Bob Saget as Danny Tanner in Full House has already become a part of American pop culture history. Saget is best remembered as the squeaky-clean who became a household name in the series. But while his performance became evergreen, only a few fans know that he was not in the show’s original pilot and that someone else initially played the role. Why the shakeup for such a pivotal character, and what kind of Danny Tanner portrayal did we almost get?
Long before Danny Tanner’s character made pop culture history, Saget was gaining attention as a stand-up comedian, which had a sharp contrast to the wholesome image he would eventually adopt on Full House; his humor was known to get very mature in nature on stage. Despite this contrast, Jeff Franklin had always envisioned Saget as the perfect fit for the fatherly role.
The original Danny Tanner
When Full House production began in 1987, Saget was unavailable due to a commitment to another CBS program. Because of this, John Posey was cast as Danny Tanner and filmed the original pilot, Our Very First Show. The episode featured the same storyline that viewers would later watch, but Posey’s version of the character never made it to air. As fate would have it, the show Saget was working on was canceled shortly after.
Replacing John Posey was not a small decision, as it meant reshooting the pilot episode. But the network went ahead, and Saget stepped into the role, defining his acting career. From then on, he became a TV dad for the ages. On paper, Danny Tanner was not the easiest character to make lovable, as he was uptight, extremely tidy, and had an almost obsessive approach to parenting.
Bob Saget as Danny Tanner in ‘Full House’
However, Danny Tanner’s dynamic with his three daughters, goofy best friend Joey, and rock-and-roll brother-in-law Jesse created a chemistry that helped make Full House one of the most beloved sitcoms of the late ’80s and early ’90s.
It’s hard to say how Full House would have turned out if the original casting had stuck. Behind the scenes, Saget formed lasting friendships with co-stars like John Stamos and Dave Coulier, with their bond carrying over into Fuller House, the show’s Netflix sequel that reunited the original cast decades later.