| Roseanne | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Roseanne Barr Matt Williams |
| Starring | Roseanne Barr John Goodman Laurie Metcalf Sara Gilbert Michael Fishman Lecy Goranson Sarah Chalke Johnny Galecki Natalie West Glenn Quinn Estelle Parsons Sandra Bernhard |
| Theme music composer | W. G. Snuffy Walden |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 222 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Roseanne Barr Marcy Carsey Tom Werner |
| Running time | approx. 22–23 minutes (per episode) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Picture format | NTSC (480i) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original run | October 18, 1988 – May 20, 1997 |
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997.[1] Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family. The series reached #1 in the Nielsen ratings becoming the most watched television show in the United States from 1989 to 1990, and remained in the top four for six of its nine seasons, and in the top twenty for eight.
In 1997, the episode "A Stash from the Past" was ranked #21 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[2] In 2002, Roseanne was ranked #35 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[3]
Contents |
The show centered on the Conners, an American working class family struggling to get by on a limited household income in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Lanford was nominally located in Fulton County, but other on-air references over the years suggest the town is in the vicinity of Aurora, Elgin, and DeKalb, which are much closer to Chicago. The family was led by outspoken matriarch Roseanne, married to husband Dan, with three children Becky, Darlene, D.J. In Season 8, Roseanne and Dan have a fourth child, Jerry Garcia.
Many critics considered the show notable as one of the first sitcoms to portray a blue-collar American family with two parents working outside the home, as well as lead characters who were noticeably overweight without such being the target of jokes.[4][5] For many years, Roseanne tackled taboo subjects or joked about issues that most other popular shows at the time avoided, such as poverty, alcoholism, flatulence, drug abuse, sex, menstruation, birth control, teenage pregnancy, masturbation, obesity, abortion, race, social class, domestic violence, infidelity, and gay rights. The show was also significant for its portrayal of feminist ideals including a female-dominated household, a female lead whose likability did not rely on her appearance, relationships between female characters that were cooperative rather than competitive, and females openly expressing themselves without negative consequences.
Roseanne was successful from its beginning, ranking #1 in the Nielsen ratings its second season, becoming the most watched television program in the United States from 1989 to 1990, and spending its first six seasons among the Nielsen ratings' top five highest-rated shows; the finale attracted 16 million viewers. With the success of Roseanne, television networks began offering sitcom deals to stand-up comedians, a practice that continued for years afterward.
Establishing shots were photographed in Evansville, Indiana, the hometown of first-season producer Matt Williams.
Barr's real-life brother and sister are gay, which is what inspired her to push for introducing gay characters and issues into the show and was part of the reason for her fallout with former executive producer Matt Williams, who protested making the character Nancy a lesbian. "My show seeks to portray various slices of real life, and homosexuals are a reality," said Barr.[6]
Story arcs occasionally spanned several episodes or an entire season.
Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) is a line worker at Wellman Plastics, along with her sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and friend Crystal (Natalie West). Jackie has a brief relationship with Booker (George Clooney), the foreman at Wellman. Dan (John Goodman) finds sporadic work as a construction contractor and faces a strained relationship with his irresponsible father (Ned Beatty). Roseanne's parents, Beverly (Estelle Parsons) and Al (John Randolph), consider moving to Lanford, but eventually decide against it. Tomboy Darlene (Sara Gilbert) struggles with her femininity as she enters puberty and gets her first period. Becky (Lecy Goranson) faces dating problems with her first boyfriend Chip, who is introduced in the "Lover's Lane" episode. Season one also finds the Conners experiencing, and surviving, a tornado. In the "Death and Stuff" episode a door-to-door salesman dies in the Conners' kitchen, and in the season finale, Roseanne stands up to a new foreman (Fred Thompson), when she leads Jackie, Crystal, and other coworkers as they quit Wellman Plastics. DJ is played by Sal Barone in the pilot episode and by Michael Fishman for the remainder of the series. There is a running gag in this season where they use the word "corn" in every episode.[7][8]
Now that they've quit Wellman Plastics, Roseanne and Jackie must find new jobs. Jackie decides to become a police officer. Roseanne cycles through a variety of menial jobs including telemarketer, secretary for Dan's boss, bartender, cashier at a fast-food restaurant, and, finally, sweeping floors at a beauty parlor. At home, Dan's poker buddy Arnie (Tom Arnold) makes a startling debut when he plants a passionate kiss on Roseanne. The Conners celebrate an outrageous Halloween that becomes an annual feature of the series. Roseanne wants 10 minutes to herself in the bathroom; this turns into a bizarre dream sequence. Later, at Thanksgiving dinner, Dan takes wary notice of a growing romance between his father and Crystal. Jackie gets serious with new boyfriend Gary (Brian Kerwin). Becky repeatedly rebels against Roseanne and Dan's parental authority. The reappearance of old biker buddy Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders) reminds Roseanne and Dan of their own rebellious past. Darlene first proves her talent for writing when she wins recognition for her poetry. Roseanne's own writing talents are given a boost when her family fixes up a basement room to serve as a writer's den. This is the first season where we hear Roseanne thinking out loud.[9]
Other notable guest stars during the season include Stephen Dorff as Becky's boyfriend Jimmy, Jenny Lewis as Becky's friend Diane, Stephen Root as Roseanne's lawyer Peter, and Bert Parks as a judge. Ann Wedgeworth played Dan Conner's mother in the Thanksgiving episode.
The season opens with the Conner women confronting the issue of pregnancy: Roseanne takes a pregnancy test that turns up negative. Roseanne takes on a job as waitress in the restaurant at Rodbell's Department Store, where she meets Leon (Martin Mull) and Bonnie (Bonnie Bramlett). Jackie gets injured on the job, which results in her breaking up with her boyfriend Gary. Becky begins dating Mark Healy (Glenn Quinn); when her parents forbid her to see him, she temporarily moves in with Jackie. Dan is floored to learn his father Ed and Crystal plan to marry. Crystal is pregnant with Ed's baby. Roseanne locks horns with snooty new neighbor Kathy (Meagen Fay). Nana Mary (Shelley Winters) makes her first appearance at a family barbecue. In the season finale, Ziggy reappears, proposing to open a motorcycle repair shop with Dan and Roseanne. While they are in the process of getting the business off the ground, Ziggy decides to leave because he doesn't want to feel responsible if the business fails. However, he leaves enough money for Dan to open it by himself. We never hear about him again.[10]
Other notable guest stars during the season include Leonardo DiCaprio as Darlene's classmate, Brad Garrett as Doug, Judy Gold as Amy, Alyson Hannigan as Becky's friend Jan, and Tobey Maguire as Jeff.
The opening credits of Season 4 change from Season 3 in that the show now stars "Roseanne Arnold" instead of "Roseanne Barr".
The season starts with Becky surprising Roseanne by asking for birth-control pills. Dan and Roseanne begin their new motorcycle repair shop business, Lanford Custom Cycle, while Roseanne continues to work at Rodbell's Department Store. Darlene meets David Healy (Johnny Galecki). (In his first appearance, the character was known as Kevin Healy.) After a brief stint working at a perfume counter, Jackie decides to become a truck driver. Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) is introduced as Arnie's fiancee. After a night of heavy drinking, Jackie discovers she slept with the newly engaged Arnie. Darlene undergoes a personality shift into a sullen goth teen. Booker makes a surprise appearance at a Halloween party. Roseanne's neighbor Kathy moves back to Chicago. Roseanne gets breast reduction surgery. Roseanne and Dan accompany Arnie and Nancy to their wedding in Las Vegas. At the end of the season, Lanford Custom Cycle fails, Rodbell's Luncheonette closes. Nancy is left alone after Arnie is "abducted by aliens".[11]
Notable guest stars during the season include Bob Hope as himself, Jena Malone as little girl on Santa's lap, Wayne Newton as himself, David Crosby as Duke, Bonnie Bramlett as Roseanne's coworker Bonnie, Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Doogie Howser, and Rick Dees as Ken.
