Roseanne 

A revival of the popular 1990s sitcom 'Roseanne,' which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.

Creators:

Roseanne Barr, Matt Williams

Stars:

Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 44 wins & 113 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Roseanne Barr	...	Roseanne Conner / ... 230 episodes, 1988-2018
John Goodman	...	Dan Conner / ... 230 episodes, 1988-2018
Laurie Metcalf	...	Jackie Harris / ... 230 episodes, 1988-2018
Michael Fishman	...	D.J. Conner / ... 229 episodes, 1988-2018
Sara Gilbert	...	Darlene Conner / ... 230 episodes, 1988-2018
Alicia Goranson	...	Becky Conner / ... 158 episodes, 1988-2018
Johnny Galecki	...	David Healy / ... 94 episodes, 1992-2018

Storyline

'Roseanne' is the story of a working-class family struggling with life's essential problems--marriage, children, money, and parents-in-law. A now-classic sitcom, the story circles around the Connor family, a family of five that includes the parents, Roseanne and Dan, and the children, Becky, Darlene, and D.J.. Roseanne is helped in her challenge to keep the family moving along by her single sister, Jackie, and various friends.

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Plot Keywords:

stand up comedian | motherhood | working class | marriage | sitcom | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Life and Stuff

Filming Locations:

Stage 15, CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wind Dancer Productions,Carsey-Werner Company,Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

21 min 22 min (222 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roseanne based the Conner family on her own. This is why she knew people would take to them. She also wanted to give Roseanne a voice to the average American working mother.

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Goofs

In the episode "Brain Dead Poet Society" Roseanne only serves a plate of food to Dan and Darlene, but DJ and Becky have plates of food in front of them at the end of the scene.

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Crazy Credits

Final Episode - Final Scene "Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible." T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 TV Families (2014)

User Reviews

A True Television Masterpiece

I was twelve years old when "Roseanne" came out, and vividly remember it having such a huge impact on my family, as well as society as a whole. For the first time, middle-class families could identify with characters on a sitcom, and enjoy real life issues and problems being handled with utmost care and realism.

What made "Roseanne" unique was its utter lack of vanity, superficiality, and unrealistic idealism. In the age of "The Cosby Show," and "Family Ties," Roseanne stormed in as an overweight, screaming mother who didn't always keep her house clean, didn't pay the bills on time, didn't always have the answer, and didn't keep her sexuality hidden. From the very first episode, viewers got to see a messy house, screaming kids who don't always listen, and parents who struggle with money, menial jobs, and weight issues. Finally, a real family on television! Can you think of another show where the female lead walks around the house with an xxx-large bright pink bathrobe, rollers in her hair, and can still be taken seriously? Whatever you might think of Roseanne personally (in terms of her public behavior), she never let it effect the quality of the show. The show benefited from WONDERFUL writing, a fantastic cast, and a pitch-perfect blend of comedy and drama. The show had some incredibly funny moments, combined with profoundly touching scenes that really played well on television; the show was never sappy, and stayed true to life. In my opinion, virtually every episode during seasons one through six, with rare exceptions, played out like thirty minute masterpieces. By seasons three and four, the show had reached perfection.

Roseanne acted her heart out on this show, and got better every year. She could always deliver a sarcastic one-liner like no other, but as the show progressed she managed the dramatic scenes with perfect accuracy. She managed to infuse her strong, sarcastic exterior with an incredible dose of heart and generosity. John Goodman had exceptional chemistry with Roseanne, and turned Dan into a hard-working, loving father that we all wish we could have. Laurie Metcalf's Jackie was, perhaps, the shows most complex character, and, in my opinion, the best actor of them all. She could take even mundane lines and turn them into hysterical comedy. Metcalf turned Jackie into a cool, sympathetic character you always wanted around. The sister relationship between Roseanne and Jackie was perhaps the most realistic ever portrayed on TV.

The kids of the show were also exceptional. I remember watching Darlene when I was a kid/teenager, and thinking "finally, a realistic depiction of a teenager." The iconic Darlene was a tomboy, depressed at times, and certainly not your typical happy, popular, beautifully perfect character. She had many challenges, emotions, and Gilbert pulled them all off with complete ease. Darlene was a hero to anybody who felt like they didn't fit in. Becky was the whiny, spoiled brat of the bunch, played beautifully by Lecy Garonson; she never hit a false note. Sarah Chalke, on the other hand, was sub par, and really should never have been cast as a replacement. Even DJ, the youngest of the bunch, had some incredible one-liners, and managed to be completely real.

Overall, this show goes down as a masterpiece; it's exactly what a TV show should be: Hysterically funny, profound, insightful, relevant, and, above all, completely entertaining.