"Roseanne" Getting Revival with Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert & Co.
by Nellie Andreeva
April 28, 2017


One of the biggest comedies of the 1990s is making a comeback. I hear an eight-episode limited series revival of the hit ABC blue-collar family comedy "Roseanne" is in the works with the key cast members reprising their roles, including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman and Sara Gilbert, with Laurie Metcalf and others in the process of joining them.

The new installment is executive produced by the original series’ EPs Tom Werner, Barr and Bruce Helford as well as Gilbert and Whitney Cummings, with Helford and Cummings co-running. The project is currently in the marketplace, with multiple networks bidding, including original "Roseanne" home ABC and Netflix.





"Roseanne" remains a gold standard for its realistic portrayal of a working-class American family. It centered on the Conners, who lived, barely scraping by, in the fictional town of Lanford, IL. The revival comes as networks, and particularly ABC, are making a concerted effort to better reflect the lives of everyday Americans.

I hear the intent is for all principal "Roseanne" actors to appear in some capacity in the reboot, including "The Big Bang Theory" star Johnny Galecki.

http://deadline.com/2017/04/roseanne-revival-roseanne-barr-john-goodman-sara-gilbert-1202078883/

Is Dan coming back as a ghost or an angel? I can't wait to see.

Spotted the story on USA Today

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/04/28/roseanne-revival-may-works/101039122/

This would be awesome, so long as it's more in-line with early- to -mid-series storylines, and not the lottery season.

This will be epic if it comes to fruition

Is Dan coming back as a ghost or an angel? I can't wait to see.
Maybe that whole last year will turn out to be a dream instead and Dan will be alive.

But Dan died!

Or will they continue it making the audience remember it was made up but continuing it as if Dan never died!!!

I read somewhere that Roseanne wanted to do this revival on the premise that Dan faked his own death. And since I don't want to see Dan in the shower I'm okay with that.

I just have a really bad feeling about this. They screwed up the final season so badly it's going to be like dropping a bowl of spaghetti on the floor and trying to pick out all the dirt in order to make it edible again.

Loved the show for the first five or six years, but I think the ship has sailed here.

I'm even picker than you - I think the first four seasons are great (seasons 3 and 4 are absolute classics), but then it was downhill. I loved Roseanne Conner in the early years - she was a funny, down-to-earth type that I would have liked to hang out with. But starting with season 5, she became progressively angry and annoying and I couldn't understand why anyone would want to be around her. They also recast Becky, which I thought was a real slap in the face to the highly-underrated Lecy Goranson. They never would have recast Darlene, and Goranson was every bit as good as Sara Gilbert, if not better. The whole Becky switch took me "out of the show".

It would be interesting to see the show back with the more likeable Roseanne Conner of the early seasons, Goranson as Becky, and the season 3/4 writers. Unfortunately, the revival will be run by Bruce Helford (showrunner during season 5), Roseanne will probably still be angry/awful, and they'll probably play up the Becky switch.

This should be interesting to see, I hope they get the original Becky (Alicia Goranson), I never cared for Sarah Chalke. Looking forward to seeing this.

This should be interesting to see, I hope they get the original Becky (Alicia Goranson), I never cared for Sarah Chalke. Looking forward to seeing this.
To be true to the spirit of the original show they should start the revival with Lecy Goranson in the role of Becky and switch to Sarah Chalke halfway through!

I won't hold my breath on seeing either of the Healy Brothers in this revival.

Glenn Quinn (Mark) passed from an overdose in 2002 and the other one is currently being paid a fortune to star on the Big Bang Theory.

I have no idea how they'll bring Dan back.

I'm even picker than you - I think the first four seasons are great (seasons 3 and 4 are absolute classics), but then it was downhill. I loved Roseanne Conner in the early years - she was a funny, down-to-earth type that I would have liked to hang out with. But starting with season 5, she became progressively angry and annoying and I couldn't understand why anyone would want to be around her. They also recast Becky, which I thought was a real slap in the face to the highly-underrated Lecy Goranson. They never would have recast Darlene, and Goranson was every bit as good as Sara Gilbert, if not better. The whole Becky switch took me "out of the show".

