"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale" of a time when television shows began with awesome TV Theme Songs. "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name" and sometimes you want to go back to when TV Theme songs were special. "Here's a story... of a lovely" time when TV Theme Songs served to identify, distinguish and set the stage for the television program that followed. "You take the good, take the bad, take them both and there you have" what unfortunately has become a lost artform. "Believe it or not", sadly it seems no effort or pride is taken in the TV Theme Song ever since Seinfeld proved a short synth-bass riff could be used instead. “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!” This regular feature may not "make all our dreams come true", but it will remember some of the best TV Theme Songs from years past (with a focus on the '80s decade). "Come aboard, we're expecting you."
This time we will cover the theme song for Full House titled "Everywhere You Look". "Whatever happened to predictability. The milkman, the paperboy, evening tv?" Full House debuted in September of 1987 running eight seasons and 192 episodes ending in 1995 on ABC. It aired on Friday nights and became the flagship program of ABC's TGIF line-up when that started in 1989. The show follows the events of widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three daughters in San Francisco. The show's theme song was co-wrote by Jesse Frederick and his writing partner Bennett Salvay along with series creator Jeff Franklin. Frederick and Salvay had previously wrote the theme song for another Miller/Boyett production Perfect Strangers. That theme song was performed by another artist, but this time producers chose to have Jesse Frederick perform the Full House theme himself. He has a distinctive rasp in his vocals which contrasts nicely with the upbeat light-hearted tempo of the melody. Here are the opening credits of Full House featuring "Everywhere You Look" performed by Jesse Frederick…
It turns out that the Uncle Jesse character on the show may have at least been partly inspired by Jesse Frederick. The first name is the same, but there is more. Originally, when Full House was in early development in 1986 it was about three comedians sharing a house in San Francisco. One of those characters was named Adam Cochran, but after the format was revised to what we know that character's name changed to Jesse Cochran the super-cool rock musician brother-in-law/uncle (later renamed Jesse Katsopolis as a nod to John Stamos's Greek ethnicity). It is believed by some that naming him "Jesse" and turning him into a rocker was inspired by the real-life persona of Frederick. However, series creator Jeff Franklin has stated that the character's name was inspired by Elvis Presley's twin brother Jesse, who had died at a young age. It very well could've been a little of both.
Full House became one of the most popular sitcoms on television for at least part of its run. The show started a little slow, but cracked the Nielsen top 30 in its third season and the top 20 in its fourth. It was top 10 for seasons five and six in the early-90s. Millions tuned in each week and heard that catchy theme song kick off every episode. In 2015, "Everywhere You Look" was used again for the Netflix reboot series titled Fuller House, but was re-recorded by Carly Rae Jepsen. Not surprising, the song left a great impression and many will list it as one of their favorite TV Theme Songs. "Everywhere you look. Chip-a-dee-ba-ba-dow!"
Hope you enjoyed tuning in for another "episode" of TV Theme Songs!