After the bike shop closes, Mark decides to move to Minnesota. Becky decides to go with him, and they elope. Jackie and Roseanne each get a check for $10,000 from their mother after she and their father divorce. They, along with Nancy, decide to open a diner but can only get the money they need after Bev agrees to become a partner as well. Nancy comes out as a lesbian. The Tildens, a single father and his two daughters around Becky and Darlene's ages, move in next door. Jackie dates Fisher, a much younger man. When Roseanne discovers he is physically abusive, Dan confronts him, beats him up, and is arrested. Roseanne and Jackie's father dies. and Roseanne confronts his longtime secret mistress. Roseanne's rich, estranged cousin Ronnie (Joan Collins) visits and persuades Darlene to get her GED and apply to art school. David applies as well. Darlene asks her parents if David can move in, because his mother is moving away and they want to stay together. Roseanne and Dan initially refuse, but when Roseanne sees David's mother being verbally abusive, she decides to let him stay. Roger offers Dan a deal to renovate and sell a house, then runs off before the deal is complete; Jackie decides to buy the house, saving Dan from financial ruin. David gets a rejection letter from art school, while Darlene gets an acceptance. At the end of the season, Roseanne is scared Darlene will run away to school, although Darlene has already decided not to go. Realizing she was wrong, Roseanne persuades Darlene to not give up on her goals just to stay with David. [12] During this season, there is a running gag in which each of the Conners (except for Becky) appears in a different scene in the same long-sleeved, egg-printed shirt with a large chick on the front.
Notable guest stars during the season include Wings Hauser as Ty Tilden, Danielle Harris as Molly Tilden, Mara Hobel as Charlotte Tilden, Loretta Lynn as herself, Morgan Fairchild as Nancy's girlfriend Marla, Bill Maher as Bob, Ed Begley, Jr. as Principal Alexander, Blake Clark as Vic, Red Buttons as Bev's lover Jake, Sally Kirkland as Mark and David's mother Barbara, Tim Curry as Nancy's lover Roger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as DJ's friend George, Joan Collins as Roseanne and Jackie's cousin Ronnie, Matt Roth as Jackie's boyfriend Fisher, Steve Jones as a threatening diner patron, and in a very brief cameo, Chris Farley as a customer trying on a too-small leather jacket.
Under pressure from Roseanne to leave the Lanford Lunch Box, Bev sells her share in the restaurant to Leon. David proposes marriage to Darlene, but she refuses. Dan and Roseanne discover an old stash of marijuana and smoke it in their bathroom. Roseanne's past as an abuse victim arises when she reacts violently to DJ after he steals and wrecks her car. Becky and Mark return home and move into the Conners' house. (Becky is now played by Sarah Chalke) Mark goes to trade school but drops out. Jackie gets pregnant as a result of a one-night stand and later develops a relationship with the baby's father, Fred. Roseanne and Dan discover David has secretly moved in with Darlene at school. Roseanne visits a gay bar with Nancy, where she receives a surprise kiss from Nancy's girlfriend. Jackie gives birth to a son, Andy. Dan confronts his mother's history of mental illness. The season concludes with Fred and Jackie's wedding.[13]
Notable guest stars during the season include Michael O'Keefe as Fred, the father of Jackie's baby, Mariel Hemingway as Nancy's girlfriend Sharon, Sandra Bernhard as Jackie's co-worker Nancy, Vicki Lawrence as Dan's old flame Phyllis, Florence Henderson as neighbor Flo, Genie Francis and Anthony Geary as General Hospital's Luke and Laura Spencer, Ahmet Zappa as Mark's roommate Roy, and Fabio as himself.
The opening credits of Season 7 change from previous seasons in that the show now stars "Roseanne" instead of "Roseanne Arnold".
