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Roseanne & The Conners Wiki
This article is about the television series, for the titular character, see Roseanne Conner.

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Roseanne is an American sitcom that was first broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997 with 222 half-hour episodes produced over nine seasons. It was secondly broadcast with a 9 half-hour episodic tenth season which aired from March 27, 2018 to May 22, 2018. 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 seasons. In 1993, the episode "A Stash from the Past" was ranked #21 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time.[1] In 2002, Roseanne was ranked #35 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[2]

On May 16, 2017, it was announced ABC would produce an eight-episode 10th season revival of the series, set to air on March 27, 2018, with the original cast returning. The season ended up consisting of nine episodes.

Despite how successful the 10th season revival was and the series was at first picked up for another season, the series was canceled after Barr tweeted perceived racist and offensive remarks on Twitter on May 29, 2018. The spin-off has been ordered straight to series on June 21, 2018, titled known as The Conners.

Premise[]

The show is centered on the Conners, a loving but imperfect 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 consisted of outspoken Roseanne, married to her easygoing and loving husband, Dan, and their three children; the overachieving but rebellious Becky, the sarcastic and artistic Darlene, and the simpleminded, childlike, and odd D.J.

Many critics considered the show notable as one of the first sitcoms to portray a realistic blue-collar American family with two parents working outside the home, as well as lead characters who were noticeably overweight without their weight being the target of jokes. For many years, Roseanne tackled provocative subjects and issues such as poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, 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. Establishing shots were photographed in Evansville, Indiana, the hometown of first-season producer Matt Williams. Exterior shots of the Conner household were based on a real home located in Evansville, located at 619 Runnymeade Ave.[citation needed] Barr's real-life brother and sister are gay, which 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.

Characters[]

Cast Character Years Seasons Episodes
Regular Recurring Guest
Roseanne Barr Roseanne Conner 1988–1997, 2018 1–10 231
John Goodman Dan Conner 1988–1997, 2018 1–10 220
Laurie Metcalf Jackie Harris 1988–1997, 2018 1–10 228
Sal Barone D.J. Conner 1988 1 1
Lecy Goranson Becky Conner 1988–1992, 1995–1996, 2018 1–5, 8, 10 120
Sara Gilbert Darlene Conner 1988–1997, 2018 1–10 190
Natalie West Crystal Anderson 1988–1995, 2018 3–4 1–2, 5 6, 8, 10 58
Michael Fishman D.J. Conner 1988–1997, 2018 1–10 220
Estelle Parsons Beverly Harris 1989–1997, 2018 5–9 1–4, 10 61
Glenn Quinn Mark Healy 1990–1997 4–9 3 74
Martin Mull Leon Carp 1991–1997 3–4, 6–9 5 46
Sandra Bernhard Nancy Bartlett 1991–1997, 2018 4–6, 8–9 7, 10 34
Johnny Galecki David Healy 1992–1997, 2018 4–9 10 93
Michael O'Keefe Fred 1993–1995 6–8 35
Sarah Chalke Becky Conner/Andrea 1993–1997, 2018 6–7, 9 8, 10 45
Emma Kenney Harris Healy 1997, 2018 10 9 11
Ames McNamara Mark Healy II 2018 10 8
Jayden Ray Mary Conner 2018 10 5

DVD Releases[]

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 acquired the rights to re-release the series uncut on DVD in Region 1. They have subsequently re-released all nine seasons and a complete series set. In Germany, Universum Film has released the entire series on DVD, and released a complete series box set on July 3, 2009. 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.

