Hall Of Fame: Roseanne

As you may have noticed Roseanne Barr has been back in the headlines recently with her Oprah appearance and the announcement of her upcoming new Lifetime reality show (which sounds dreadful). So we figured now was as good a time as any to induct Roseanne, Barr’s groundbreaking late 80’s sitcom, into our Remote Patrolled Hall of Fame.

Like many 80’s shows I watched Roseanne as an import in the UK, where it aired on Friday nights on Channel Four (the network had a great comedy block going on for a while there). I was 15 when the show first launched, definitely the right age for Roseanne’s trademark bad attitude and one-liners. Though Roseanne didn’t feel so groundbreaking in England – where low-income families were often featured in comedies and soaps – I can understand why the show stood out in a US TV landscape populated by the likes of Small Wonder and ALF. Roseanne was definitely worlds apart from these plastic middle class families and their cheesy and cheery stage school kids.

But Roseanne was more than just a working class sitcom – it had what the very best sitcoms have – magic. It’s a quality I’ve talked about before in fellow Hall of Fame inductees The Golden Girls and Will and Grace – and it’s a quality you just can’t manufacture. Magic is that wonderful quality that no amount of focus groups or network notes can manufacture. In fact too much studio interference is often what kills the magic. The Connors were rude, brash and loud – but they were real, and that living room with the ratty sofa and checkered throw had a warmth and authenticity absent from other sitcom households which always looked like studio sets. Viewers know the difference.

Plus let’s not forget Roseanne tackled some pretty serious issues over the years. Money was obviously a constant storyline on the show but Roseanne also dealt with domestic abuse, same sex marriage, teen pregnancy, abortion and birth control – and thankfully not in a preachy, ‘lesson of the week’ style way (Glee take note!)

Of course the show’s greatest strength was also its biggest weakness – Roseanne herself. Barr’s behind the scenes tirades were legendary but like all talents she needed producing and the freer she became the more the show suffered. By its final season the show was a pale imitation of itself with the Connor’s winning the lottery and Roseanne and her sister Jackie (the wonderful Laurie Metcalf) mixing in high society circles. The characters felt like they were in another show and the magic had gone, only vaguely returning for the show’s downbeat final episode.

But even the show’s sorry final days couldn’t completely erode its achievements from the preceding years. And the show still holds up today – catch a re-run and you’ll see what I mean.

So were you a Roseanne fan? How and where did you used to watch the show? And what do you think the series had that made it special? I’d love to hear your thoughts…