On October 18, 1988, “Roseanne” premiered on ABC. Based on a character created by Roseanne Barr, the groundbreaking show revolved around a demographic previously ignored by primetime sitcoms: a blue-collar family. Audiences related to the struggles that the working-class Conner family faced, while also learning from the controversial issues addressed in the show. They also laughed along with strong female lead characters that unabashedly voiced their opinions while skirting typical beauty standards. “Roseanne” became one of the top watched shows during its nine season run on the small screen, and the cast and show won multiple awards during its run including: four American Comedy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, three Golden Globes, five People’s Choice Awards, and four Emmys.
The show was the brainchild of the dynamo TV producer team, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner. They wanted to create a sitcom that centered on a working class mother and her family’s daily struggles to make ends meet. When they saw stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr on “The Tonight Show,” they found their lead. By the mid-1980s, Roseanne had already established herself in the stand-up comedy circuit with her “domestic goddess” bit. The show’s powerhouse cast also included John Goodman (Dan, Roseanne’s husband), Sara Gilbert (Darlene, Roseanne’s youngest daughter), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie, Roseanne’s sister), Michael Fishman (DJ, Roseanne’s son) and Lecy Goranson (Becky, Roseanne’s eldest daughter).
Set in the fictional town of Lanford, IL, the wise cracking yet lovable Roseanne and her husband Dan work blue-collar jobs and struggle to make ends meet. The couple was noticeably overweight yet the sitcom was a fat shaming free zone. The creators had decided to not make their size a target of any jokes. The writers also chose to use the show as a platform to address issues including poverty as well as many feminist concerns including teen pregnancy, gender inequality and domestic violence. The show also introduced openly gay characters, including in the episode “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” that included a visit to a lesbian bar. Another daring episode, “Stash From The Past,” dealt with the discovery of Roseanne and Dan’s marijuana stash from 20 years ago. This episode appealed to an audience who were also struggling with mediating between their younger, rebellious pasts and a more responsible role as parental role models.
As a testament to the show’s appeal, 16 million viewers tuned in to watch the season finale on May 20, 1997. Ever since, the show has been missed. So, twenty years later, “Roseanne” has been rebooted. With eight new episodes and the original cast members, the show will be back in 2018. Take a look at the cast’s first table read in 20 years:
Photo: ABC/Adam Rose
“Roseanne” gave voice to a previously underrepresented yet predominant segment of American society. As a result, more audiences could identify with the on screen struggles of the TV characters, increasing the demand for more television shows that reflect average Americans.