Comedian Bob Saget, who was found dead Sunday in his hotel room in Florida at the age of 65, is best known as "America's favorite dad" on the long-running, SF-set ABC sitcom Full House. On Monday, mourning fans were already gathering for selfies and leaving flowers outside the "Full House house" on Broderick Street, the exterior of which was used in the show and its unfortunate Netflix reboot.
Saget is the latest famous comedian to bow out before his time, and his death has been mourned on social media by Full House costars including John Stamos (who tweeted Sunday, "I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete and utter shock."), and recent scandal participant Lori Loughlin (who gave a statement Monday to US Weekly saying, "Bob was more than my friend; he was my family. I will miss his kind heart and quick wit.").
And seeing as, for a certain large segment of Millennials and younger Gen Xers, a trip to San Francisco usually involves posing in Alamo Square Park in front of the Painted Ladies — as the cast did during the opening credits — and visiting the house that served as the Tanner family's, at least its exterior, throughout the franchise, it makes sense that this is where a local memorial to Saget might pop up.
On Monday, we found a half dozen people milling around, shooting photos and video, and a few bouquets were lined up along the home's front gate.
SFist covered the important event when Saget himself posed for a photo in front of the house back in 2013.
SFist has also, for years, tracked the home at 1709 Broderick Street in Lower Pac Heights as it's changed hands and, like everything, appreciated handsomely in value. Back in 2016, to our delight and surprise, Full House creator Jeff Franklin purchased the home for a cool $4 mil, and he said he was happy that the place attracted 250 or so selfie-taking tourists every day.
"The house came on the market and really, I just thought, I have to buy this house," Franklin told the Hollywood Reporter at the time. "I'm so sentimental about the house. It's great to have the house in our Full House family and be able to preserve it for the fans. Seriously, I love owning this house."
The purchase happened, maybe not coincidentally, a few months after Fuller House had been renewed for a second season at Netflix. The house was initially put up as a rental for $14,000 a month, but Franklin said he had plans to remodel the interior in the style of the TV set, and return the exterior to its vintage Full House color scheme — and maybe use it as a shooting location for the third season of the reboot. (Did this happen? I didn't watch.)
In a very San Francisco turn of events, Franklin's plans were thwarted by NIMBY neighbors who didn't want the house to attract any more tourists than it already does. And Franklin nonetheless managed to flip the house for a profit in 2020, selling it for $5.35 million after over a year on the market.
The new owners will now, for at least a week or two, have to deal with a bit more foot traffic and selfie-taking outside. KPIX already posted up outside on Sunday night, talking to mourning fans as they passed through.
And local scribe Scott Lucas posted a tweet giving Saget's passing the fictional, SF-centric, Full House treatment. "After Danny's unexpected death, DJ wants to sell the house and move to Boise, but Michelle would rather keep it for the tax benefits. Meanwhile, Kimmy Gibbler reports the Tanners to [Supervisor] Dean Preston for unapproved interior alterations."
After Danny's unexpected death, DJ wants to sell the house and move to Boise, but Michelle would rather keep it for the tax benefits. Meanwhile, Kimmy Gibbler reports the Tanners to Dean Preston for unapproved interior alterations.
— Scott Lucas (@scottlucas) January 10, 2022