It would be interesting to see the show back with the more likeable Roseanne Conner of the early seasons, Goranson as Becky, and the season 3/4 writers. Unfortunately, the revival will be run by Bruce Helford (showrunner during season 5), Roseanne will probably still be angry/awful, and they'll probably play up the Becky switch.
Season 4 was probably the best single season of any sitcom! They really had all the creative cylinders firing. A shame the head writer was canned after this year

I have no idea how they'll bring Dan back.

As we all recall, in the final episode - the last fifteen minutes or so - Roseanne reveals the series to be a book she's writing. She had changed some of the events for the book, such as Dan surviving the heart attack when in their reality, he did not. All they'd really have to do for this reunion is simply have Roseanne state that the reunion is a continuation of her book. Maybe years later she decided to add another chapter or write a sequel and for that purpose, she'd be able to continue telling the story as it would have been if she hadn't revealed the truth to the audience.

That way the show isn't backtracking or deleting the finale and is still able to have some new stories with Dan alive and the daughters with the boyfriends they had in the show (although as mentioned Glenn Quinn is dead and Johnny Galecki is busy doing The Big Bang Theory).

As we all recall, in the final episode - the last fifteen minutes or so - Roseanne reveals the series to be a book she's writing. She had changed some of the events for the book, such as Dan surviving the heart attack when in their reality, he did not. All they'd really have to do for this reunion is simply have Roseanne state that the reunion is a continuation of her book. Maybe years later she decided to add another chapter or write a sequel and for that purpose, she'd be able to continue telling the story as it would have been if she hadn't revealed the truth to the audience.

That way the show isn't backtracking or deleting the finale and is still able to have some new stories with Dan alive and the daughters with the boyfriends they had in the show (although as mentioned Glenn Quinn is dead and Johnny Galecki is busy doing The Big Bang Theory).

Yeah, but who wants to see a reunion that is only part of a fictional book? I'd wager viewers want to see a "real" story with the "real" characters. I know I would.

Yeah, but who wants to see a reunion that is only part of a fictional book? I'd wager viewers want to see a "real" story with the "real" characters. I know I would.

That's why I feel the finale hurt the whole series by turning into a book that got events incorrect. I mean the whole series is part of a fictional book (well maybe not the first couple of seasons, but definitely once the boyfriends came onto the scene).

BUT, this would be a way to tell new stories with a very much alive Dan, as opposed to him faking his death or being a spirit.

Also, to see them in a "real" story would have to take place in an alternate reality from the rest of the show (save the last fifteen minutes of the finale).

That's why I feel the finale hurt the whole series by turning into a book that got events incorrect. I mean the whole series is part of a fictional book (well maybe not the first couple of seasons, but definitely once the boyfriends came onto the scene).

BUT, this would be a way to tell new stories with a very much alive Dan, as opposed to him faking his death or being a spirit.

Also, to see them in a "real" story would have to take place in an alternate reality from the rest of the show (save the last fifteen minutes of the finale).

IMO, the finale basically ruined the entire series. It was like they pulled the narrative rug out from underneath the audience, rendering all the emotional investment they had placed in these characters moot, like a cruel April Fool's joke. I have never been so disgusted with a finale in my life (and most of them are terrible, to be honest).

IMO, the finale basically ruined the entire series. It was like they pulled the narrative rug out from underneath the audience, rendering all the emotional investment they had placed in these characters moot, like a cruel April Fool's joke. I have never been so disgusted with a finale in my life (and most of them are terrible, to be honest).

I agree. When the show was in its original run, I was just a casual viewer. After that finale, I had trouble getting into the reruns for the reason you just mentioned.

As classic an ending as Newhart had, I kinda feel the same way in regards to the finale changing the way you look at all the previous episodes, knowing it's all a dream of Bob Hartley's.

I agree. When the show was in its original run, I was just a casual viewer. After that finale, I had trouble getting into the reruns for the reason you just mentioned.

As classic an ending as Newhart had, I kinda feel the same way in regards to the finale changing the way you look at all the previous episodes, knowing it's all a dream of Bob Hartley's.

Yes. It really undermined the importance of anything that happened in "Newhart". I wonder how the Daryls and the other folks felt when they found out their characters were just bits of Bob Newhart's dream!