Season seven begins with Roseanne's unexpected pregnancy and goes on to tackle such issues as abortion, alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual dysfunction and racial prejudice. Darlene and David break up after briefly maintaining an open relationship. They both date other people, but eventually, they reunite. Due to tension in the household, Mark and Becky move into a trailer. DJ plays a bigger role this season, most notably in an episode where he refuses to kiss a black girl in his school play.[14]
Notable guest stars during the season include Sharon Stone as a trailer-park resident, Ellen DeGeneres as Jackie and Fred's psychologist, Danny Masterson as Darlene's boyfriend Jimmy, and Traci Lords as Lanford Lunch Box busperson Stacy. In the season finale, a tribute is made to Sherwood Schwartz. In uncredited appearances the end of the episode has Gilligan's Island cast members playing Roseanne characters. These include Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, Tina Louise and Russell Johnson, as well as Sherwood Schwartz.
Season eight addresses Roseanne's baby shower and the subsequent arrival of her son, Jerry Garcia Conner. (In a continuity error, the baby had been revealed to be a girl in season seven.) The season starts when Dan decides to leave the security of his city job to help build the new prison being constructed outside of Lanford. With the pension, final check and retirement money he receives for leaving his job he decides to give his family the vacation they never had taking everyone, including Mark, David, and Roseanne's mother along to Disney World. It is later revealed that one of the nights the clan was at Disney, was also the night Darlene got pregnant. Darlene quickly decides she and David want to have the baby. The season climaxes with a very rushed wedding for Darlene where immediately after the ceremony, realizing how much has been changing, Dan falls to the ground in the middle of nowhere of a heart attack. It is immediately shown in the next episode he will be all right. DJ ultimately saved his life in the middle of the woods. The season concludes with Dan and Roseanne having their biggest fight yet after Dan refuses to stick to his heart healthy diet and exercise plan. The fight lasts nearly the entire episode and the living room is wrecked in the process. The credits fade as Roseanne walks out on Dan. Other subjects are DJ's Thanksgiving pageant, Darlene's wedding, and Dan's heart attack.[15]
Notable guest stars during the season include Fred Willard as Leon's husband Scott, Ed McMahon as himself, John Popper (with Blues Traveler) as an old friend of Dan's, Pat Harrington Jr. as himself, Jenna Elfman as hitchhiker Garland, Shecky Greene as Bar Mitzvah guest Uncle Saul, Norm Crosby as Reverend Crosley, June Lockhart as TV mom Ruth Martin, the cast of Stomp as Lanford Lunch Box patrons, Eric Dane as a Disney World bellhop, and Tony Curtis as ballroom-dance instructor Hal.
The opening credits of Season 9 still say the show stars "Roseanne", but the first episode said "Roseanne Barr Pentland Arnold Thomas".
The ninth and final season features many changes. In previous seasons, the original tune of the theme song was played on saxophone, accompanied by drums and other instruments. For this final season, the theme was remixed and performed by Blues Traveler with a distorted harmonica—one of the band's staples—playing in place of the saxophone. Lyrics were also added and sung into the theme by John Popper. The Conners win the state lottery jackpot of $108 million. Throughout the season Dan ponders the meaning of life. Jackie meets her prince. DJ finds love. Darlene, after some trouble, gives birth.
In the season's final episode, Roseanne reveals the show is actually a story written by Roseanne Conner about her life. To cope, Roseanne twisted major elements of her life for the story, which the audience does not find out until the final moments of the series. In reality, Dan's heart attack was fatal and the Conner family did not win the lottery. In real life, Roseanne's sister is a lesbian and her mom is straight.[16] Another difference is that David and Becky were a couple all along, as were Mark and Darlene, rather than the opposite.
