Roseanne (TV series)

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Roseanne is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom broadcast on ABC from 1988 to 1997 starring stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr. The show portrayed a working-class family living in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, struggling to get by on a limited income. 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. For many years, Roseanne tackled subjects that most other popular shows at the time avoided, such as poverty, alcoholism, narcotics, sex, menstruation, masturbation, obesity, feminism, 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. The show 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

Roseanne Conner

Played by Roseanne Barr. Roseanne Conner, modeled after Barr's stand-up comic (and presumed real-life) persona, was born in late 1952 and is a loud, caustic, and dominant woman with a wry sense of humor. She frequently meddles and tries to control the lives of her husband, daughters, son, sister, and friends. Despite her dominating nature, Roseanne's love for her family and friends is plainly evident. Roseanne is absent from only one of the 222 episodes in the series.

Dan Conner

Played by John Goodman. Dan Conner, born in 1951, is Roseanne's genial, easygoing "teddy-bear" husband. He holds a variety of blue-collar jobs throughout the series. Though he appears to be dominated by Roseanne, Dan asserts his will in the matters that concern him most, particularly his daughters' romantic lives. He is openly admired by many of the show's characters for his devotion to his wife and children. Among his children, Dan bonds most strongly with his tomboy daughter Darlene. His relationship with Roseanne's sister Jackie is outwardly contentious but secretly close.

Jackie Harris

Played by Laurie Metcalf. Jackie, born in 1955, is Roseanne's wacky younger sister. Jackie has a lackluster social life and her romantic relationships are frequently unstable. She is fairly dependent on Roseanne, spending most of her time in the Conner household. Roseanne often asserts control over Jackie's life, a frequent cause of conflict between the two. As an auxiliary member of the nuclear Conner family, however, Jackie is often in a position to serve as confidant for individual family members, making her a catalyst for major change or resolution within the series. Jackie's has a contentious relationship with her parents, particularly her mother, Beverly.

Becky Conner

Played by Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke. Becky, born in 1975, is Roseanne and Dan's eldest child. She does well academically and socially in school. The high value she places on her feminine appearance and social acceptance puts her in stark contrast with her sister Darlene, with whom she frequently fights. In the first four seasons of the series, Becky appears to be on a path toward high lifetime achievement. This path is drastically diverted when she skips college to elope with Mark, and later ends up living with him in a trailer park.

Two Beckys

During the show's fifth season actress Lecy Goranson left to attend Vassar College. At first, her character Becky was merely absent from the show, explained in the story when she marries and moves away to live with her husband Mark. During the sixth season, however, the show's producers recast Becky with actress Sarah Chalke. This change is addressed in the show by obliquely "breaking the fourth wall", which becomes a running gag for the remainder of the series as both Goranson and Chalke continue to alternate in the role of Becky, depending on Goranson's availability. Examples of this gag include:

At the end of Chalke's first episode, the Conner family watches the television show Bewitched and several characters complain about the recasting of the show's main character Darrin Stevens, with Chalke asserting that she prefers the second actor to play Darrin.
When Goranson returns to the role in the eighth season premiere, Roseanne and Darlene ask Becky, "Where the hell have you been?" and comment that "it feels like you've been gone for three years." Becky responds, "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
The eighth season premiere concludes with Goranson and Chalke dancing as if they were each other's reflection in a black-and-white parody of the closing credits from the television series The Patty Duke Show, a series in which actress Patty Duke plays two identical cousins. The song to which the two Becky's dance, Nearly Identical Beckys, is set to the tune of the theme music from The Patty Duke Show'. At the end of the segment, William Schallert, who plays Patty's father on the series, appears with Dan. This parody was excised from the eighth season DVD box set.
Beginning with the eighth season, the show's opening credits sequence, which displays morphing images of the main characters over the years, features images of both Goranson and Chalke in the role of Becky.
When Roseanne announces that the Conner family is planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, Becky (played that week by Chalke) tells Roseanne how excited she is to be going to Disney World. Roseanne responds, "Aren't you glad you were here this week?"
In an episode that pretends to glimpse into the future, John Goodman portrays an adult version of D.J. who has suffered a mental breakdown. He repeatedly mutters "They say she's the same, but she isn't the same." At the end of the episode, a montage sequence of the two actresses playing Becky reveals the meaning of D.J.'s mantra.

Because cast and crew believed that the eighth season of Roseanne would be its last, Goranson had signed back on only for that season. When the show was renewed for a ninth season, Chalke replaced Goranson full-time.

Darlene Conner

Played by Sara Gilbert. Darlene, born in 1976, is Roseanne and Dan's wily and sarcastic middle child. Among the Connor children, she is the most similar to Roseanne, dishing out clever one-liners and displaying a knack for manipulating those around her. The similarity also means that, unlike the other characters on the show, Darlene does not readily submit to Roseanne's will. Darlene starts the series as a tomboy character who loves to play basketball, but during the show's third and fourth seasons develops into a more gothic teen. She dates, eventually marries, and has a daughter with David, the younger brother of Becky's husband, Mark.