Yes. It really undermined the importance of anything that happened in "Newhart". I wonder how the Daryls and the other folks felt when they found out their characters were just bits of Bob Newhart's dream!

Yeah and it also prevents Newhart from standing on its own. If someone had just started watching the show, and had no knowledge of The Bob Newhart Show, they'd be completely baffled by the ending. I guess at least Roseanne doesn't have that problem.

I actually like the "Newhart" finale but I find it hard to watch the "Roseanne" finale. I'm not really interested in seeing a "Roseanne" reboot unless they make it where the finale was actually the book.

I actually like the "Newhart" finale but I find it hard to watch the "Roseanne" finale. I'm not really interested in seeing a "Roseanne" reboot unless they make it where the finale was actually the book.

I like the Newhart finale, too. I'm just saying it affects the way I watch the reruns, knowing that even in fiction, it's fiction. Same goes for Roseanne but at least on Newhart the ending was done for laughs. I don't know why Roseanne had to get so dramatic there in the end. What was the point of them ending the show like that?

I've completely dissociated from the final season, it just doesn't exist to me haha

They could bring back George Clooney, but we will get Tom Arnold.

I don't know why Roseanne had to get so dramatic there in the end. What was the point of them ending the show like that?



Roseanne was dramatic way before the finale. Look at the stories Roseanne did over the years. Child abuse, domestic abuse, financial problems, parents being mentally ill, and her abusive father dying just to name a few. Roseanne was never a silly comedy with no point to it. I am one of the minorities that liked the last 10 minutes or so of the finale. I thought it was clever of Roseanne to change things up like she did. I can't see many people knowing it was going to end like that before seeing it. It was a shocker which is what shows should do. I don't think they should revive this series with Dan alive. They need to leave him dead or it will demean the whole purpose of the original series finale.

Roseanne was dramatic way before the finale. Look at the stories Roseanne did over the years. Child abuse, domestic abuse, financial problems, parents being mentally ill, and her abusive father dying just to name a few. Roseanne was never a silly comedy with no point to it. I am one of the minorities that liked the last 10 minutes or so of the finale. I thought it was clever of Roseanne to change things up like she did. I can't see many people knowing it was going to end like that before seeing it. It was a shocker which is what shows should do. I don't think they should revive this series with Dan alive. They need to leave him dead or it will demean the whole purpose of the original series finale.

I would say the finale demeaned the whole purpose of the rest of the series.

Laurie Metcalf Pushes for "Roseanne" Revival at Tony Awards Nominees Reception
by Suzy Evans
5/4/17


Laurie Metcalf told reporters at the Tony Awards nominations after-party, held at New York City's Sofitel, that she is on board for the "Roseanne" revival.

“I’m hoping that it happens,” says Metcalf, who played Jackie Harris in the '90s sitcom. “Everything is in place except the fact that it hasn’t been sold.”

Metcalf received a Tony-nomination for her role in A Doll's House, Part 2.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/laurie-metcalf-pushes-roseanne-revival-at-tony-awards-nominees-reception-1000149

Laurie Metcalf Pushes for "Roseanne" Revival at Tony Awards Nominees Reception
by Suzy Evans
5/4/17


Laurie Metcalf told reporters at the Tony Awards nominations after-party, held at New York City's Sofitel, that she is on board for the "Roseanne" revival.

“I’m hoping that it happens,” says Metcalf, who played Jackie Harris in the '90s sitcom. “Everything is in place except the fact that it hasn’t been sold.”

Metcalf received a Tony-nomination for her role in A Doll's House, Part 2.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/laurie-metcalf-pushes-roseanne-revival-at-tony-awards-nominees-reception-1000149

I have to say that of everyone in the cast, I'm most looking forward to seeing Laurie Metcalf return to her role. She always brought so much to Jackie and is in a league of her own.

I have to say that of everyone in the cast, I'm most looking forward to seeing Laurie Metcalf return to her role. She always brought so much to Jackie and is in a league of her own.

Little off topic, but I remember when Scream 2 first came out I couldn't believe that the "lady on Roseanne" was hacking everyone, lol.

I have to say that of everyone in the cast, I'm most looking forward to seeing Laurie Metcalf return to her role. She always brought so much to Jackie and is in a league of her own.


