RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Actor and comedian Bob Saget has died. He was well known as the straight-laced patriarch on ABC's hit TV show "Full House." For eight seasons, Saget played widower Danny Tanner, who struggled to minimize the wackiness around him.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FULL HOUSE")
BOB SAGET: (As Danny Tanner) Gentlemen, Tarzan, who was raised in the jungle by apes, went to bed in better shape than that baby.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The character Saget played felt like America's dad as he raised his three daughters in their San Francisco home alongside his brother-in-law and his best friend.
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DAVE COULIER: (As Joey Gladstone, imitating baby) Good night, Uncle Jesse. Next time you see me, I'll have a big surprise for you.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS")
MARTIN: And that music - Saget also hosted the wildly popular TV show "America's Funniest Home Videos." He did it from 1989 to 1997. It was a compilation of our fellow citizens at their silliest and most embarrassing.
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JILL COLUCCI: (Singing) The funny things you do, America, America, this is you.
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Saget.
MARTIN: For those who don't remember, it was what we watched before you could scroll through epic fails on YouTube or TikTok.
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SAGET: Thank you. Thank you. I really didn't expect that response. Thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGET: One guy. Welcome.
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SAGET: Front, boneheads in the lobby. You can laugh there.
(LAUGHTER)
MARTÍNEZ: And host Bob Saget's comedy was right at the heart of it. He seemed like a perfect fit for the wholesome nonsense the show was known for. But after leaving "America's Funniest Home Videos" in 1997, America's dad focused on his racier material, stand-up filled with profanity and raunchy roasts. But something of Danny Tanner remained. Here's Saget in 2017 recalling to Jimmy Kimmel how longtime friend Don Rickles described his more adult-style routine.
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SAGET: And he would say, you know what Bob Saget does in his act? Oh, he comes out like a Jewish Clark Kent, and then he sings a song (singing) and the monkey [expletive] the dog and the dog [expletive] the monkey.
JIMMY KIMMEL: Yeah.
SAGET: And I said, Don, I don't do that.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGET: I've never said that. I've inferred.
(LAUGHTER)
MARTÍNEZ: The actor and comedian died yesterday after one last stand-up performance in Orlando. In a tweet, he thanked his final audience, saying he was happily addicted to making people laugh. Bob Saget was 65.
(SOUNDBITE OF FELBM'S "STERNENHIMMEL") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.