Television Roseanne: 1988-1997

[Cyc]

I'd like to give accolades to a show that I think was very forward for its time; a show that pushed boundaries when it came to feminism and sexual liberty, and I also found it had really funny and touching moments.

It features the talents of those like Joss Wheadon (early writer), George Clooney, Chuck Lorre and the amazing John Goodman, who I believe carried the show on his shoulders for the first few seasons. I think it would be fair to compare Goodman's stage presence to that of Gandolfini.

Anyways, great show. I recently got all 9 seasons and I just watched the 2nd show of Season 9. I'm still waiting for it to 'jump the shark' like so many have told me, but I actually got a bit misty-eyed. Maybe I'm just a sap. Oh well.

P.S. - Sarah Chalke (the other Becky) is sexy as hell.

 

[34-dihydroxyphen]

Sarah Chalke was half the reason I kept watching Scrubs (first two or three seasons were great for network TV, then it began to decline, and the final season was an abortion that wouldn't be watchable without the pretty ladies they got in the show).


Anyways, good call on Rosanne. I liked it growing up. My parents still talk about it as one of their favorite old shows (back before everybody had cable) to this day. I've watched some repeats during the daytime when nothing else was on, and I feel that if she were still in her comedic prime today this show would have been on HBO or Showtime, and I would love to see where this show would have gone without the looming threats of the FDA and sponsors pulling the advertising plug if the show went too far with something.

 

[Bill]

What a great show. It was so good because it portrayed millions of other middle class normal families of the 90's, from Dan's flannels to the ugly couch and the kitchens tacky wallpaper which were all so customary in the 90's
Used to always watch it with my family growing up

I can't remember for sure but the finale ended up revealing that from the time Dan had the heart attack, I think, and them when the lotto and that the rest of the series was just supposed to be something conjured up from Roseanne's imagination, amirite?

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

^Something like that.

My girlfriend and I recently went through a Roseanne Netflix binge and came to the same conclusion. A very good show that gets better when you watch it as an adult (I had only watched it when I was much younger before this.)

 

[Cyc]

Yeah, if I want this thread to convey anything is that all you children of the 90s, this is worth a rewatch.

Active torrents on TPB and elsewhere just FYI.

 

[queenbee1127]

My boyfriend and I also watch this show frequently. It's on almost every night on TV Land. Like others, I agree that this show was so successful because it was so real: both parents worked menial jobs to provide for their family, they didn't have the best of everything and they didn't always get along but they're a family and they love each other.

Great call on this one, Cyc

 

[Belisarius]

I only ever watched it intermittently, but it is a show that consistently impresses with the tightrope between comedy and dramedy. Hasn't been anything quite like it since, at least not on broadcast television, where the secure urban/suburban sophisticates rule TV "families".

 

[Coraline]

I loved that show. The big bang theory was on and it has the actor Johnny Galecki and "Darleen" (in some episodes) in it. So now I watch it just because of Johnny Gelacki. it really funny.

 

[Bardeaux]

I loved the show growing up, but watching it as an adult allows you to catch the real importance of what was being discussed on the show. I remember one particular episode where Roseanne's boss at the plastics factory was stepping up the floor's quotas while at the same time cutting overtime and benefits, which led to a walk out on the floor. It felt very close to home, as I was also from a mid-western working class household.

 

[Ms.Martini]

lmaooo, love watching this show when i'm baked.

 

[Cyc]

I loved the show growing up, but watching it as an adult allows you to catch the real importance of what was being discussed on the show. I remember one particular episode where Roseanne's boss at the plastics factory was stepping up the floor's quotas while at the same time cutting overtime and benefits, which led to a walk out on the floor. It felt very close to home, as I was also from a mid-western working class household.

That's really the great thing about this show. It tackled the real issues of its time for an entire class of people. You just don't see that sort of realism in sitcoms any longer.