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I don’t need to convince you that sitcom Christmas episodes are a very special thing. You’ve clicked on an article celebrating 30 years of Full House Christmases! You get it! You know that Christmas episodes are always among the most memorable installments in any show, and the best ones are totally worth rewatching every year. And when it comes to Christmas episodes, there’s possibly only one show that’s been able to really show us what Christmas was like then and also now.
I’m talking about Full House and its Netflix sequel Fuller House, two series that span over three decades of sitcom continuity and have allowed us to quite literally watch a cast of characters grow up. That’s never been more evident than right now with the release of Fuller House Season 4. Why? Because Full House aired the very first Tanner family Christmas episode 30 years ago (December 16, 1988) and Fuller House Season 4 kicked off on December 14, 2018 with a new Christmas episode. Two Christmas episodes, the first and most recent, separated by 30 years of love and laughter (and also a Trollercoaster and pet ostrich and woodchuck puppet and…).
Christmas is a time for nostalgia as you bust out old family photos and reminisce. With the 30th anniversary of Full House’s “Our Very First Christmas Show” happening pretty much right on top of the release of Fuller House’s “Oh My Santa,” now’s the perfect time to look at where this family’s been and where they are now.
Family Photos, Then and Now
Just look how the Tanner family has grown over the past 30 years! It’s grown so much that you can’t really call it just the Tanner family anymore. It’s the Fuller/Tanner/Gibbler family at this point now that DJ Fuller has three kids of her own and Kimmy Gibbler’s moved into the house alongside her daughter. In fact, Stephanie’s the only Tanner in the house on Christmas Eve 2018.
DJ, Then and Now
Back in 1988, DJ was stoked because she found Danny’s secret stash of Christmas gifts. Ironically, the Christmas miracle 30 years later happens because DJ’s lost her knack for finding hidden presents. It turns out her late husband stashed a few presents away in the cabinet above the seldom-used washer.
Stephanie, Then and Now
Stephanie went through a real Christmas crisis in “Our Very First Christmas Show.” When the Tanners got stuck in an airport baggage claim on Christmas Eve, Stephanie tried everything she could to get her current location to Santa. She even tried to call the North Pole! Three decades later, Stephanie’s an expectant mom thanks to her surrogate, Kimmy Gibbler. The one thing that doesn’t come up in this episode–or any other Full House Christmas episode–is the fact that Stephanie saw Santa’s sleigh flying through the sky in 1988! How does she not talk about this all the time?!
Joey, Then and Now
Some things change, and some things stay exactly the same. Joey Gladstone is still the guy most likely to put on a Santa suit and try to spread some holiday cheer. Back in the ’80s, he got suited up to try to cheer up Stephanie. This year he swings by the Fuller house in costume and helps little Tommy work through his sudden Santa aversion.
Kimmy, Then and Now
Kimmy Gibbler wasn’t in “Our Very First Christmas Show”; she did appear a few episodes earlier in 1988’s “Beach Boy Bingo.” This just shows how far Kimmy’s traveled in 30 years, from not even being in the family Christmas episode to being right at the heart of it in the Netflix revival. Kimmy’s carrying Stephanie’s baby, and the experience brings those former frenemies genuinely close. From frenemies to family in just 30 years!
Danny, Then and Now
The extended Tanner family isn’t completely together for Christmas 2018. Danny, Jesse, and Becky are spending the holiday with Michelle (a.k.a. the only cast member who hasn’t returned for the new show) in New York City. Still, we gotta do side-by-sides for those three since they play such a big role in “Our Very First Christmas Show”! Danny spends most of the 1988 episode treating a VHS camcorder as an iPhone on a selfie stick, documenting the family vacation for Wake Up San Francisco. And when he pops up in Season 4 of Fuller House, he goes from being an unemployed Costco addict to the returning co-host of his old show.
Becky, Then and Now
Christmas 1988 was a biiiiiig year for Rebecca Donaldson. This was Lori Loughlin’s fourth episode on Full House and it’s the one that guaranteed she’d stick around for 30 more years. Not only did Becky get stuck in the baggage claim along with the Tanner family, she also had her very first kiss with a certain Jesse Katsopolis.
When we first see Becky 30 years later in Season 4 of Fuller House, she’s still the flawless and funny TV host we’ve always loved–and she gets to reunite with Danny on-camera!
Jesse, Then and Now
As we just covered, “Our Very First Christmas Show” was a big moment for Uncle Jesse. He kissed the love of his life for the very first time! Thanks, mistletoe! He also gave a rousing speech to a whole bunch of grumpy strangers in order to stir up some Christmas cheer. And in 2018, Jesse’s a part-time stay-at-home dad, part-time owner of the ol’ Smash Club. And he clearly still has it in the looks department, as he finds out when he joins a really thirsty mommy group.
