126: Michelle Tanner Meets a Yankee Doodle Dandy

“The Play’s the Thing” (November 17, 1992)

The big joke with Full House never did a gay episode despite being a show about three men cohabitating and coparenting in San Francisco. However, the fifth season introduced Derek (Blake McIver Ewing), a new friend for Michelle who’s well-mannered, soft-spoken and really good at showtunes. We’d argue that Derek, while young, still comes off as a queer-coded character, and the fact the actor himself would later come out makes the performance all the more interesting.

Submit your pitch for issue two of Beyond Sunset here. Also buy the first issue of Beyond Sunset.

Watch the unaired Full House pilot with John Posey playing the Bob Saget role.

Watch a pre-Full House Bob Saget on the CBS Morning Show.

Watch Lori Loughlin play Black Canary on the WB Birds of Prey before her Full House co-star Jurnee Smollett played her in the Birds of Prey movie.

The history of “Yankee Doodle,” via Atlas Obscura.

Episode artwork designed by Ian O’Phelan.