Roseanne Barr looks spiffier, John Goodman slimmer. But the mass-market plaid couch is a giveaway that ABC’s “Roseanne” revival hasn’t ditched its roots.
The blue-collar Conner family and the times in which they live are at the heart of the reboot, just as they were for the hit 1988-97 sitcom inspired by Barr’s stand-up comedy. The new “Roseanne” debuts 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday with an hour-long episode.
The prospect of updating the comedy was exciting “as long as we were permitted to tell relevant and authentic stories” about working-class characters, said Tom Werner, a producer for both shows.
That focus, noteworthy in the ’80s when the show entered a relatively small TV universe, is still rare despite the swarm of broadcast, cable and streaming shows.
Profitability aside, the industry has scant artistic regard for such fare. “Roseanne” failed to earn a best sitcom Emmy in its long run, joining snubbed shows about the non-affluent including “Married with Children” and “The Middle.” (Barr and “Roseanne” co-star Laurie Metcalf received acting trophies.)
“It’s shocking that ‘Roseanne’ was never even nominated for best comedy series at the Emmys despite winning the Golden Globe for best comedy, a Peabody and being in the top 10 Nielsen ratings year after year,” said Tom O’Neil, author of “The Emmys” and editor of the Gold Derby awards website.
But the show’s perspective may carry more weight today.
The 2016 presidential campaign “was a wake-up call in that there were a large group of voters who were frustrated with the status quo” and being sidelined by the economy, Werner said. “What we’re interested in doing is just telling honest stories about a family that’s up against it.”
In “Roseanne,” it’s up to matriarch Roseanne, a supporter of President Donald Trump, and her sister, Jackie (Metcalf), a hard-core opponent, to handle the political jousting.
“He talked about jobs” and shaking things up, Roseanne says of Trump in one scene. “I know this may come as a shock to you, but we almost lost our house…