I really liked the character in the first few years, but do you agree that in the last few, let's say three, years, they pretty much made her a babbling fool? It just seemed like she was the level headed one for so long, and then they decided to suck all of her intelligence out of her.

I absolutely hated Jackie's character in the last few seasons.

I really liked the character in the first few years, but do you agree that in the last few, let's say three, years, they pretty much made her a babbling fool? It just seemed like she was the level headed one for so long, and then they decided to suck all of her intelligence out of her.

The best example of that was a scene with Jackie in the living room by herself playing a board game by herself and acting like a moron as she did it. Or her idiotic portrayal of Gilligan, evidently she thought Bob Denver was an orangutan.

I would say the finale demeaned the whole purpose of the rest of the series.

And them winning the lottery demeaned the whole series.

And them winning the lottery demeaned the whole series.

Absolutely. A very self-indulgent and foolish direction for the show; completely took away the blue collar elements that defined the show.

I like the Newhart finale, too. I'm just saying it affects the way I watch the reruns, knowing that even in fiction, it's fiction. Same goes for Roseanne but at least on Newhart the ending was done for laughs. I don't know why Roseanne had to get so dramatic there in the end. What was the point of them ending the show like that?
I always just pretend that after the end scene in the finale Bob wakes up again - in the inn in Vermont - and it turns out the finale was just a dream and the whole golf course business never happened.


...as for Roseanne, I was only ever a casual viewer, never watched any of the final season or the finale, don't even know what happened, so they could just start the revival from some random point somewhere around the 6th season or so and I'd be fine with it.

I really liked the character in the first few years, but do you agree that in the last few, let's say three, years, they pretty much made her a babbling fool? It just seemed like she was the level headed one for so long, and then they decided to suck all of her intelligence out of her.

I agree that they did dumb her down which was unfortunate compared to early Jackie, but I still loved the character. As silly as it may be, I've always loved the episode where Jackie gets a computer. Of course maybe that's just because it reminds me of how I was when I first got a computer with internet at age 12. :)

Oh my, I hope this revival truly happens.
Everything from the 90's is welcome, especially a show I've loved.

I love the idea and it would be wonderful to see all the characters back together in Lanford! :)

"Roseanne" Revival Lands at ABC
by Michael Ausiello
May 16, 2017


"Roseanne" is headed back home.

ABC, the landmark comedy’s original network, has beat out Netflix for rights to an eight-episode present-day revival featuring pretty much the entire original cast, including titular star Roseanne Barr, leading man John Goodman and supporting players Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcalf.



“We’re rebooting Roseanne,” ABC president Channing Dungey confirmed Tuesday on a conference call with reporters, adding that the continuation “is planned for midseason.”

The series’ original producing team of Barr, Tom Werner and Bruce Helford are all on board, with Gilbert also taking an EP credit.

http://tvline.com/2017/05/16/roseanne-revival-abc-new-episodes-dan-alive/

I didn't hear anything about Becky. Are either one of them going to appear?

Yes Lecy is back and Sarah will be back but not as Becky.

src: TVLine (http://tvline.com/2017/05/16/roseanne-revival-abc-new-episodes-dan-alive/)

Hopefully the last season will be explained as a dream and the show will be as it was before.

Hopefully the last season will be explained as a dream and the show will be as it was before.

Maybe they could have Roseanne waking up in the morning with Bob Newhart next to her, then get in the shower with Patrick Duffy? :lol:

The cast at the ABC Upfronts. This October Michael Fishman will be the same age Roseanne was when the series started.

This should be interesting to see, I hope they get the original Becky (Alicia Goranson), I never cared for Sarah Chalke. Looking forward to seeing this.



I hope to God not! She was such a spoiled brat! She was so rude to Larry King that time the cast was on his show, after Glenn Quinn died. :mad: :o

The cast at the ABC Upfronts. This October Michael Fishman will be the same age Roseanne was when the series started.

This makes me very happy - I think Michael Fishman will be an asset to the new series. Plus, will we see little Jerry and little Andy grown up? Perhaps there is a family situation that pulls them all together...

What they really need is something missing from TV today (and for most of the show's last year); the real, middle class America feel. The first few years of this show captured that so well; I feel like that is its biggest strength.

Get George Clooney back as Booker, and I'm in.

