1. The Success Of Roseanne Jumpstarted The Trend Of Giving Comedians Their Own Sitcoms
During the time when shows like The Wonder Years, Growing Pains, Murphy Brown, Designing Women, Dallas and Dynasty, ruled the television traffic, a new kind of family was introduced to American tv. It was praised for it's portrayal of blue-collar America, and it won an Emmy Award for breaking new ground for storylines. Recently, the show just made a legendary comeback.
ABC announced that Roseanne would return for another season on May 16th, 2017. If you've already watched it's premier, you're amongst a big crowd. Here are some things you might not know about the series that helped make Roseanne Barr a household name.
The producers of the show, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, were interested in developing a sitcom revolving around a working mother. When they witnessed Roseanne Barr's "domestic goddess" comedy routine in 1985 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, they immediately offered her a show. She wasn't the first stand-up performer to transition to TV, but her ABC show was an immediate hit.
2.The Show Was Originally Named "Life And Stuff"
By it's second season, it was number one in the Nielsen ratings and remained in the top four for six of nine seasons. Networks then followed suit, offering development deals to comedians like Tim Allen, Brett Butler, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ray Romano.
The creator, head writer and executive producer, Matt Williams said that they originally wanted to establish the sitcom as an ensemble piece.
3.It Wasn't Shot In Illinois
Barr argued that the show should be titled Roseanne, since the show revolved around the lead character and was based on her life.
Yes, the exterior shots were shot in Evansville, Indiana, Not Illinois. They chose Evansville, because that's where co-executive producer, Matt Williams grew up.
4. John Goodman And Laurie Metcalf Were Cast With Ulterior Motives
The house used for the facade of the Conner home went up for sale in early 2013. It was taken off the market less than a month later.
Since Roseanne Barr had never acted before, the producers hoped that if they surrounded her with a strong supporting cast, it would be like giving her a crash course in acting. Barr and Goodman were said to have great chemistry and fought like a married couple from the first reading.
5. Macaulay Culkin Auditioned For The Role Of DJ
Goodman was the first and only actor to audition for the role of Dan Conner.
If Culkin ended up being cast, it would've been his big break. Instead, Michael Fisherman received the role, replacing Sal Barone from the pilot. Barr told Entertainment Weekly, "I wanted Michael Fisherman because he looked like my family and he was not like all the other little Hollywood bastards.
6. Roseanne Was a Critical Comedy, But Was Never Nominated For An Emmy For Best Comedy Series
The network wanted one person, the production company wanted another person, and she wanted me. In many ways, I'm one of the first battles she won.
Laurie Metcalf won three consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Roseanne's sister, Jackie. But, the show never managed to grab a Best Comedy Series nomination.
7. It Was One Of The First Primetime Shows To Feature Openly Gay Characters
While John Goodman's portrayal of Dan Conner earned an Outstanding Lead Actor nomination seven years in a row, he never took home an award.
Barr insisted on featuring gay characters as friends, family member, co-workers and neighbors, even though the network executives protested. In season eight of the show, Roseanne's former boss, Leon, married his partner Scott-a scene that wouldn't be so unusual today, but was extremely controversial back in 1995.
8. Roseanne Launched Joss Whedon's Career
A year later, Roseanne's mother came out of the closet, and in the finale, it was revealed that Roseanne's sister Jackie was a lesbian. Who could also forget the scandalous kiss between Barr and guest star Mariel Hemingway.
Joss Whedon began his television career as a staff writer on the hit show. Whedon was only 24 years old when he wrote four episodes of the show's second season.
9. All Three Of Barr's Ex-Husbands Made Guest Appearances On The Show
A few other big names in television that honed their skills on the show were Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Chuck Lorre.
The show was inspired by life with the comedian's first husband, Bill Pentland, and their three children. Pentland served as as executive consultant for three seasons, wrote two episodes, and played one of Dan's buddies in an early episode. In 1990, Barr divorced Pentland after 16 years of marriage.
10. The Fictional Lanford Lunch Box Inspired A Real-Life Restaurant
About four days later, she wed comedian Tom Arnold, who had a recurring role as Arnie Thomas. In 1995, Barr married Ben Thomas, her former bodyguard, and gave him a small role as a cop.
Three years after they married, Barr and Arnold opened Roseanne and Tom's Big Food Diner in Eldon, Iowa, near Arnold's hometown. It served the same loose meat sandwiches as the Lanford Lunch Box, the restaurant Roseanne opened with her sister, mom, and friend Nancy in season five.
11. The Theme Song Changed Dramatically In It's Last Season
Unfortunately, the diner closed in 1995.
After using an instrumental version for eight seasons, they decided to use a new theme song courtesy of Blues Traveler's John Popper, for it's ninth and final season.
12. ABC Required The Conners To Visit Disney World
The change helped foreshadow the incredibly bizarre finale.
It seemed incongruous for the Conners to visit "The Happiest Place on Earth" but in season eight, that's exactly what they did, twice.
13.Barr Has Predicted Where The Conners Would Be Today, It's Not A Happy Ending
This is because the ABC-Walt Disney Company merger in 1995 required family shows to feature Disney World or Disneyland.
In 2008, Barr told Entertainment Weekly, "I've always said now that if they were on TV, D.J would have been killed in Iraq, and the Conners would have lost their house." In her blog, she spoke about more potential plot lines including, Becky's job at Walmart, David and Darlene Divorcing, and Roseanne and Jackie opening the first medical marijuana dispensary in Lanford.
14. Roseanne Has Always Wanted To Come Back To Primetime TV
Looks like now they'll finally have a chance to explore these plot lines!
When the show ended in 1997, ABC considered a sequel about her life as a widow. In 2011, she filmed a pilot entitled "Downwardly Mobile" about life in a trailer park, but it wasn't picked up by NBC.
15. In 1990, Barr Got A Spin Off Deal For A Saturday Morning Cartoon
In 2013, Barr was in talks with NBC again for a 10/90 sitcom deal, where the network orders a straight-to-series run of 10 episodes and then orders 90 more if the show's successful. Unfortunately, the deal never came through.
Little Rosey was an animated series that was assumed to be about Roseanne, the real person as a child. Barr didn't voice her character in the first season, which could be the reason the show didn't take off.
Although Barr agreed to play Rosey in the second season, the show was cancelled and replaced by "Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles".