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Roseanne

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Roseanne
File:Roseanne Sitcom Title Card.png
Roseanne title screen
GenreSitcom
Created byMatt Williams
StarringRoseanne Barr
John Goodman
Laurie Metcalf
Sara Gilbert
Lecy Goranson
(1988-1992, 1995-1996)
Michael Fishman
Sarah Chalke
(1993-1995, 1996-1997)
Natalie West
(1988-1992)
Theme music composerW. G. Snuffy Walden
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons9
No. of episodes222 (list of episodes)
Production
Running timeapprox. 22 minutes (per episode)
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseOctober 18, 1988 –
May 21, 1997

Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from 1988 to 1997 starring stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr. The show portrayed a working-class family struggling to get by on a limited income in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Many critics considered the show notable as one of the first sitcoms to portray an American family in which economics necessitated two parents working jobs outside the home.[1][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 use, sex, menstruation, teenage pregnancy, masturbation, obesity, race, class identity, 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 didn't 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, spending its first six seasons among the Nielsen Ratings' top five highest-rated shows. The show's success inspired television networks to offer a rash of sitcom deals to stand-up comedians, a practice that continued for years afterwards. During its seventh season, the show's ratings dropped, but it still managed to remain among the Nielsen Ratings' top ten highest-rated shows. It was only during the show's ninth and final season, when the show's storyline drifted away from its original premise, that Roseanne dropped below the Nielsen Ratings' top thirty highest-rated shows.

Characters

Main article: Characters in the Roseanne television series

Season synopses

Main article: List of Roseanne episodes

Roseanne was a half-hour program that aired weekly between September and May of each year from 1988 to 1997. Each September to May run is regarded as a separate season comprising of 23 to 26 weekly episodes. Though the storylines of most episodes were self-contained, story arcs occasionally spanned several episodes or an entire season.

Season one

As the season (and series) opens, Roseanne is a line-worker at Wellman Plastics along with her sister Jackie and friend Crystal. Jackie has a brief relationship with Booker (played by George Clooney), the foreman at Wellman. Dan finds sporadic work as a construction contractor and faces a strained relationship with his irresponsible father Ed (played by Ned Beatty). Roseanne's parents, Bev and Al, 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. In the season finale, Roseanne stands up to a new foreman (played by Fred Thompson), when she leads Jackie, Crystal, and other co-workers as they quit Wellman Plastics.

Season two

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 (played by Brian Kerwin). Becky repeatedly rebels against Roseanne and Dan's parental authority. Old biker buddy Ziggy (played by 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), Stephen Root (as Roseanne's lawyer Peter), and Bert Parks (as a judge).

Season three

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, 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 (played by Meagen Fay). Nana Mary 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.

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 four

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 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 gothic 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 extraterrestrials."

Notable guest stars during the season include Bob Hope (as himself), Wayne Newton (as himself), David Crosby (as Duke), Neil Patrick Harris (as Dr. Doogie Howser), and Rick Dees (as Ken).

Season five

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. 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. Roseanne's rich cousin Ronnie visits and convinces 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, 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 convinces Darlene to not give up on her goals just to stay with David.

During this episode there is a running gag in which each of the Conners (with the exception of 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), 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 D.J.'s friend George), Joan Collins (as Roseanne's cousin Ronnie), Matt Roth (as Jackie's boyfriend Fisher), and Steve Jones (as a threatening diner patron).

Season six

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 and smoke an old stash of marijuana. 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 later drop out. 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, which 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), Ahmet Zappa (as Mark's roommate Roy), and Fabio (as himself).

Season seven

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. "The Sitcom Mom's Welcome Wagon" also aired this season.

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 eight

Season eight addressed Roseanne's baby shower (and the subsequent arrival of her son Jerry Garcia Conner), 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. The show was, however, again 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), Pat Harrington, Jr. (as himself), Jenna Elfman (as hitchhiker Garland), Shecky Greene (as Bar Mitzvah guest Uncle Sol), 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 nine

The ninth and final season of the show marks a complete departure from the rest of the series as it takes on a more surreal tone. The Conners win the state lottery jackpot of $108 million, Roseanne battles terrorists, 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 an alternative scenario for the series in which many of its events never actually take place and are instead part of a book she is writing. In this scenario, Dan's heart attack has killed him, the Conner family has not won the lottery, Becky has married David instead of Mark, Darlene has married Mark instead of David, and Jackie has come out as a lesbian instead of Roseanne's mother.

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).