D.J. Conner

Played by Michael Fishman. D.J., born in 1981, is Roseanne and Dan's youngest child (until the birth of Jerry in the eighth season). D.J. is treated by the others as the "baby" of the family, and as such his concerns and opinions are often discounted or ignored. Thus left to his own devices, D.J. develops some unusual behaviors, such as building a cache of dismembered dolls. These behaviors are singled out for ridicule by his older sisters, particularly Darlene who inflicts a playful degree of violence upon him. D.J. has an especially close relationship with Roseanne. The initials D.J. stand for David Jacob, a fact which is only mentioned in two episodes of the series.

Recurring characters

Roseanne featured a large cast of recurring characters. The following appeared in 10 or more episodes of the series, ordered below by number of appearances.

David Healy (played by Johnny Galecki in 91 episodes) - Darlene's boyfriend and eventual husband
Crystal Anderson (played by Natalie West in 84 episodes) - Roseanne and Jackie's old high-school friend, later marries Dan's father
Mark Healy (played by Glenn Quinn in 75 episodes) - Becky's boyfriend and eventual husband, David's older brother
Bev Harris (played by Estelle Parsons in 58 episodes) - Roseanne and Jackie's mother
Leon Carp (played by Martin Mull in 46 episodes) - Roseanne's manager at Rodbell's, later co-owner of Lanford Lunch Box
Fred (played by Michael O'Keefe in 35 episodes) - Jackie's husband, Dan's employee at Lanford City Garage
Nancy Bartlett (played by Sandra Bernhard in 33 episodes) - Roseanne's friend, Arnie's wife, co-owner of Lanford Lunch Box
Arnie Thomas (played by Tom Arnold in 22 episodes) - Dan's friend, Nancy's husband
Chuck Mitchell (played by James Pickens Jr. in 19 episodes) - Dan's friend, Anne-Marie's husband
Bonnie Watkins (played by Bonnie Bramlett in 18 episodes) - Roseanne's co-worker at Rodbell's
Anne-Marie Mitchell (played by Adilah Barnes in 15 episodes) - Roseanne's friend, Chuck's wife
Booker Brooks (played by George Clooney in 11 episodes) - Roseanne's foreman at Wellman Plastics, briefly dates Jackie
Bob (played by John McConnell in 11 episodes) - Dan's employee at Lanford City Garage
Nana Mary (played by Shelley Winters in 10 episodes) - Roseanne and Jackie's grandmother, Bev's mother

Season synopses

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 comprised of 23 to 26 weekly episodes. Though the storylines of most episodes were self-contained, major changes were sustained from one episode to another forming a broad Conner family story that developed across the entire series.

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, 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, move to Lanford. 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 test for it that turns up negative, Becky seems to be headed for it but isn't, and Darlene surprises all when she is interrupted while heading for it herself. Roseanne takes on a job as waitress at Rodbell's Luncheonette 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 Luncheonette. 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 himelf), 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 desides to buy the house, saving Dan from financial ruin. Darlene gets an acceptance letter from art school, David gets a rejection. 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.

Notable guest stars during the season include Danielle Harris, Mara Hobel and Wings Hauser (as Molly, Charlotte and Ty 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), and Matt Roth (as Jackie's boyfriend Fisher).

Season six

This is considered by most to be the most beloved and most daring season of them all. It was the year in which Roseanne finds a stash of marijuana, Dan re-connects with an old flame, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) becomes pregnant, Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) leaves for college, Becky (Sarah Chalke) returns home, and DJ (Michael Fishman) sneaks off to church. There’s the series’ shocking lesbian kiss, a Halloween to remember, a Thanksgiving the Conners wish they could forget, the fan favorite "White Trash Christmas."

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

It is the year that began with Roseanne's unexpected pregnancy and went on to tackle such issues as abortion, alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual dysfunction, racial prejudice, erotic dreams, nude neighbors, scandalous secrets, a gay Halloween, a turkey of a Thanksgiving, the Sitcom Mom's Welcome Wagon, and the Conners' visit to Gilligan's Island.

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 Landford Lunch Box waitress Stacy).

Season eight

Roseanne's baby shower, DJ's Thanksgiving pageant, Jackie's internet addiction, the return of Lecy Goranson, the arrival of Jerry Garcia Conner, Darlene's wedding, Dan's heart attack, loose meat sandwiches, old love letters, ballroom dance lessons, crashing a Bar Mitzvah, the 50s sitcom tribute, ouija board horrors, gay nuptials, supermarket samples, the trip to Disney World, and much, much more.

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 taking 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 lottery, 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.), and Debbie Reynolds (as Dan's mother Audrey).