I hope to God not! She was such a spoiled brat! She was so rude to Larry King that time the cast was on his show, after Glenn Quinn died. :mad: :o
What did she do? I missed it.

What they really need is something missing from TV today (and for most of the show's last year); the real, middle class America feel. The first few years of this show captured that so well; I feel like that is its biggest strength.
Roseanne was one of my favorite shows on TV for about the first 6 years and then it just got so far out there. The last season was awful. I had stopped watching it regularly the season before but I would catch episodes once in awhile. And of course I tuned in for the last episode. It was awful.

Maybe they could have Roseanne waking up in the morning with Bob Newhart next to her, then get in the shower with Patrick Duffy? :lol:
:lol: That might not be so bad. I can't believe they thought that was a good way to end the series. Newhart it was not.

I just don't understand why now?? Will it be like the 1st seasons with Rosanne working in the plastics factory?? How are they going to explain where Mark and David are?? I for one is not going to like this. I may watch an episode but not give it my full attention.

TDMhiFGls48

I'm excited about it and it will probably be where the show left off. I herd John Goodman is coming back, but how since his character died on the show. Maybe it will be some kind of dream.

I just don't understand why now?? .....

Because everybody is out of ideas. Why do you think Hollywood is remaking so many movies or so many songs are remakes? The best they can come up with is a candy crush game show. I even saw they are bringing back the gong show. :rolleyes:

I too wonder how they are going to handle Dan. Please for the love of god, don't be another dream.

My guess is that Jerry will come out in the new series. Roseanne wanted DJ to come out in the original, but Fishman didn't want to do it, so she backed off. But I bet she'll do it this time.

we can all relate to the show in season 1-4 when she was working a min wage job, 3 young kids, no politics, no news, house a mess but they don't keep it clean, single sister comes to visit

That to me, is the best relate-able, funny, everyday life.

I'm excited to see this happen but I also wonder if it will. 2018 is still quite a bit away and with how erratic and crazy Roseanne is currently (just take a glance at her Twitter feed), I question whether creative differences won't come into play.

A few years ago, NBC announced a revival of Coach. It never happened. Much of it was creative differences with the network.

I feel we're set for something similar. We'll see, tho. I won't expect much until there's actually a set and they're filming.

With that said, years ago I came up with an idea of a reunion of sorts. I posted it here back then but I'll share it now:

Jerry is graduating from high school and the entire Conner clan returns to Lanford to celebrate.

Roseanne & Dan still live on Delaware Street, so we find out they're not wealthy and still struggle getting by. Roseanne continues to work at the Lunchbox, while Dan is now the shop teacher and football coach at Lanford High.

Darlene eventually went to the University of Illinois and graduated with a degree in teaching. She's now a creative writing teacher at a Chicago public school.

David spent a few years as a stay at home dad, raising Harris Conner Healy and another child, Daniel David Healy. Eventually, when Daniel David starts attending elementary school, David gets a job working as a cartoonist for the local alternative paper. He eventually becomes the main political cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune.

Becky and Mark moved to Indiana, where Becky became a nurse and Mark runs his own auto repair shop. Since Glenn Quinn has since passed, in the reunion, Mark is stuck working during the graduation and can't make it to Lanford with Becky.

The two have a daughter, Mary Healy, who is now just starting high school.

David James is a film school flunky who still lives in Lanford and works at the local movie rental place. He lives on his own, though isn't afraid to eat his parents' food or crash at their pad for long periods of time.

He's currently in an on again, off again relationship.

Jackie spent the first few years of Andy's life as a single mother. However, one night, while shopping at Buy 'n Bag, she runs into Gary. They start talking, catching up and she finds out, shortly after they broke up, that he married and moved to Iowa. However, the marriage didn't work and he had just recently relocated back to Lanford.

He asks Jackie out and, without thought, agrees. The two start dating, and a year later, he proposes. Jackie says yes and the two marry and have a daughter, who Jackie names Beverly, after her mother who had passed shortly before the birth of the daughter.

Jackie and Roseanne still work together at the Lunchbox and remain as close as ever.

So, that's the backstory. Everyone returns for the graduation, heads butt, fights break out, but in the end, they preserver.