Ratings

Roseanne consistently ranked in the Nielsen top shows listing for eight of its nine seasons. It reached its pinnacle in its second season with a #1 ranking (tying with The Cosby Show),[4] and only fell out of the top 20 in its final season. The following table lists the ranking for each season.

Season Ep # Years Ratings Rank Viewers
Season 1 23 1988–1989 #2[5] 21,515,200
Season 2 24 1989–1990 #1 (tied with The Cosby Show)[6] 21,275,100
Season 3 25 1990–1991 #3[7] 16,851,100
Season 4 25 1991–1992 #2[8] 18,327,900
Season 5 25 1992–1993 #2[9] 19,271,700
Season 6 25 1993–1994 #4[10] 17,992,200
Season 7 26 1994–1995 #10[11] 14,787,000
Season 8 25 1995–1996 #17[12] 13,042,400
Season 9 24 1996–1997 #35[13] 9,951,582

Programming History

Dates Broadcast time (ET)
October 1988-February 1989 Tuesday 8:30-9:00 pm
February 1989-September 1994 Tuesday 9:00-9:30 pm
September 1994-March 1995 Wednesday 9:00-9:30 pm
March 1995-May 1995 Wednesday 8:00-8:30 pm
May 1995-September 1995 Wednesday 9:30-10:00 pm
September 1995-May 1997 Tuesday 8:00-8:30 pm

Awards and nominations

Awards won

Award nominations

  • Emmy Award, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Roseanne Barr (1992, 1994-1995)
  • Emmy Award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, John Goodman (1989-1995)
  • Emmy Award, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Laurie Metcalf (1995)
  • Emmy Award, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Sara Gilbert (1993, 1994)
  • Golden Globe Award, Best TV Series-Comedy/Musical, Roseanne (1989, 1994)
  • Golden Globe Award, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical, Roseanne Barr (1989, 1991-1992, 1994)
  • Golden Globe Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical, John Goodman (1989-1991)
  • Golden Globe Award, Best Performance by a TV Supporting Actress, Laurie Metcalf (1993, 1995)
  • Screen Actors Guild Award, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, Roseanne Barr (1995)
  • Screen Actors Guild Award, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, John Goodman (1995)
  • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award, Best Actress in a Television Series, Roseanne Barr (1994)

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 also released a special "Halloween Edition" DVD in August 2006, featuring uncut Halloween-themed episodes, with commentary by Roseanne Barr.

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. Anchor Bay announced that season 5 will be released in November/December of 2008.[citation needed]

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.

Season RC1 (NTSC)
Release Date		 RC2 (PAL)
Release Date		 RC4 (PAL)
Release Date		 Additional Information
The Complete 1st Season August 30 2005 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.
The Complete 2nd Season December 6 2005 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.
The Complete 3rd Season March 21 2006 May 15 2006 February 7 2007 Laurie Metcalf Interview: The Sister that Never Leaves, Lecy Goranson Interview: I As a Teenage Becky, Best of Season Three.
The Complete 4th Season June 27 2006 March 17 2008 June 6 2007 Interview with Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman, Roseanne Interview: "Life Imitating Art, Imitating Roseanne", Audio commentary with Roseanne on select episodes.
The Complete 5th Season September 12 2006 November/December, 2008 November 7 2007 Video commentaries with Roseanne, Roseanne Answers Top 10 8 Fan Questions, An exclusive interview with Roseanne.
The Complete 6th Season December 5 2006 July, 2009 TBA No Special Features
The Complete 7th Season April 3 2007 TBA TBA No Special Features
The Complete 8th Season August 7 2007 TBA TBA Video commentaries with Roseanne, Roseanne: Working-Class Actress Interview
The Complete 9th Season October 16 2007 TBA TBA Two new exclusive interviews: 'Legacy of Class' and 'Breaking the Sitcom Mold'. Video commentary with Roseanne & Michael Fishman


References

  1. ^ Tucker, Ken (May 2 1997), "And Away She Goes", Entertainment Weekly (377) {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ James, Caryn (May 18 1997), "'Roseanne' and the Risks of Upward Mobility", The New York Times {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Wizenburg, Stephen (June 28, 2004). TV's Greatest Sitcoms. PublishAmerica. ISBN 1413725678.
  4. ^ "'Roseanne' Tops 'Cosby' In the Nielsen Ratings", The New York Times, March 15 1989 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1980's
  6. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1980's
  7. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
  8. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
  9. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
  10. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
  11. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
  12. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
  13. ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
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