Notable guest stars during the season include Ed Asner as Lou Grant, Jim Varney as Jackie's boyfriend Prince Carlos, Tammy Faye Bakker as Roseanne's makeup consultant, Dina Merrill as Doris, Joanna Lumley as Patsy Stone, Jennifer Saunders as Edina Monsoon, Arianna Huffington as Estree, Marlo Thomas as Tina, James Brolin as Roseanne's business partner/love interest Edgar Wellman, Jr., and Debbie Reynolds as Dan's mother Audrey, as well as Rainer Hahn, Hugh Hefner, Milton Berle, Robin Leach, Todd Oldham, Tony Robbins, Kathleen Sullivan, Steven Seagal, George Clooney, and Jerry Springer as themselves.
The 9th season of Roseanne was ranked #18 on the TV Guide Network special, 25 Biggest TV Blunders.[17]
During the show's final season, Barr was in negotiations between Carsey-Werner Productions and ABC executives on continuing to play Roseanne Conner in a spinoff.[18] However, ABC withdrew from negotiations with Carsey-Werner and Barr after failed discussions with CBS and Fox. Barr and Carsey-Werner agreed to discontinue the negotiations.[19]
In the Fall of 2008, Barr commented on what the Conners would be up to now. "I've always said now that if they were on TV, DJ would have been killed in Iraq and [the Conners] would have lost their house". When asked for more details on where the rest of the Conners (Dan, Jackie, Becky, Darlene, David, and Mark) would be, Barr said "Your question is intellectual property that may be developed later, so I don't want to get into that". She added, "No preview, absolutely not".[20] On December 20, 2009, Barr posted an entry on her website regarding what a possible Roseanne reunion would be like, which includes: DJ being published, Mark dying in Iraq; David leaving Darlene for a woman half his age; Darlene meeting a woman and having a test tube baby; Becky working at Walmart; Roseanne and Jackie opening the first medical marijuana dispensary in Lanford; Arnie becoming the best friend of the Governor of Illinois and remarrying Nancy; Bev selling a painting for $10,000, Jerry and the grandsons forming a music group similar to the Jonas Brothers; Dan reappearing alive after faking his death; and Bonnie being arrested for selling crack.[21]
Roseanne consistently ranked in the Nielsen top 20 shows listing for eight of its nine seasons. The series reached #1 in its second season, becoming the most watched television show in the United States.[22][23][24][25] The following table lists the ranking for each season.
| Season | Ep # | Years | Rank (Rating) | Households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 23 | 1988–1989 | #2 (23.8)[26] | 21,515,200 |
| Season 2 | 24 | 1989–1990 | #1 (23.1)[26] | 21,275,100 (10/3/89 airing drew 43.5 million viewers) |
| Season 3 | 25 | 1990–1991 | #3 (18.1)[26] | 16,851,100 |
| Season 4 | 25 | 1991–1992 | #2 (19.9)[26] | 18,327,900 |
| Season 5 | 25 | 1992–1993 | #2 (20.7)[26] | 19,271,700 |
| Season 6 | 25 | 1993–1994 | #4 (19.3)[26] | 17,992,200 (3/1/94 airing drew 37.9 million viewers) |
| Season 7 | 26 | 1994–1995 | #9 (15.5)[26] | 14,787,000 |
| Season 8 | 25 | 1995–1996 | #16 (12.5) (tie)[26] | 11,987,400 |
| Season 9 | 24 | 1996–1997 | N/A | |
Roseanne was put into off-network syndication beginning in September 1992.
TBS aired reruns of Roseanne from 1996 through 2004. Cable channel Nick at Nite aired reruns of the show from the fall of 2003 until 2009; it has since moved to TV Land's TV Land Prime schedule. Oxygen has aired reruns since 2005. The show returned to Nick@Nite's lineup on October 5, 2009, replacing Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in its late night timeslot. As of January 2010, Nick at Nite has once again taken Roseanne from its time slot. In January 2011, all nine seasons of the show were made available on Netflix Instant streaming. In Australia, the show is seen on the channel 111 Hits, and Eleven. In Canada, it airs on TVTropolis.
