Roseanne

Roseanne
Roseanne title screen
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Roseanne Barr[1] Matt Williams
Starring	Roseanne Barr John Goodman Laurie Metcalf Sara Gilbert Michael Fishman Lecy Goranson Sarah Chalke Natalie West Estelle Parsons Glenn Quinn Johnny Galecki Martin Mull
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 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Picture format	NTSC (480i)
Audio format	Stereo
Original run	October 18, 1988 – May 21, 1997
Status	syndicated on Nick at Nite and TV Land

Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from 1988 to 1997 starring Roseanne Barr. 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 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 rare 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).

Premise

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. 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.^[2][3] For many years, Roseanne tackled taboo subjects or joked about issues that most other popular shows at the time avoided, such as poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, sex, menstruation, birth control, teenage pregnancy, masturbation, obesity, abortion, race, social class, domestic violence, and homosexuality. The show was also significant for its portrayal of feminist ideals including a female-dominated household, an overweight 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 hugely successful from its beginning, ranking at #1 in the Nielsen Ratings for 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.

The opening scenes of each sequence were photographed in Evansville, Indiana, the home town of creator 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 fall out with former executive producer Matt Williams as the latter protested in making the character Jackie a lesbian (which Roseanne herself succeeded with regardless as seen in the final episode). "My show seeks to portray various slices of real life, and homosexuals are a reality". ^[4]

Characters

Season synopses

Story arcs occasionally spanned several episodes or an entire season.

Season 1

Roseanne is a line-worker at Wellman Plastics, along with her sister Jackie and friend Crystal. Jackie has a brief relationship with Booker (George Clooney), the foreman at Wellman. Dan finds sporadic work as a construction contractor and faces a strained relationship with his irresponsible father Ed (Ned Beatty). Roseanne's parents, Bev (Estelle Parsons) and Al (John Randolph), consider moving to Lanford, but eventually decide against it. Tomboy Darlene struggles with her femininity as she enters puberty and gets her first period. Becky 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 co-workers 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. ^[5]

Season 2

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 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. 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. Old biker buddy Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders) appears to remind 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.

Other notable guest stars during the season include Stephen Dorff (as Becky's boyfriend Jimmy), Jenny Lewis (as Diane), Stephen Root (as Roseanne's lawyer Peter), and Bert Parks (as a judge).

Season 3

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 we first meet both Leon and Bonnie. Jackie gets injured while on the job as a cop, which results in a breakup with her boyfriend Gary. Becky begins dating Mark Healy (Glenn Quinn), a boy her parents later forbid her to see, prompting Becky to temporarily move in with Jackie. Dan is floored to learn that his father Ed and Crystal plan to marry, and that 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 with a proposition to open a motorcycle repair shop with Dan and Roseanne, which they do, after which Ziggy decides to leave because he doesn't want to feel responsible if the business fails (though he leaves enough money for Dan to open it by himself).

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).

Season 4

The season starts with Becky surprising Roseanne by asking for birth control. Dan and Roseanne get started with their new motorcycle repair shop business, Lanford Custom Cycles, while Roseanne continues to work at Rodbell's Department Store. Jackie, after a brief stint working at a perfume counter, decides to become a truck driver. Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) is first introduced as Arnie's fiancee, but not before Jackie discovers that after a night of heavy drinking, she's slept with the newly engaged Arnie. Darlene undergoes a personality shift into a sullen goth teen. Booker makes a surprise appearance at a Halloween costume party. Roseanne's neighbor Kathy moves away. 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 Cycles fails, Rodbell's Luncheonette closes, and Nancy is left alone after Arnie is "abducted by aliens."

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 co-worker Bonnie), Neil Patrick Harris (as Dr. Doogie Howser), and Rick Dees (as Ken).

Season 5

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 Bev 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—who is much younger than she is—until 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. Dan is offered a deal to rehab and sell a house by Roger, who runs off before the deal is complete, but 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.

During this season, there is a running gag in which each of the Conners (except for Becky) appear in a different scene in the same long-sleeve, 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'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 at a store trying on a leather jacket that was too small).

Season 6

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 a victim of abuse arises when she reacts violently to DJ after he steals and wrecks her car. Becky and Mark return home and move in with Dan and Roseanne. Mark goes to trade school only to drop out later. Jackie gets pregnant as a result of a one-night stand. Jackie later develops a relationship with her baby's father, Fred. Roseanne and Dan discover that 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 boy, whom she names Andy. Dan confronts his mother's history of mental illness. The season concludes with Fred and Jackie's marriage.

Notable guest stars during the season include Mariel Hemingway (as Nancy's girlfriend Sharon), Vicki Lawrence (as Dan's old flame Phyllis), Florence Henderson (as neighbor Flo), Genie Francis and Anthony Geary (as Luke and Laura Spencer from General Hospital) Ahmet Zappa (as Mark's roommate Roy), and Fabio (as himself).

Season 7

Season seven began with Roseanne's unexpected pregnancy and went 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 out into a trailer. DJ plays a bigger role this season, most notably in an episode where he refuses to kiss an African American girl in his school play.

Notable guest stars during the season include Sharon Stone (as a trailer park resident), Ellen DeGeneres (as Jackie and Fred's psychologist Dr. Whitman), Danny Masterson (as Darlene's boyfriend Jimmy), and Traci Lords (as Lanford Lunch Box waitress Stacy).

Season 8

Season eight addressed 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), DJ's Thanksgiving pageant, Darlene's wedding, and Dan's heart attack.

As ratings had begun to drop at the end of the seventh season, the show's producers wanted to end the series after the eighth season. However, the show was renewed for one final season. One of the final episodes of the eighth season (in which Dan had the heart attack) was originally intended to be the series finale, but after the show was picked up for one last season, writers introduced a plot revolving around Dan not following the hospital's orders after the heart attack. This led to Roseanne and Dan having their worst fight in the show's history, with a second part to the heart attack episode being the first episode of the ninth season.

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 minister at Leon and Scott's wedding 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).

Season 9

The ninth and final season features many changes. The theme song was remixed (from its original tune, which had been played on saxophone, accompanied by drums, and other instruments, which had been altered throughout the seasons) and performed by Blues Traveler with a distorted harmonica—a staple sound of Blues Traveler—playing in place of the saxophone, and lyrics were added and sung into the theme by John Popper. The Conners win the state lottery jackpot of $108 million, Dan ponders the meaning of life, Jackie meets her prince, D.J. finds love, and Darlene gives birth. Most surreal of all is the season's final episode, in which Roseanne reveals that the events in most of the series were all the pages of her writings. The reality is Dan's heart attack had killed him, the Conner family had not won the lottery, Becky had married David instead of Mark, Darlene had married Mark instead of David, and Jackie is gay instead of Roseanne's mother being gay. ^[6]

The show is a story written by Roseanne Conner about her life as working class matriarch. To cope with life, Roseanne twists major elements of her life for the story, which the audience doesn't find out until the final moments of the series.

Notable guest stars during the season include Ed Asner (as Lou Grant), Robin Leach (as himself), Hugh Hefner (as himself), Jerry Springer (as himself), Jim Varney (as Jackie's boyfriend Prince Carlos), Tammy Faye Bakker (as Roseanne's make-up consultant), Todd Oldham (as himself), Dina Merrill (as Doris), Joanna Lumley (as Patsy Stone), Jennifer Saunders (as Edina Monsoon), Steven Seagal (as himself), Arianna Huffington (as Estree), Marlo Thomas (as Tina), Tony Robbins (as himself), James Brolin (as Roseanne's business partner/love interest Edgar Wellman, Jr.), Bob Hope (as himself), and Debbie Reynolds (as Dan's mother Audrey).