Ratings

Roseanne consistently ranked in the Nielsen top shows listing for each of its nine seasons. It reached its pinnacle in its second season with a #1 ranking (tying with The Cosby Show), 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	21,515,200
Season 2	24	1989-1990	#1	21,275,100
Season 3	25	1990-1991	#3	16,851,100
Season 4	25	1991-1992	#2	18,327,900
Season 5	25	1992-1993	#2	19,271,700
Season 6	25	1993-1994	#4	17,992,200
Season 7	26	1994-1995	#10	14,787,000
Season 8	25	1995-1996	#17	13,042,400
Season 9	24	1996-1997	#35	9,951,582

Awards and nominations

Awards won

Emmy Awards

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Roseanne Barr (1993)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Laurie Metcalf (1992, 1993, 1994)

Golden Globe Awards

Best TV Series-Comedy/Musical, Roseanne (1993)
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical, John Goodman (1993)
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical, Roseanne Barr (1993)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award

Best Actress in a Television Series, Roseanne Barr (1992)

Peabody Award

Excellence in television broadcasting, Roseanne (1992)

Award nominations

Emmy Awards

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

Golden Globe Awards

Best TV Series-Comedy/Musical, Roseanne (1989, 1994)
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical, Roseanne Barr (1989, 1991-1992, 1994)
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy/Musical, John Goodman (1989-1991)
Best Performance by a TV Supporting Actress, Laurie Metcalf (1993, 1995)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, Roseanne Barr (1995)
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 Starz Home Entertainment (formerly Anchor Bay Entertainment). The first season was issued with shorter, syndicated versions of the episodes because Starz was unable to attain 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. Starz also released a special "Halloween Edition" DVD in August 2006, featuring uncut Halloween-themed episodes, with commentary by Roseanne Barr.

Starz has been releasing the Region 2 (Europe) PAL format DVDs of the show at a slower pace. So far, Starz has only released the show's first three seasons in PAL format. This is soon to change, as Season 4 will be released in PAL format on 17th March, 2008.

In June 2006, Magna Pacific began to release the show on DVD in Region 4 (Australia, Central America, and South America). Unlike the Starz releases, Magna Pacific's first season DVDs include the full-length original broadcast episodes.

Season	RC1 Release Date	RC2 Release Date	RC4 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	TBA	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	TBA	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

Trivia

Shelly Winters plays Estelle Parsons' mother in the show, although they are only seven years apart.

In the first episode introducing David in 1992, he is referred to as 'Kevin'. For the rest of the series' run, he is referred to as 'David'. The producers wanted to name him David originally but changed his name to Kevin because he was already playing a character named David on another show and did not want viewers to get confused. His other show was cancelled by his second appearance on "Roseanne" so he was named David again. This is referenced in season 6 when Roseanne says that David is what Darlene changed his name to because she has so much control over him.

Sal Barone originally played the character of D.J. in the pilot, but because of decisions made by producers, Michael Fishman became D.J. In a Roseanne reunion, which aired on Roseanne's talk show The Roseanne Show, Sara Gilbert revealed that there existed animosity between Barone and her, resulting in his departure as D.J.'s character because Barone's mother did not want him to be on the show with her. However, according to Sal Barone himself, the show decided to recast the role of D.J. because they felt Sal Barone was too young for the role.

In the season three episode, The Test, a reference is made to Roseanne Barr's National anthem controversy. Roseanne wakes up and says, "the morning is so beautiful I could just sing." She then opens her mouth like she is about to sing, but does nothing. The audience then cheers and applauds.

Roseanne was set in fictional Lanford, Illinois, which according to Ms. Barr was based on Moline, Illinois. On the show, Moline was where Roseanne Conner's parents lived until her father's death, after which her mother relocated to Lanford, much to her daughters' dismay. Lanford was often characterized on the show as a town on the wane and offering limited opportunities, which realistically depicted the economic struggles of the working-class in the factory cities of the Midwestern United States during the late 1980s recession. The region was hit particularly hard during this recession and it was a significant subtextual theme of the show in its earlier seasons. Despite the show's association with Moline, all the camera shots of fictional 'Lanford' were actually of Evansville, Indiana.

Two actresses played Becky (Sarah Chalke and Lecy Goranson), two actresses played Dan's mother (Ann Wedgeworth and Debbie Reynolds), two actors played Crystal's son (Josh C. Williams and Luke Edwards), and two actors played Todd (Troy Davidson and Adam Hendershott). Two actors also played DJ (Sal Barone and Michael Fishman -- although Sal Barone for the pilot episode only).

In the season three episode, Home Ec, Roseanne makes a comment about The Little House on the Prairie, which is possibly a reference to Sara Gilbert's sister, Melissa Gilbert, who was on Little House.

The show's original title was Life and Stuff, but the producers decided to change it to Roseanne. That title would later be chosen as the title of the show's pilot episode. The title would be parodied in two other Roseanne episodes: Death and Stuff, when Roseanne lets a traveling salesman into her house and he dies in their kitchen, and Fights and Stuff, the 8th season finale (which actually uses dialogue that parallels dialogue in the pilot).

There are a few actors and actresses that guest-starred before they were famous, which include Alyson Hannigan, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, and Matt Roth. Bruce Willis also made a tiny appearance interrupting a taping in which he crawls in bed with Roseanne and surprises her during the ending of an episode.

References

External links

Roseanne World Roseanne Barr's official web site
Encyclopedia of Television
Nick At Nite's Roseanne
Roseanne on DVD

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