You're sitting on the couch, humming that catchy tune about a milkman and the paperboy, and suddenly it hits you. You want to binge the whole thing. But then you start scrolling through streaming services and realize the math doesn't quite add up. If you're wondering how many seasons of Full House are there, the short answer is eight. Eight years of mullets, catchphrases, and more "hugs-per-episode" than any other show in history.
But it’s never quite that simple, is it?
Depending on who you ask—or which corner of the internet you’re lurking in—you might hear people talking about thirteen seasons. They aren't lying, but they aren't exactly right either. It really comes down to whether you’re counting the original run on ABC or including the Netflix revival that brought the Tanner family into the iPhone era.
Honestly, the show shouldn't have worked as well as it did. It was a cheesy sitcom about three men raising three girls in a San Francisco Victorian. Yet, it became the cornerstone of ABC’s TGIF lineup. It launched the Olsen twins into a billion-dollar empire. It made John Stamos a household name. And even decades after the final episode aired, people are still trying to figure out how many seasons they need to buy to have the "complete" collection.
The Original Run: Eight Seasons of "Have Mercy"
Between 1987 and 1995, Full House was a juggernaut. It didn't start that way, though. Season 1 was actually a bit of a gamble. Critics didn't love it. They thought it was too sweet, too predictable, and maybe a little too much like Three Men and a Baby. But the audience? They couldn't get enough.
The original series produced exactly 192 episodes across eight seasons.
If you look back at the early years, the show was fundamentally different. Season 1 featured a much younger, more "stand-up comic" version of Bob Saget. He was clean-cut but you could tell he was holding back that R-rated humor he was known for in the clubs. By the time we hit Season 8, the girls were grown, Michelle was talking in full (and very sassy) sentences, and the house was getting crowded. Like, seriously crowded. Between Danny, Jesse, Joey, DJ, Stephanie, Michelle, Becky, and the twins, Nicky and Alex, that house must have had some incredible plumbing to keep up.
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Why People Get Confused About the Season Count
So, where does the confusion come from? Usually, it's the "Fuller" factor.
In 2016, Netflix decided to tap into our collective nostalgia and released Fuller House. This wasn't just a TV movie or a one-off special. It was a full-blown multi-season series that flipped the script, focusing on DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy Gibbler.
Fuller House ran for five seasons.
If you add the original eight seasons of Full House to the five seasons of Fuller House, you get 13 seasons of the Tanner family saga. When you're searching for how many seasons of Full House are there, your brain might be grouping them all together. Most purists, however, keep them separate. If you buy a "Complete Series" DVD box set today, you’re almost certainly getting the eight seasons from the 80s and 90s.
The Evolution of the Seasons: A Quick Breakdown
It’s kind of wild to see how much the show changed from the premiere in '87 to the finale in '95.
- Seasons 1-2: The "Growing Pains" era. The show was finding its footing. Jesse was still "Uncle Jesse Cochran" (he later changed his last name to Katsopolis). The Olsen twins were just babies, often rotated in and out of scenes depending on who was less cranky.
- Seasons 3-5: The Golden Age. This is when the show hit its peak in the ratings. We got the wedding of Jesse and Becky. We got the move to the attic. We got "You got it, dude!" becoming a national catchphrase.
- Seasons 6-8: The Transition. DJ was heading to high school and thinking about college. The show started tackling "older" themes like eating disorders and drinking, though always with a neat, thirty-minute resolution and a soft piano track playing in the background.
The Secret "Lost" Pilot and Casting Changes
Did you know there’s a version of Season 1 that almost nobody saw?
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Before Bob Saget was cast as Danny Tanner, the pilot was filmed with an actor named John Posey. He was fine, but he didn't have that specific chemistry with Dave Coulier and John Stamos. When Saget became available, the producers reshot the whole thing. If you ever find the "Posey Pilot," it feels like an alternate dimension. It's one of those weird trivia bits that makes the eight-season run feel even more legendary.
There's also the weirdness of the final season. Season 8 wasn't actually supposed to be the end. The show was still doing okay in the ratings, but it was getting expensive to produce. ABC was ready to move on, and there were talks about moving the show to the then-new WB network for a ninth season.
John Stamos, however, reportedly felt the show had run its course. Without Uncle Jesse, there was no Full House. So, they wrapped it up with a two-part finale involving Michelle getting amnesia after a horse-riding accident. It was... a choice. Many fans still feel like we deserved a proper Season 9 to wrap things up more naturally.
Where to Watch Every Single Season Right Now
If you're looking to track down all eight seasons of the original show, you aren't stuck digging through bargain bins at thrift stores.
As of early 2026, the streaming rights have shuffled around a bit, but you can usually find the original Full House on Max (formerly HBO Max) or Hulu, depending on your region. It’s also available for digital purchase on platforms like Amazon Vudu and Apple TV.
If you want the follow-up, Fuller House, that remains a Netflix Original. You won't find those five seasons anywhere else unless you're buying the physical discs.
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The Cultural Impact of 192 Episodes
Eight seasons might not seem like a lot compared to The Simpsons or Law & Order, but for a family sitcom, it’s a lifetime.
The show survived the transition from the Reagan era into the Clinton years. It survived the rise of grunge music and the death of the laugh track. It’s one of the most syndicated shows in the history of television. Even if you haven't seen an episode in ten years, you probably know what "Cut it out!" means.
The reason people still care about how many seasons of Full House are there is because the show represents a specific type of comfort. It’s "chicken soup" television. You know that no matter how big the problem is—whether Stephanie drove a car into the kitchen or DJ skipped school—everything is going to be fine by the time the credits roll.
Practical Steps for Your Next Binge Watch
If you are planning to dive back into the world of the Tanners, don't just start at episode one and burn out.
- Check the aspect ratio. If you’re watching on a modern TV, the original seasons were shot in 4:3. Some streaming services "stretch" the image to fit widescreen, which makes everyone look weirdly wide. Try to find a version that preserves the original "square" format for the best experience.
- Look for the cameos. The show was famous for random guest stars. Keep an eye out for The Beach Boys, Little Richard, and even a young Jaleel White (Urkel) crossing over from Family Matters.
- Separate the eras. If you’re a fan of the kids, focus on Seasons 4 through 6. That’s when the writing for the children was at its sharpest. If you're here for the "three dads" dynamic, Season 1 and 2 are your best bets.
- Don't skip the finale. Even if the amnesia plotline is a bit soap-opera-esque, the final curtain call is a genuine tear-jerker for anyone who grew up with the show.
Whether you're counting the original eight or the full thirteen, there's a staggering amount of content to get through. It’s over 100 hours of television. That's a lot of "Have mercy," but honestly, in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, maybe a little bit of Tanner family wholesomeness is exactly what we need.
To get started, check your local streaming listings for Season 1, Episode 1, "Our Very First Show." It’s the best way to see how it all began before the mullets got out of control.
Key Takeaways for Full House Fans
- Total Seasons: 8 seasons of the original series (1987-1995).
- Total Episodes: 192 episodes.
- The Sequel: 5 seasons of Fuller House (2016-2020) on Netflix.
- Total Franchise Seasons: 13 seasons in total.
- Streaming Home: Max or Hulu for the original; Netflix for the sequel.
Instead of just wondering about the numbers, go back and watch the Season 4 episode "Shape Up"—it's a rare moment where the show gets surprisingly real about body image and it holds up remarkably well today. It reminds you that underneath the catchphrases, there was a lot of heart.