Jodie Sweetin And Andrea Barber Discuss The Recast Of Claire Tanner In “Full House” Season 3
In the July 22 episode of their rewatch podcast, How Rude, Tanneritos!, Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber delved into the Full House season 3 episode, “Granny Tanny.” Despite some heartwarming scenes, it wasn’t a favorite for everyone involved.
Originally aired on October 20, 1989, this episode features Danny Tanner’s (Bob Saget) mom, Claire, coming to visit. Claire, feeling down and unneeded since her retirement, wasn’t played by the original actress. As Andrea highlighted, “This isn’t the original Claire Tanner — this is a recast.”
Alice Hirson, known for her roles in Dallas and Ellen, first played Claire Tanner in season 1. However, for this episode, Doris Roberts stepped into the role. Jodie, 42, acknowledged Doris’ incredible career, which includes five Emmy wins, but confessed, “I did not connect with this grandma Claire as much as I did the first one. There was something about the original grandma — and this sounds so awful — that had a warmth to her.”
Andrea, 48, agreed, “It’s hard to put into words,” noting the original Claire felt more like Danny’s mom.
Jodie added, “This character felt a little more overbearing and pushy. When you watch her … she’s a little more deadpan and a little less effusive than the original grandma Claire was.”
Despite their appreciation for Doris, Andrea wondered if they should have involved series creator Jeff Franklin in discussing the episode’s casting and writing. “I wonder if the original grandma Claire wasn’t available or if they were just like, ‘Oh, Doris Roberts! Let’s get what we get on her, we’ll write this episode for her,'” she stated.
Jodie concluded, “Because of the disconnect, this was not one of my favorite episodes.”
However, “Granny Tanny” did have its memorable moments, as it featured one of Michelle Tanner’s earliest “You got it, dude” lines, which Andrea fondly remembered as “the first time the audience goes wild for it.”
Jodie added, “They really loved this … this was a successful one.”
Andrea chimed in, joking, “I can just see [Jeff Franklin] with his pencil being like, ‘Oh that was a big hit. We’re going to include that in the rest of the series.'”
The episode also introduced Michelle’s iconic pencil bed. “How many fanneritos wanted this bed at night back in 1989? So cute,” Andrea remarked.
The Olsen twins stole the show with sweet scenes about the bed’s height and jumping on it, despite Uncle Jesse’s warnings. Their delivery and facial expressions were “so cute,” Barber noted, adding, “[We were] watching the girls learn how to act.”
