Quite often, the reboots and remakes that plague primetime TV are second chances given to past projects that didn't quite live up to any full potential. But recent years have spun tradition around with big returns from proven hits like Gilmore Girls and Will & Grace, and now another one of TV's greatest sitcoms is plotting a path back to the small screen, as ABC has officially ordered up the return of Roseanne. Grab your harmonicas and saxophones, people, and all the denim you can find.
This fantastic news was announced today by ABC president Channing Dungey, and she stated that the Roseanne reboot is being planned for a midseason entry into the schedule, but that things are still very early in the process. Hell, even if we have to wait until next summer or fall, it's almost guaranteed to be worth it. Roseanne 2.0 has been confirmed as an eight-episode limited series, and the subject matter won't be very different from the original, outside of the time setting, that is. The bare gist of the subject matter will be a family dealing with surviving from paycheck to paycheck to keep everyone's heads above water in 2018. TV has never gotten much more enjoyably blue-collar than Roseanne. So thank goodness all of that lottery shit from that final season will be left in the past.
So while the financial burdens are the same, there will be two quite notable changes in the character/casting department. For one, John Goodman will be returning to the show, which seemingly retcons his rather unhappy ending of "Death by heart attack." (Although I guess they could technically use him in dream sequences, which would be a far inferior way to handle things.) It wasn't that long ago that Goodman talked about returning to the world of Roseanne with some enthusiasm, so here's hoping the story was rewritten to allow him a leaving and breathing presence, and that some specifics will be dealt out soon. (Check out the announcement video!)
Another crazy casting twist involves Becky, the character whose casting faced disruption during the original run of the show. Lecy Goranson, who starred as the older daughter for years before leaving the sitcom, will actually return for the new season to play Becky once again. What's more, her former replacement Sarah Chalke (of Scrubs fame) will also be returning to the show, but in a non-Becky role that hasn't been disclosed yet. There's a chance for some seriously meta weirdness to happen there.
Roseanne's revival is partially the work of former star and current The Talk talent Sara Gilbert, who is indeed returning as daughter Darlene. When Goodman had visited the show, he and Gilbert reprised roles from the classic sitcom to hilarious results, and it made us all the more eager to get new stories from the Conner family in our lives. And other family members like D.J. (Michael Fishman), Aunt Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and presumably more are also coming back. Gilbert will executive produce alongside the original EPs Roseanne Barr, Tom Werner and Bruce Helford, with Whitney Cummings and Tony Hernandez climbing aboard as first-time EPs.
So while we don't quite now when Roseanne will chortle her way back into our homes via ABC, it'll happen before the next year of our lives has passed, so that's pretty incredible. In the meantime, check out our summer TV schedule to see what else is heading to your boob tubes in the coming months.