Spin-off

During the show's final season, Roseanne was in negotiations between Carsey-Werner Productions and ABC executives on continuing to play Roseanne Conner in a new spin-off.^[7] However, ABC had withdrawn from negotiations with Carsey-Werner and Roseanne and after failed discussions with CBS and FOX. Carsey-Werner and Roseanne agreed to not go on with the negotiations.^[8]

In the fall of 2008 Barr said, 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—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." ^[9]

Ratings

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.^{[10][11][12][13]}

The following table lists the ranking for each season.

Syndication

Roseanne was put into off-network syndication beginning in September 1992.

TBS has aired reruns of Roseanne from 1996 through 2004. Cable channel Nick at Nite aired reruns of the show from the fall of 2003 to present; 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. In Australia the show is seen on the channel 111 Hits.

Programming History

^[26]

Awards and nominations

Peabody Award

• 1992 Excellence in Television Broadcasting

Emmy Awards

• 1989 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1990 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1991 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1992 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1992 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr)
• 1992 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf)
• 1993 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1993 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr)
• 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Sara Gilbert)
• 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf)
• 1994 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1994 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr)
• 1994 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Sara Gilbert)
• 1994 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf)
• 1995 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1995 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr)
• 1995 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf)

Golden Globe Awards

• 1989 Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
• 1989 Best Television Series Actor - Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
• 1989 Best Television Series Actress - Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
• 1990 Best Television Series Actor - Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
• 1991 Best Television Series Actor - Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
• 1991 Best Television Series Actress - Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
• 1992 Best Television Series Actress - Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
• 1993 Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
• 1993 Best Television Series Actor - Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
• 1993 Best Television Series Actress - Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
• 1993 Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film (Laurie Metcalf)
• 1994 Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
• 1994 Best Television Series Actress - Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
• 1995 Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film (Laurie Metcalf)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 1994 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
• 1994 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr)

People's Choice Award

• 1989 Favorite New Television Comedy Program
• 1989 Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program (Roseanne Barr)
• 1990 Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer (Roseanne Barr)
• 1990 Favorite Female TV Performer (Roseanne Barr)
• 1994 Favorite Female TV Performer (Roseanne Barr)
• 1995 Favorite Female TV Performer (Roseanne Barr)

TV Land Award

• 2008 Innovator Award

American Comedy Awards

• 1989 Funniest Male Leading Performer in a Television Series (John Goodman)
• 1989 Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series (Roseanne Barr)
• 1990 Funniest Male Leading Performer in a Television Series (John Goodman)
• 1993 Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series (Roseanne Barr)
• 1996 Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series (Roseanne Barr)

Kid's Choice Awards

• 1992 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr)
• 1995 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr)
• 1996 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr)
• 1997 Favorite Television Actress (Roseanne Barr)

DVD releases

The entire Roseanne series is available on DVD in the Region 1 (North America) NTSC format from Anchor Bay Entertainment (briefly named Starz Home Entertainment resulting in some DVD packaging bearing this name). 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.

Anchor Bay has been releasing the Region 2 (Europe) PAL format DVDs of the show at a slower pace. So far, Anchor Bay has released Region 2 DVDs only for the show's first four seasons (with the first season also containing the shorter syndicated versions). Anchor Bay announced that seasons 5 through 9 will be released toward the end of 2009. Seasons 5 and 6 will be released as a double pack, and seasons 7 & 8 will be released in the same way. Season 9 will be released as a single season and is available for pre-order on play.com^[27].

In June 2006, Magna Pacific began to release the show on DVD in Region 4 (Australia, Central America, and South America) PAL format. Similar to the Anchor Bay releases, Magna Pacific has only released the show's first five seasons. Release dates for the subsequent seasons have not been announced. Unlike the Anchor Bay releases, Magna Pacific's first season DVDs include the full-length original broadcast episodes.

In October 2007 Ufa/DVD began releasing the show on DVD in Region 2 Germany, finishing up with the final season and a Complete Box Set^[28] in July 2009. Unlike the Anchor Bay sets, these were fully unedited.

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Roseanne

• Roseanne World Roseanne Barr's official web site
• Encyclopedia of Television
• Nick At Nite's Roseanne
• Roseanne on DVD
• Roseanne at the Internet Movie Database
• Roseanne at TV.com