The final shot is at Jerry's graduation, the entire family standing with each other - Dan, Roseanne, Jackie, Gary and all the kids - smiling with Jerry in his cap and gown smack dab in the middle.

I guess something like this could fit into an 8 episode story arch (though, now Jerry is graduating from college - not high school...since I wrote that in 2011).

I don't know about Roseanne's book but the last time we saw Jerry, he was maybe 1 years old; its been off for 10 years so I think he'd be 9 or 10 years old (???)

No, it's been off for 20 years.

I'm excited to see this happen but I also wonder if it will. 2018 is still quite a bit away and with how erratic and crazy Roseanne is currently (just take a glance at her Twitter feed), I question whether creative differences won't come into play.



I'm concerned about this as well. Roseanne is a supporter of President Trump while Sara is not, and I wonder if they can do a show about middle class families' struggles in this climate that would please all the cast and crew.

I'm concerned about this as well. Roseanne is a supporter of President Trump while Sara is not, and I wonder if they can do a show about middle class families' struggles in this climate that would please all the cast and crew.

The ‘Roseanne’ Revival Won’t Be Ignoring Donald Trump’s Presidency (http://uproxx.com/tv/roseanne-revival-trump-america/)

^ Thanks for the scoop. I'm curious how this will play out. I don't think Gilbert, Chalke and Goodman would agree to a series where Roseanne is the clear winner of all the political debates.

I'm concerned about this as well. Roseanne is a supporter of President Trump while Sara is not, and I wonder if they can do a show about middle class families' struggles in this climate that would please all the cast and crew.

I bet Sara supports Hillary Clinton, that's why.

John Goodman discusses bringing Dan back in 'Roseanne' reboot (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/john-goodman-discusses-bringing-dan-back-roseanne-reboot/story?id=47913219)

They also recast Becky, which I thought was a real slap in the face to the highly-underrated Lecy Goranson. They never would have recast Darlene, and Goranson was every bit as good as Sara Gilbert, if not better. The whole Becky switch took me "out of the show".

It would be interesting to see the show back and they'll probably play up the Becky switch.

Actually, the producers were going to replace Sara. How do I know? A good friend of mine was an actress during the 1990s and she was in line to replace Sara Gilbert when she was going to leave for college on the East Coast. My friend was already in line for the role or should I say the recast. Then the producers decided not to go to with it but to work with Sara Gilbert and shoot a lot of her scenes up North where she was attending school.


Regarding the Becky switch, it was only done because in season eight, Lecy was unable to make several shoots (i.e. Disney World and Darlene's wedding) so Sarah was the go to. Lecy opted not to return for the final season and Sarah Chalke was the go to. I think she did six episodes in that ninth year and was VERY underused. It was like she was only there to show that they had an older daughter and generally had under five lines. Sarah Chalke will return for the revival but as a new character.

I don't buy that they were going to recast Darlene. At the beginning of season 6, they had a choice of what to do with both original daughters gone full time. A Darlene recast wouldn't have made sense. I do know that a lot of actresses auditioned to play Becky.

And when I refer to the Becky switch: I mean the recast. Becky was recast in season 6, again in season 8, and again in season 9.

Are they going to recast Mark since Glenn Quinn is no longer with us?

When does production begin? If the show returns in early 2018, it's about time to get things up and running.

I wonder if Estelle Parsons will return as well?

Here’s the first look at Darlene and David’s kids from the Roseanne revival (http://tvline.com/2017/12/21/roseanne-season-10-photos-darlene-children/)
Shameless’ Emma Kenney will play their 14-year-old daughter, while newcomer Ames McNamara will play “gender-fluid” son Mark. ALSO: How Becky No. 2 Sarah Chalke will be incorporated into the revival. (http://ew.com/tv/2017/12/21/roseanne-second-becky-revival/)

I'm super excited for the new season. I really hope it's not a "limited series" and it comes back for awhile. I'm anxious to see how they'll handle everything in 2018. Season 9 was a disaster, I don't think they could ever possibly do worse than that season. At first I thought that finale was brilliant, but then I came to realize that it was just really lazy writing and a cheap way out of the terrible mistake of writing the family to win the lottery...yes, it did undermine the entire show and it was insulting to fans. We deserve better and I'm hoping season 10 will revive the magic of the original show!