar San Francisco townhouse. Full House closed out its sixth season as the 16th most popular series on American network TV. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The seventh season of Perfect Strangers gets under way with the marriage of "Chicago Chronicle" reporter Larry (Mark Linn-Baker) and sexy stewardess Jennifer (Melanie Wilson), whereupon the couple moves out of their apartment building an into a huge suburban house with enormous mortgage payments and a minimum of utilties. This same season, Larry's roommate-cousin, Myposian immigrant Balki (Bronson Pinchot), finally becomes a US citizen, prompting a surprise visit from his mother (also played by Bronson Pinchot!) Back on the job, Larry and Balki begin collaborating on a comic strip about a foreign sheepherder living in Chicago and his favorite sheep Dmitri. In the interests of authenticity, Balki purchase a live sheep, while Larry obsesses upon coming up with dialogue that correctly reflects "a sheep's sensibility." Elsewhere, the boys briefly become door-to-door salesmen, attempt to "exorcise" a ghost from Larry's new house, emulate Laurel & Hardy (for the millionth time!) when they try to build a gazebo, and find themselves stuck in a car trunk while trying to trap a gang of thieves. On his own, Larry is reluctantly appointing temporary king of Mypos, and goes into panic mode when he thinks that Jennifer is pregnant. As for Balki, he takes a trip to Vegas to meet his idol Wayne Newton, and enters into a most confusing ménage-a-quartre when he and his girlfriend Mary Anne (Rebecca Arthur) fall in love with their respective exact lookalikes. With Larry and Jennifer marriage, Mary Ann hopes that Balki will likewise pop the question, but he doesn't seem inclined to do so. Just when this situation is on the verge of being resolved, Season Seven of Perfect Strangers comes to an abrupt end! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although Larry (Mark Linn-Baker and Balki (Bronson Pinchot) are still gainfully employed as reporters at the "Chicago Chronicle" at the outset of Perfect Strangers' sixth season, the boys are not above moonlighting to pick up some extra cash. Balki is particually enterprising, opening up a catering business specializing in exotic (and oftimes inedible) dishes from his native country of Mypos. Otherwise, our heroes get mixed up in their usual Laurel&Hardy-like misadventures, especially in a two-part episode wherein they are sent to cover a celebrity wedding, only to end up being pursued by mobsters. Another legendary comic duo is invoked in the episode "I Saw This On TV", featuring a fantasy sequence, shot in black and white, in which Larry and Balki and their sexy neighbors Jennifer (Melanie Wilson) and Mary Anne (Rebecca Arthur) morph into the characters of Ralph Kramden, Ed Norton, Alice and Trixie from The Honeymooners. As the season draws to a close, Larry has finally worked up the courage to propose to Jennifer--but the couple may not make it to the altar after agreeing to take Balki's highly bizarre Myposian compatability test! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As Season Five of Perfect Strangers gets under way, both Larry (Mark Linn-Baker) and Balki (Bronson Pinchot) receiving promotions at the "Chicago Chronicle", with Larry becoming a full-fledged investigative reporter, and Balki ending up on the executive staff. This latter upward move unfortunately turns out to be a byproduct of "affirmative action", inasmuch as Balki is an immigrant from the island of Mypos; once he finds this out, Balki is delighted to be demoted to a lesser editorial position. As in previous seasons, the two protagonists find themselves in situations that would not be out of place in a Laurel & Hardy comedy, such as a visit to the dentist and a misadventure on the golf links. And while Bronson Pinchot has emerged as the series' most popular actor--and as such the one who is handed the juiciest assignment, such as the episode wherein he plays both Balki and his wheeler-dealer cousin Bartok--the other regulars are all given their own moments to shine. Examples include the two-part episode in which Larry must endure a visit from his ultra-perfectionist father, and the "Chronicle"'s uptight advice columnist Lydia (Belita Moreno) struggles to overcome her fear of the camera in order to host her own TV show. One of the season's most memorable episodes is "This Old House", in which while trying to unload a dilapidated "fixer upper," Larry meets a yuppie couple who are dead ringers for the characters of Elliot and Hope on the popular drama series thirtysomething (though not played by the same actors!