Many '90s kids were psyched when the Tanner family made their triumphant return to TV in Fuller House, but were they so excited they caused Fuller House to attract more viewers than The Walking Dead? According to tech firm Symphony Advanced Media, Fuller House could be TV's most popular show. Now, it should be noted Netflix has denounced Symphony's ratings claims in the past. As Vanity Fair points out, when NBC used Symphony data to allegedly reveal the ratings of Netflix's most popular shows, Netflix said the numbers were way off — according to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said it was "really remarkably inaccurate data." (Bustle has reached out for comment in response to Symphony Advanced Media's most recent Fuller House claims, but has not yet heard back.)
However, it's hard to deny that the numbers Symphony is claiming are astonishing. IndieWire reported that according to Symphony's numbers, the Tanner/Fuller/Gibbler clan may have enthralled 14.4 million viewers within the first 35 days of its release. That's more than even monster hit and number one television series The Walking Dead can boast. The idea that Fuller House could command that kind of audience after all these years is inspiring — and it could explain why Netflix was so quick to put Season 2 into production.
Fuller House is an exercise in nostalgia that made audiences cringe, laugh, and smile in equal measure though. It was a '90s throwback to its core, and that's why it makes a strange sort of sense for Fuller House to be so popular. Even if the numbers Symphony are reporting are way off base, Fuller House clearly resonated with viewers, and here are few reasons why Fuller House could have attracted so many fans.
The Nostalgia Factor
For people of a certain age, Full House was a major part of their childhood. Anyone who says you can't go home again has never met a millennial, because as one myself, I promise you there are precious few TV shows from my childhood I won't happily still watch today. The chance to see Stephanie, D.J., and Kimmy all grown up was just too good to pass up, and having a show embrace its own silliness was actually refreshing. Anyone looking to scratch their '90s TV nostalgia itch likely found exactly what they were looking for in Fuller House.
It's Family Friendly
In age where TV shows are rarely ever aimed at families, Fuller House was the rare show parents and kids could happily watch together. For the adults there was the joy of seeing their favorite characters on screen again while kids met a new generation of young Fullers to relate to. Creating family friendly programming was a big deal in the '90s, but it's a rarity these days. The lack of family shows available could have majorly worked in Fuller House's favor.
The She-Wolf Pack
Fuller House put female friendships front and center, and many viewers responded positively toward so much emphasis being put on D.J., Stephanie, and Kimmy's careers, friendship, co-parenting, and romances. They proved to be an invaluable support group for each other and in the process their friendship resonated with women of all ages.
Uncle Jesse
Uncle Jesse will always be the king. Who wouldn't tune in to see John Stamos reprise his role as TV's sexiest uncle?
Whether or not this ratings report from Symphony is true, one thing is for sure: Fuller House Season 1 stole its share of hearts.
Images: Netflix; Giphy (4)
