Parents' Guide to Fuller House

This sequel is neither clever nor groundbreaking, but it's charming, funny, and heartwarming, not to mention nostalgic. Of course, that's also the rub; it's clearly designed with Full House fans in mind, and a lot of the smarter humor will be entirely lost on viewers who didn't know and love the original's many running gags (Jesse's "Have mercy!", Stephanie's "How rude!", Joey's "Cut it out," etc.). If you're coming in cold, you can't fully appreciate the hilarity in Kimmy embracing the Tanner home as her own ("I've waited more than 20 years ... " she says), the invaluable coping mechanism of "hugging it out," or the irony of Max's cleaning obsession, for instance. Even so, as the series progresses, it relies less heavily on these references and focuses instead on the current cast and their issues, from sibling woes to hints of a new start for DJ and high school flame Steve (Scott Weinger).

For family viewing, Fuller House is a fine pick. If you grew up with the Tanners on TV, you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of watching how this show intentionally parallels the first, and your kids likely won't care that they're missing the inside jokes since the series is fairly amusing on its own merits. Like Full House, this series doesn't dwell on the serious issues it raises, most prominently the loss of a loved one and divorce, but it does leave that door open to work into the characters' experiences. Ultimately it's a decent watch that leaves a feel-good impression of what defines and binds a family.