‘Roseanne’ Revival in the Works As Stars and Producers Plot 8-Episode Event Series
Add “Roseanne” to the list of 1990s series aiming for a short-order revival.
Insiders confirm that star Roseanne Barr has started to pitch an 8-episode reboot of the blue-collar ABC sitcom, which originally ran for nine seasons, from 1988 to 1997. The show helped brand a previous generation of ABC family sitcoms (including, later on, “Home Improvement”).
ABC is said to be in the running for the revival, but other outlets, including Netflix (where ABC’s “Full House” lives on as “Fuller House”) may also be in the mix.
READ MORE: Why Roseanne Barr Only Wants to Make Documentaries Now
According to Deadline, which first broke the news, series stars Barr, John Goodman and Sara Gilbert have already been confirmed to join the revival, while others, including Laurie Metcalf, are in talks to join. Original executive producer Tom Werner is back (his Carsey-Werner shingle was behind the original show), as well as Barr and Bruce Helford, who worked on the show for much of its run. Gilbert will also be an executive producer.
The primetime schedules are filling up with revivals, as NBC plots the return of “Will & Grace” this fall, and Fox recently renewed “The X-Files” return for a second cycle.
One hitch to a “Roseanne” return: In the show’s finale, Barr’s character wrapped things up pretty tidy — including the death of Dan, played by Goodman. But Barr has said in the past that a revival could blame that on Dan “faking” his death. (It’s unclear how he would have faked his heart attack without Roseanne seeing the body, but that’s for the show’s writers to figure out.)
Also, there’s no word which Becky might show up – Sarah Chalke or Lecy Goranson. Also: Johnny Galecki is busy with “The Big Bang Theory,” and it’s unclear whether exclusivity on that sitcom would prevent him from the reunion.
READ MORE: Pondering Roseanne On Its 25th Anniversary
At its height, “Roseanne” was the No. 1 show in the nation (tied with “The Cosby Show”) and also earned several Emmy awards, including three supporting actress in a comedy awards for Laurie Metcalf, and the outstanding lead actress in a comedy Emmy for Barr in 1993.
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