As ‘The Conners’ Ends, Learn 7 Things You Never Knew About ‘Roseanne,’ the Show That Started It All

ROSEANNE cast, from left: Roseanne Barr, Sara Gilbert, Alicia Goranson, Michael Fishman, John Goodman, (Season 1, 1988), 1988-2018. — ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection

For decades, Hollywood seemed to operate under the assumption that TV families needed to be cute, lovable, and financially comfortable in order to be loved by the masses. That theory got flipped on its head in on October 18th, 1988, when ABC broadcast the series premiere of Roseanne.

A vehicle for stand-up comedienne Roseanne Barr, the show centered around the blue-collar, rough-around-the-edges Conner family and the trials and tribulations they experienced while keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads in Lanford, Illinois. Buoyed by powerhouse actor John Goodman (playing Roseanne’s husband Dan), accomplished theater actress Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne’s flaky-but-loyal sister Jackie), Sara Gilbert (wisecracking middle child Darlene), Lecy Goranson (overachieving older daughter Becky), and Michael Fishman (youngest son DJ), the show’s relatability made it a monster hit for much of its 10-season run.

Growing in popularity in syndication and streaming over the years, Roseanne briefly returned in 2018 before a controversial Twitter political rant by Barr caused ABC to axe plans for future seasons. At first, the Conner family appeared to be gone for good, but ABC quickly realized that this iconic brood was too beloved to walk away from. Thus, a retooled version of the show, The Conners, debuted on October 16th, 2018 — two days short of the 30th anniversary of Roseanne‘s premiere. While Barr’s character was written out (she passed away due to an opioid overdose), the original show’s heart and commitment to showcasing real-life working-class problems remained.

Seven seasons later, as we prepare to finally say goodbye to The Conners for good on April 23, here are some things you probably didn’t know about the show that started it all.

1Roseanne was originally not the show’s title

Roseanne’s original creator, head writer, and executive producer Matt Williams wanted to call the sitcom Life and Stuff, envisioning it as an ensemble piece about the entire family instead of focusing on one star. However, Barr argued that the concept of the show was built around her standup routine, which in turn was reflective of her real life. In the end, Barr got her way and Williams only lasted one season before departing the show.

2Roseanne’s success helped jumpstart a major TV comedy trend

ROSEANNE, Sandra Bernhard, Tom Arnold, John Goodman, Roseanne, 1988-1997, fourth year

Everett Collection

Back in 1985, TV producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner saw Barr’s hilarious “domestic goddess” comedy routine on The Tonight Show (even Johnny Carson loved it!). Based on that performance alone, Barr was offered a deal to star in her own sitcom – a radical experiment, but one that certainly paid off, as Roseanne reached first place in the Nielsen ratings in the show’s second season and stayed at or near the top for years to come.

Roseanne‘s popularity and Jerry Seinfeld‘s TV success opened the door for more comedians to enter the sitcom world, leading to a flood of new shows that reflected the stand-up styles of their stars. Tim Allen‘s Home Improvement, Ray Romano‘s Everybody Loves Raymond, Ellen DeGeneres‘s Ellen, and Brett Butler‘s Grace Under Fire are all examples of this trend which brought us some of TV’s biggest success stories ever.

3Producers didn’t know if Barr could act

ROSEANNE, Roseanne, John Goodman, yr. 1, 1988-97,

(c)Carsey-Werner Company

While the powers-that-be believed in the show’s concept and writers, they weren’t so sure about their star’s ability to pull off her role. For this reason, they aggressively pursued the casting of acclaimed actors for the roles of Dan and Jackie, with Goodman and Metcalf getting the eventual nod (Goodman was actually the only actor seriously considered for his part). Thankfully, the team soon realized they had nothing to worry about, as Barr and Goodman almost immediately displayed the comfortable chemistry of a married couple.

4DJ was almost played by the star of Home Alone

HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK, Macaulay Culkin, 1992

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(c)20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.

While a young actor named Sal Barone initially played DJ in the show’s pilot, Barone’s growth spurt and inability to get along with Sara Gilbert led producers to recast the role once the show got picked up. None other than Macaulay Culkin was one of several actors considered fo the role — but Barr insisted on Michael Fishman, believing that he looked more like a member of her family than the other, more Hollywood-type kids who’d auditioned. Much like her battle to dictate the show’s title, Barr got her way yet again (and I think we can agree that things turned out okay for young Culkin’s career very shortly afterwards).

5Despite its popularity, the show never received an Emmy

Sure, Roseanne’s individual stars received plenty of awards-season love: Metcalf won three consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Barr won Outstanding Lead Actress in 1993 and Goodman was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor seven years in a row (he never ended up winning). But the show itself never received the nod for Best Comedy Series, one of that era’s most glaring Emmy omissions.

6It was one of the first primetime shows to feature openly gay characters

Barr’s real-life brother and sister are gay, fueling her insistence on featuring a variety of gay characters on the show to reflect the real world she and many of us already knew — despite resistance from network executives, affiliates and viewers who still considered homosexuality a touchy topic for primetime television. This led to some memorable (and controversial) moments, including Roseanne’s former boss Leon (Martin Mull) marrying his partner Scott (Fred Willard), Roseanne’s mother coming out of the closet, and a then-scandalous kiss between Barr and guest star Mariel Hemingway.

7All three of Barr’s husbands appeared on the show (but not at the same time)

ROSEANNE, Roseanne, Tom Arnold, Season 3, ca. 1990, 1988- 1997,

Roseanne’s original concept was based on her marriage to Bill Pentland, who worked as an executive consultant for three seasons, wrote two episodes, and played one of Dan’s buddies in an early episode. After 16 years of marriage. Barr and Pentland divorced in 1990. She got married again just four days later, this time to comedian Tom Arnold, who landed a recurring role as Arnie Thomas soon after. After that relationship fizzled, Barr married her former bodyguard Ben Thomas, and gave him two small roles on the show as a cop — his only acting credits to date.