Netflix Rides the Wave of Nostalgia with "Fuller House"
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Winter TCA 2016: Netflix Rides the Wave of Nostalgia With "Fuller House" 01.17.2016 On the surface, The Ranch looks like a conventional sitcom for Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson and the rest of the cast. But it's a Netflix sitcom, and that means it's different. And not just in terms of the distribution model: The Ranch has a 20-episode order that's going to be split between two 10-episode releases throughout the year. "We're doing a very traditional [sitcom] format, with a live audience, but because we're working with Netflix we get to explore," said Ashton Kutcher as reported by Deadline. "You don't want something that's going to bleed 'fiction.' Netflix has given us the liberty to break [conventions] and we have gone after them hard." Sam Elliott and Debra Winger also star, and the show premieres April 1. Netflix's cash cow (among many) Orange is the New Black didn't offer any details about its forthcoming fourth season, other than the promise of new characters to the mix. Season four of Orange is the New Black arrives June 17. The ladies of Grace and Frankie, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, were a hoot, dispensing advice and lewdness in equal measure. Kauffman was equal parts resistant and hesitant to do a 9 to 5 reunion, but as always, there's a chance. "I will say there will never be a Friends reunion movie, but I won't say never about the Dolly Parton reunion," said creator Marta Kauffman. The ladies of Grace and Frankie were far more insistent. "We would like to have Dolly for the fun of it," said Tomlin, with Fonda claiming they themselves already have an idea in mind. The secret to living a long life? "Good TV," said Fonda. Perhaps that's why the cast of Fuller House has hardly aged since the heyday of Full House. "You say you can never come back home," said Dave Coulier, in a taped segment. "But we came back home." Fuller House is riding the wave of nostalgia, combining that with a new show, according to creator Jeff Franklin. The series is focused on the lives of the three women all grown up (DJ Tanner, Kimmy Gibbler and Stephanie Tanner), but fans also will get to see the rest of the Tanner family, including Coulier, John Stamos, Lori Loughlin and Bob Saget. "We want them to come through now and then, because it's a family, and we want them there. But this is a show centered around these three women. [As the show progresses,] the visits become more sporadic. It's really about their lives, their children, the next generation," said Franklin. But they haven't given up on getting the Olsen twins onboard. "We only need one of them. We're hopeful," said Franklin. "We still love them. The door is always open, and I hope it happens." Executive producer Bob Boyett mirrored Ted Sarandos' earlier sentiment that there's a desire for good family programming, and that Fuller House fills a gap. "I thought it was very timely," said Boyett. "We aged pretty damn well," said star Jodie Sweetin. We'll find out if that's true February 26 when the show premieres. If you trust Candace Cameron Bure's kids, you're in luck: they preferred Fuller House to the original. If Full House has a legacy, it's dwarfed by the 30 year legacy of Degrassi, which debuted on Netflix January 4 in a new form: Degrassi: Next Class. Series creator Linda Schuyler is overjoyed to bring her baby to Netflix. "[It's] such an amazing opportunity to meet the kids where they are," she said. The series will remain focused on telling authentic stories about Canadian and American youth. When asked if the show has segued darker, they didn't think so. "I think we're telling the stories that's happening today. I wouldn't necessarily say it's darker," said executive producer Sarah Glinksi. "Drugs have changed but the problems have stayed the same," said star Stefan Brogren. On the subject of familiar faces returning to the show, the producers were predictably mum on details, but teased "the odd familiar face" for the show's 500th (!!) episode come season 2. Often while shooting the series, Brogren and the producers will stress that they wanted the kids to give their "Netflix version" of the performance. This meant they wanted something more honest, real and truthful. That's the Netflix way. [All images courtesy of Netflix].