As expected, John Stamos brought the most energy, laughs, and even shocking secrets to Fox's day at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour. Though no one asked about his recent stay in rehab, Stamos did admit some fascinating insider information about the Olsen twins on Full House and what he thought when he found out he'd be playing a grandfather on his new comedy, Grandfathered.
When a journalist mentioned that the upcoming Unauthorized Full House Story on Lifetime (premiering August 22) addresses Stamos' dislike of the Olsen twins, Stamos himself confirmed that the rumors were true. "They cried a lot in the beginning," he said. In fact, they cried so much (they were barely one year old) that the producers brought in another set of red-haired twins to play Michelle. Turns out those twins didn't work out much better, so the Olsen twins returned. "So, yes, that was true," admitted Stamos, who now of course wants Ashley and Mary-Kate to return to the Fuller House reboot.
In Stamos' new series, Grandfathered (which features a hilarious Full House cameo!), the bachelor finds himself with not only a son (played by Josh Peck) but a granddaughter as well. "When Fox first said, 'How do you think about the title, Grandfathered,' I said, "What do you think about [the title] F--k You?" said the 51-year-old to big laughs.
So has playing a grandfather kicked his paternal instincts into high gear? "It's still something I would hope to achieve one day...to be a father," admitted Stamos. "We'll see what happens in my life."
Grandfathered premieres on Fox on September 29.
In other Fox news...
Empire: Pitbull will guest star and perform on the second season of Empire. He joins previously announced guest stars Chris Rock, Kelly Rowland, Marisa Tomei, Ludacris, Adam Rodriguez, and others. Empire returns on Wednesday, September 23. The show will panel at the TCA's later today, so stay tuned for more updates. In other Lee Daniels news, Fox has ordered his new pilot, called Star, which is set against the music business but told from the perspective of the artist. The drama will be set in Atlanta and revolves around three girls who come together to form a band.
Bones/Sleepy Hollow: The two drama series will have a crossover event on Thursday, October 29.
The Last Man on Earth: Jason Sudeikis will guest star during season two.
Prison Break: No, your eyes aren't seeing things. The Fox hit, which ran from 2005 to 2009, will be back for a 10-episode miniseries sometime either next summer or in time for the 2016/17 season. Creator Paul Scheuring is already working on the first script, which will reunite Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell as brothers Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows. Fox co-chief Dana Walden said that the series "picks up the characters several years after we left them in the last season of the show." As far as the supporting characters (we're looking at you Sarah Wayne Callies and Paul Adelstein!), Fox isn't saying who, but that iconic characters will be back. Oh, and as for that straight-to-video film that Fox released post-series in which Michael died? Fox co-chief Gary Newman says to ignore it.__
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Bill Hader (Trainwreck) will appear as the new captain in the season premiere of the comedy series. Fox hasn't revealed if it's for one episode or more. Brooklyn premieres September 27.
Rosewood: Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black) will become a series regular on the new Fox drama. The series is about a private pathologist who works in Miami, where he's in high demand with law enforcement. The series premieres on September 23.
Gotham: Michael Chiklis will join the cast in the series' sophomore year. The show premieres September 21.
__Scream Queens: The TCA panel was largely spoiler-free, with almost every actress (and Gabriel Luna) admitting that even they don't know what's to come on the series. Some interesting tidbits: Although the show is filmed in New Orleans, the show is not set there (an exact location hasn't been revealed). Also, just because a character is "killed" in an episode doesn't mean you won't see them again later down the line. Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Grande, Joe Jonas, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer, and others star in the campy horror series, which debuts its two-hour premiere on Tuesday, September 22.