| Season | Broadcast time (ET) |
|---|---|
| 1988-1989 | Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. |
| 1989-1990 | Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. |
| 1990-1991 | |
| 1991-1992 | |
| 1992-1993 | |
| 1993-1994 | |
| 1994-1995 | Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. |
| 1995-1996 | Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. |
| 1996-1997 |
In 1993, Roseanne Barr and Laurie Metcalf both won Emmy Awards for their performances in the series, Barr for Outstanding Lead Actress and Metcalf for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Metcalf also won in 1992 and 1994. In 1992, Roseanne Barr and John Goodman both won Golden Globe Awards, Barr for Best Actress and Goodman for Best Actor. The series won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
The series won a Peabody Award in 1992 and a People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy Program in 1989. Barr won five additional People's Choice Awards for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program (1989), Favorite Female All Around Entertainer (1990), and Favorite Female TV Performer (1990, 1994, and 1995).
In 2008, the entire cast (except for Laurie Metcalfe) reunited at the TV Land Awards to receive the Innovator Award. In their acceptance speech, they honored the late cast member Glen Quinn.
The show also received several nominations in Editing, Art Direction, Music, Lighting Direction, Writing and Hairstyling.
Anchor Bay Entertainment (briefly named Starz Home Entertainment resulting in some DVD packaging bearing this name) released all nine seasons on DVD in Region 1 (2005–2007) and Region 2. The first season was issued with shorter, syndicated versions of the episodes because Anchor Bay was unable to obtain permission to release the original broadcasts. In the company's eighth and ninth season DVDs, some scenes have been altered to avoid disputes over music rights, including substituting some closing credit scenes with a black screen. As of 2010, the region 1 releases have been discontinued and are out of print.
On May 4, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that they had acquire the rights to re-release the series on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 and 2 were re-released on September 13, 2011.[28][29]
In Germany, Universum Film has released the entire series on DVD, and released a complete series box set on July 3, 2009.[30] Unlike the Anchor Bay releases, these were fully unedited.
In Australia and New Zealand, Magna Pacific has released all nine seasons on DVD in Region 4. Unlike the Anchor Bay releases, Magna Pacific's first season DVDs include the full-length original broadcast episodes.
| Season | Ep# | Release Dates | Special features | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| 1 | 23 | August 30, 2005 September 13, 2011 (re-release) |
September 19, 2005 | June 7, 2006 | Roseanne-on-Roseanne candid interview, bloopers, Season One highlights, Interview: "John Goodman Takes a Look Back", "Wisdom from the Domestic Goddess". |
| 2 | 24 | December 6, 2005 September 13, 2011 (re-release) |
February 6, 2006 | October 4, 2006 | John Goodman: "A Candid Interview", Best of Season Two, "Wacky Jackie", "Roseanne Untied: Season 1 Launch Party", John Goodman's audition. |
| 3 | 25 | March 21, 2006 | May 15, 2006 | February 7, 2007 | Laurie Metcalf Interview: "The Sister that Never Leaves", Lecy Goranson Interview: "I Was a Teenage Becky", Best of Season Three. |
| 4 | 25 | June 27, 2006 | March 17, 2007 | June 6, 2007 | Interview with Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman, Roseanne Interview: "Life Imitating Art, Imitating Roseanne", audio commentary with Roseanne on select episodes. |
| 5 | 25 | September 12, 2006 | September 9, 2009 | November 7, 2007 | Video commentaries with Roseanne, Roseanne answers eight fan questions, an exclusive interview with Roseanne. |
| 6 | 25 | December 5, 2006 | September 9, 2009 | March 18, 2008 | No Special Features |
| 7 | 26 | April 3, 2007 | October 12, 2009 | July 9, 2008 | |
| 8 | 25 | August 7, 2007 | October 12, 2009 | January 13, 2010 | Video commentaries with Roseanne, "Roseanne: Working-Class Actress" Interview |
| 9 | 24 | October 16, 2007 | November 16, 2009 | January 13, 2010 | Two new exclusive interviews: "Legacy of Class" and "Breaking the Sitcom Mold". Video commentary with Roseanne & Michael Fishman |
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