Imagining a Universe Without Bob Saget

Earlier this month, I wrote about how Empire quietly, subtly, maybe accidentally has created a universe in which Courtney Love doesn’t exist. Today, something similar: a parallel version of Full House in which there is no Bob Saget.

Gaze upon these bizarre, Saget-free opening credits!

See the Not-the-Danny and think “Oh, hey, he’s decent looking, by sitcom dad standards, in a Guttenburgian sort of way.”

These opening credits preceded the unaired pilot, which featured actor John Posey in the role of Danny Tanner. Posey went on to have a busy TV career anyway. He played Dr. Conrad Fenris on two episodes of Teen Wolf, and I point this out only because it amuses me that a character was given this name. “Hello, I am Dr. Conrad Fenris. I have a normal-seeming name for humans, because I am one.” He is also the father of series star Tyler Posey, which I guess makes him DJ Tanner, figuratively speaking.

Is it odd if it seems somewhat sinister to me that after re-casting the role and giving it to Bob Saget, the show re-filmed the scenes of Danny enjoying a daddy-daughter day out at Fisherman’s Wharf?

I realize that’s the logical thing to do when you re-cast your lead actor, but seeing the scenes side-by-side, there’s this whiff of “John Posey who? See, no, it’s always been Saget. Saget is the father. Look, Saget loves his daughter-children. They are family. Do not remember John Posey.”

Finally, your Full House experience can be complete.

Overthinking TV, previously:

• Four Quick Observations About the Cheers Theme
• Last Decade on Murder, She Wrote
• That One Bizarrely Twin Peaks-y Episode of Darkwing Duck
• When Sitcoms Got Scary
• Seinfeld and the Two Rebeccas De Mornay