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lori Loughlin joins the Full House cast for the series' second season in the role of Rebecca "Becky" Donaldson, the new co-host of Danny Tanner's (Bob Saget) local TV series "Wake Up San Francisco." Before the season is over, Becky will have fallen in love with Danny's brother-in-law, Jesse Cochran (John Stamos), but whether or not she'll accept his season-ending proposal is left up in the air. Meanwhile, Jesse and Danny's comedian pal Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) continue lending their helping hands as the widowed Danny tries to raise his daughters -- 11-year-old D.J. (Candace Cameron), six-year-old Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and three-year-old Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) -- without maternal assistance. This season's highlights include the introduction of Richard Paul as Danny's bombastic boss, Mr. Strowbridge, and the first appearance of John Aprea as Jesse's Greek father, Nick. Also worth noting is the crisis developing around the 12th birthday party of D.J.'s best friend, Kimmy Gibler (Andrea Barber); the guys' Three Stooges costumes for a Halloween party; a "dream night" with the Beach Boys (as themselves); the episode "Our Very First Christmas," with the usual mixups and queries about Santa's existence; the girls' competition over rewards for good grades; Jesse "overbooking" himself on his birthday; and in the two-episode season finale, an eventful getaway to Lake Tahoe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Debuting September 22, 1987, the ABC sitcom Full House was set in San Francisco, specifically the rambling townhouse of local TV sports host Danny Tanner (Bob Saget). Following the sudden death of his wife, Pam, Danny assumed full responsibility of raising his three daughters: oldest girl Donna Jo, (aka D.J., played by Candace Cameron), who was ten years old at the outset of the series; middle child Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), who went from age 5 to 13 in the course of events; and the baby of the family, Michelle, a role shared throughout the show's run by twin child actresses Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (who'd have thought these two precocious youngsters, both two years old when the show debuted, would remain stars into adulthood, and even one day grace the cover of Rolling Stone?). Helping Danny survive the trials and tribulations of single parenthood were his brother-in-law Jesse Cochran (John Stamos), a fun-loving would-be rock singer, and his best friend, Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier), a zany aspiring comedian. During the series' third season, Jesse married Rebecca "Becky" Donaldson (Lori Loughlin), Danny's co-host on the daily TV show "Wake Up San Francisco." Around the same time, Jesse reverted to his Greek heritage by adopting his family's name "Katsopolis," and Becky followed suit. In season four, Becky gave birth to twins, Nicky and Alice, played by real-life siblings Blake Tuomy-Wilhoit and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit. Other secondary characters included Becky's temporary replacement, Vicky Larson (Gail Edwards), with whom Danny fell in love (though they amicably ended the relationship before plunging into matrimony, reportedly because the series' producers didn't want to tinker with their successful "single father" premise); D.J.'s best friend, Kimmy Gibler (Andrea Barber), and her slightly older boyfriend (during seasons six and seven, at least), film student Steve Hale (Scott Weinger); Stephanie's wisecracking pal Gia (Marla Sokoloff); and Michelle's classmates Denise Frazier (Jurnee Smollett) and Teddy (Tahj Mowry). A steady and reliable fixture of ABC's Friday-evening schedule (except for a brief Tuesday-evening stay in the summer of 1988), Full House was at one juncture America's seventh most popular program. The series lasted until August 29, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season One of Perfect Strangers begins not long after aspiring photographer Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) has moved out of his family's house (bidding his eight siblings goodbye in the process) and into his own apartment in Chicago. Any hopes of enjoying the life of a carefree bachelor are dashed when Larry's distant cousin Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot), a sheepherder from the faraway island of Mypos, shows up at Larry's doorstep and promptly moves in with him. The wide-eyed, effusive, easily impressed Balki provides hilarious contrast to the uptight, well-organized Larry, especially when both men dip into the dating pool, and when Balki insists upon honoring one of the many, invariably bizarre Myposian customs. During this season, Larry works at the Ritz Discount Shop, taking orders from his nasty, avaricious boss "Twinkie" (Ernie Sabella) and occasionally from Twinkie's equally abrasive wife Edwina (Belita Moreno). Balki doesn't hold down a regular job, but instead attends night school in hopes of becoming an American citizen. Occasionally, Larry goes out with his upstairs neighbor, nurse Susan Campbell (Lise Cutter). Episode highlights include Balki's first date, a benighted effort by Larry to give Balki driving lessons, and the Myposian immigrant's innocent abuse of his checking-account privileges. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this filmization of the hit Broadway musical, a popular brothel is threatened with a shutdown by Texas authorities. Burt Reynolds plays the Sheriff, while Dolly Parton portrays the Chicken Ranch madam. While this film has its moments, it never reaches the entertainment heights of its stage predecessor. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi