Bob Saget's Death Inspired An Episode In Season 2 Of Disney's Big Shot
John Stamos made a name for himself on "Full House" as Jesse Katsopolis, the Elvis-loving brother-in-law of Danny Tanner (Bob Saget). In the years since "Full House" wrapped in 1995, Stamos has reemerged in other television roles, including ones in "ER," "Grandfathered," and "Scream Queens." In April 2021, he took on his latest leading role with the Disney+ sports series "Big Shot." Stamos plays Coach Marvyn Korn, a hotheaded former Division I basketball coach who takes a job at an all-girls prep school in California.
"Big Shot" netted fans with its funny, heartfelt tone and a magnetic cast that also includes Jessalyn Gilsig and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dean Sherilyn Thomas. The sports dramedy has a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and on October 12, "Big Shot" returned for a second season. Season 2 contains plenty of drama, including a fiery new player and the arrival of boys — and a boys' basketball team — at Westbrook School. For Stamos, Season 2 also provided an opportunity to get sentimental. Here's how Bob Saget's death inspired an episode of "Big Shot."
John Stamos wanted to make a Big Shot episode inspired by Bob Saget's legacy
An icon of squeaky-clean sitcoms and the raunchy stand-up circuit alike, Bob Saget passed away in January 2022. For John Stamos, the tragic event hit hard. "When Bob died, it rocked my world and still does," the actor told Entertainment Weekly. "It got me thinking, like, what's my legacy, man? When Bob died there was like this tsunami of love, as you saw." Stamos channeled that grief and self-reflection into an episode of "Big Shot."
In the episode, a friend and mentor of Marvyn's dies. In an interview with Screen Rant, Stamos said, "He gets this outpouring of love like Bob, and [Marvyn's like], 'What am I leaving here? What's my legacy? What have I done in my life?' He gets a chance to hear what he's done that he maybe doesn't realize, and at graduation, the girls tell him what he means to them. Other people say, 'This is how you changed my life.' It's a beautiful story, but it's inspired by Bob."
For Stamos, it was necessary to honor his friend and former "Full House" co-star's impact. "I wanted to do a story about legacy. Because I don't think Bob knew the impact that he had," said Stamos. "He didn't know how loved he was, and it was a tragedy that he didn't get to hear what people thought of him and how he touched so many lives—how many lives he saved."