Roseanne burst onto the screen in 1988, when top-rated sitcom The Cosby Show exuded a smug Father Knows Best glossiness. In contrast, the blue-collar Conner family bickered with the offhand nastiness of real families, which didn't mean they loved each other any less. Front and center was Roseanne Barr (now known by the single name Roseanne), a former stand-up comedian who wasn't afraid to rock the boat (her fights with producers were legendary). When even the fat guys on sitcoms have svelte, hottie wives, it's hard to believe that this woman--overweight, abrasive, with a voice like a wood chipper--became top of the television heap.

Roseanne Cast

Roseanne spoke up for a kind of lower-class feminism; she didn't concern herself much with politics, but within the family she just as much in charge as her husband Dan (the ever-dependable John Goodman, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski)--though in the final episode of the first season, she took a stand at her factory job that was half Norma Rae, half Cool Hand Luke. But most often the show turned the ordinary rituals of domestic life (putting the kids to bed, coping with visiting parents) into sharp comic scenarios. The stories were smartly hidden in a series of scenes that felt organic and unforced. The entire cast--one of the best ensembles ever, including theater veteran Laurie Metcalf (Scream 2) as Roseanne's sister Jackie; Lecy Goranson as eldest daughter Becky; Michael Fishman as youngest child D.J.; and especially Sara Gilbert (Poison Ivy, ER) as middle daughter Darlene--swiftly cultivated the mixture of comfort and tension that marks most family relationships. The result was a portrait of American family life that rang achingly, hilariously true.

Cast & Characters
  • Roseanne Arnold as Roseanne Conner
  • John Goodman as Dan Conner
  • Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner (1988-1992)
  • Sarah Chalke as Becky Conner (1993-1997)
  • Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner
  • Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner
  • Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris
  • Natalie West as Crystal Anderson
  • Tom Arnold as Arnie Merchant (1989-1994)
  • Ned Beatty as Ed Conner (1989-1997)
  • Estelle Parsons as Bev Harris (1989-1997)
  • Michael O'Keefe as Fred (1993-1997)
  • Sandra Bernhard as Nacy (1993-1997)

Broadcast History

 RoseanneFirst Telecast: October 18, 1988
Last Telecast: November 14, 1997
Original Network:  ABC
Number of Seasons: 9
Number of Episodes: 222
Original Primetime TV Schedule:
  • October 1988- February 1989, ABC, Tuesday 8:30-9:00pm
  • February 1989- September 1994, ABC, Tuesday 9:00-9:30pm
  • September 1994- Mrach 1995, ABC, Wednesday 9:00-9:30pm
  • March 1995- May 1995, ABC, Wednesday 8:00-8:30pm
  • May 1995- November 1997, ABC, Wednesday 9:30-10:00pm

Theme Song & Opening Credits
Listen to theme song:
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Purchase themes on Various Artists - 100 Greatest TV Themes (Re-Recorded Versions)

Roseanne On DVD
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5
Season 6 Season 7 Season 8 Season 9 Halloween DVD

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Watch Episodes Online

Roseanne TV Show Trivia

 The "D.J." in D.J. Connor's name stands for "David Jacob".

At first, Roseanne Barr was going to name Johnny Galecki's character David but Johnny was already portraying a different character named David on a series titled, "Billy". In those days there was a broadcasting rule that did not allow an actor to portray more than one character on TV at a time with the same first or last name unless the actor was playing the same exact character on both series or unless it was the actor's real/stage name.

If you look at the cast list above, it appears as though there is a mistake because both Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke are listed for the role as Becky Conner. In actuality, they did both play that role during the eighth season when Lecy came back to the series but when she didn't return for a ninth season, Sarah came back to play Becky until the end of the series!