Roseanne came into America’s homes October 18, 1988, introducing the Conners, a blue-collar family from Illinois. The show quickly shot to the top spot in television ratings and lasted for nine seasons before it ended May 20, 1997.
But despite its success, the show was plagued by backstage drama involving actors, writers, and behind-the-scenes staff, some of which is highlighted in Joy Press’ new book, Stealing the Show: How Women are Revolutionizing Television. The drama continues in 2018: After the show was rebooted by ABC in March, the network cancelled it after one season following offensive remarks made by Roseanne Barr on Twitter.