DVD release dates []

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD release dates Features
Season premiere Season finale
1 23 October 18, 1988 May 2, 1989 August 30, 2005 (Region 1)
September 19, 2005 (Region 2)
June 7, 2006 (Region 4)
v
Roseanne-on-Roseanne candid interview, bloopers, Season One highlights, Interview: "John Goodman Takes a Look Back", "Wisdom from the Domestic Goddess".
2 24 September 12, 1989 May 8, 1990 December 6, 2005 (Region 1)
February 6, 2006 (Region 2)
October 4, 2006 (Region 4)
John Goodman: "A Candid Interview", Best of Season Two, "Wacky Jackie", "Roseanne Untied: Season 1 Launch Party", John Goodman's audition.
3 25 September 18, 1990 May 14, 1991 March 21, 2006 (Region 1)
May 15, 2006 (Region 2)
February 7, 2007 (Region 4)
Laurie Metcalf Interview: "The Sister that Never Leaves", Lecy Goranson Interview: "I Was a Teenage Becky", Best of Season Three.
4 25 September 17, 1991 May 12, 1992 June 27, 2006 (Region 1)
March 17, 2007 (Region 2)
June 6, 2007 (Region 4)
Interview with Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman, Roseanne Interview: "Life Imitating Art, Imitating Roseanne", audio commentary with Roseanne on select episodes.
5 25 September 15, 1992 May 18, 1993 September 12, 2006 (Region 1)
September 9, 2009 (Region 2)
November 7, 2007 (Region 3)
Video commentaries with Roseanne, Roseanne answers eight fan questions, an exclusive interview with Roseanne.
    6 25 September 14, 1993 May 24, 1994 December 5, 2006 (Region 1)
September 9, 2009 (Region 2)
March 18, 2008 (Region 3)
No Special Features
    7 25 September 21, 1994 May 24, 1995 April 3, 2007 (Region 1)
October 12, 2009 (Region 2)
July 9, 2008 (Region 3)
No Special Features
    8 25 September 19, 1995 May 21, 1996 August 7, 2007 (Region 1)
October 12, 2009 (Region 2)
January 13, 2010 (Region 3)
Video Commentaries with "Roseanne: Working Class Actress" interview.
    9 22 September 17, 1996 May 20, 1997 October 16, 2007 (Region 1)
November 16, 2009 (Region 2)
January 13, 2010 (Region 3)
Two new execlusive interviews: "Legacy of Class" and "Breaking the Sitcom Mold". Video commentary with Roseanne Barr & Michael Fishman.
Revival Series
    1 8 March 27, 2018 May 22, 2018 TBA

Spin-off[]

During the show's final season, Barr was in negotiations with Carsey-Werner Productions and ABC executives to continue playing Roseanne Conner in a spinoff. 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.

In the fall of 2008, Barr commented on what the current whereabouts of Conners would consist of. "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 responded: "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". On December 20, 2009, Barr posted an entry on her website regarding what a possible Roseanne reunion would be like, which includes: Mark being published, DJ 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.

Revival[]

On April 28, 2017, television trade publications reported an 8-episode revival of the series, being shopped to multiple networks including ABC and Netflix. Barr, Goodman, and Gilbert were attached to reprise their roles, while Metcalf was considered likely to return. Galecki is also expected to return in some capacity. Barr, Tom Werner, Bruce Helford will produce the series, alongside Gilbert who will serve as an executive producer while Helford and Whitney Cummings will be handling day-to-day oversight of the show. In May 2017, it was announced the series was greenlit and would air on ABC mid-season in 2018. Metcalf, Fishman, Goranson and Chalke were all announced to return. Chalke, who played the character Becky in later seasons, appeared in a different role.

The Conners[]

Main article: The Conners

Some time after the cancellation was confirmed, some news sources announced that the show could possibly be re-tooled as a spin-off focusing on Sara Gilbert's character of Darlene.

Around June 15, 2018 reports emerged that ABC was close to making a deal to indeed continue the show as a Darlene-centric show, though it is also possible that it will be entitled The Conners, and would center around the whole family. The spin-off will only go forward assuming Barr signs a deal to give up rights to the show, meaning she won’t be involved creatively or financially. Barr will likely receive a one-time payment in return. If the spin-off happens, it has been stated that Barr's racism scandal will be addressed on the show.

On June 21, 2018, it was announced that ABC had officially ordered a 10-episode spin-off tentatively titled The Conners, and that it would involve every original cast member except Barr. Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, Jayden Rey and recurring characters have not been confirmed as of yet. The series is set to premiere on October 16, 2018.


