Roseanne to the Rescue: A classic TV show returns to prime time
For every viewer who has prayed to the television Gods for less reality TV and more family-oriented sitcoms, Rosanne Bar has come to the rescue. Proving they were sorely missed, the reboot of the Roseanne Show returned with double episodes, airing to 800,000 households. It was promoted as the same cast, different show. All the original cast members returned - Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara and Jayden Rey - which means the writers had some explaining to do. In the finale episode Goodman's character had died.
From a strictly artistic vantage point, I liked Barr's sarcastic sense of humor years ago. It will be interesting to see how people receive the show this time around. Writers tend to address current situations and I'm guessing if people thought the lead character was offensive 20 years ago when people cared about political correctness her character will be offending people in the era of Trump and social media.
The Roseanne Show did for blue-collar white America what the Cosby Show did for black America. People saw themselves or their potential selves on the screen. Reality shows don't have the same relatable appeal. For giving America something to talk about at the water cooler other than Housewives drams or reality TV, I offer cheers d best wishes over the 9-episode season and say 'Welcome back Roseanne!'
From a strictly artistic vantage point, I liked Barr's sarcastic sense of humor years ago. It will be interesting to see how people receive the show this time around. Writers tend to address current situations and I'm guessing if people thought the lead character was offensive 20 years ago when people cared about political correctness her character will be offending people in the era of Trump and social media.
The Roseanne Show did for blue-collar white America what the Cosby Show did for black America. People saw themselves or their potential selves on the screen. Reality shows don't have the same relatable appeal. For giving America something to talk about at the water cooler other than Housewives drams or reality TV, I offer cheers d best wishes over the 9-episode season and say 'Welcome back Roseanne!'