Ratings[]

Roseanne ranked in the Nielsen top 20 shows listing for nine of its ten seasons. The series reached #1 in its second season, becoming the most watched television show in the United States.[3][4][5][6] The following table lists the ranking for each season.

Season Ep # Years Rank (Rating) Households
Season 1 23 1988-89 #2 (23.8)[7] 21,515,200
Season 2 24 1989–1990 #1 (23.1) (tie) [7] 21,275,100
Season 3 25 1990-91 #3 (18.1)[7] 16,851,100
Season 4 25 1991-92 #2 (19.9)[7] 18,327,900
Season 5 25 1992-93 #2 (20.7)[7] 19,271,700
Season 6 25 1993-94 #4 (19.3)[7] 17,992,200
Season 7 25 1994-95 #9 (15.5)[7] 14,787,000
Season 8 25 1995-96 #16 (12.5) (tie)[7] 11,987,400
Season 9 22 1996-97 #35 (10.1)[8] N/A
Revival Series
Season 1 8 2018 #3 (17.8) TBD

Broadcast history[]

  • Tuesday at 8:30-9:00 PM on ABC: October 18, 1988—February 21, 1989
  • Tuesday at 9:00-9:30 PM on ABC: February 28, 1989—May 24, 1994 (Most frequent time slot)
  • Wednesday at 9:00-9:30 PM on ABC: September 21, 1994—March 29, 1995
  • Wednesday at 8:00-8:30 PM on ABC: May 3, 1995—May 24, 1995
  • Tuesday at 8:00-8:30 PM on ABC: September 19, 1995—May 20, 1997
  • Tuesday at 8:00-8:30 PM on ABC: March 27, 2018—May 22, 2018

Syndication[]

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 had 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 January 2010, Nick at Nite had once again taken Roseanne from its time slot. In Australia, the show was seen on the channel 111 Hits, and Eleven. In the UK, it aired in reruns on Channel 4.

WE TV and CMT both began airing the series in September 2012. The show also aired on Logo TV, Laff and Paramount Network.

In the awake of Roseanne's May 29, 2018 controversial comments on Twitter deemed racist, islamophobic, ignorant, and offensive, all television networks will no longer syndicate the show. After four-mouth hiatus, the series returned to CMT and TV Land in October 2018 also on Paramount Network in December 2018, Starting on May 25th Cozi TV had announced that they will now be playing and featuring all 10 seasons.

Awards and nominations[]

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 Metcalf) reunited at the TV Land Awards to receive the Innovator Award. In their acceptance speech, they honored the late cast member Glenn Quinn.

Peabody Award[]

  • 1992 Excellence in Television Broadcasting (won)

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, won)
  • 1993 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (John Goodman)
  • 1993 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Roseanne Barr, won)
  • 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Sara Gilbert)
  • 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Laurie Metcalf, won)
  • 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, won)
  • 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)

The show also received several nominations in Editing, Art Direction, Music, Lighting Direction, Writing and Hairstyling. Golden Globe Awards

  • 1989 Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
  • 1989 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
  • 1989 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
  • 1990 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
  • 1991 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman)
  • 1991 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
  • 1992 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
  • 1993 Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (won)
  • 1993 Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (John Goodman, won)
  • 1993 Best Actress Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr, won)
  • 1993 Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Laurie Metcalf)
  • 1994 Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
  • 1994 Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Roseanne Barr)
  • 1995 Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (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 Awards

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

TV Land Award[]

2008 Innovator Award (won)

American Comedy Awards[]

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

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

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

References[]

  1. Template:Cite journal
  2. TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows
  3. [1]Template:Dead link
  4. Template:Cite book
  5. "'Roseanne' Tops 'Cosby' In the Nielsen Ratings", March 15, 1989. 
  6. Simon Cowell (August 12, 2003). Roseanne Gets Reality Check. E! Online. Retrieved on 2011-02-18.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Brooks, Earle and Marsh, Tim (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable Shows 1946–Present. Ballantine, pp. 1692–1703. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4
  8. http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/recent_data/1996-97.html
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