From 1988 until 1997, Roseanne was one of the most popular sitcoms on television. The show made Roseanne Barr and John Goodman household names. It’s even been ranked by TV Guide as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. But there’s a lot about this classic series that you may not know. As we dive into the stories behind the stories, we’ll see how what happened off-screen was in some cases just as entertaining as what happened on screen.
The show Roseanne was plagued by seemingly countless controversies throughout its existence, including fights with writers, producers, the network, and even Barr’s own sister. Some of Barr’s creative choices would be controversial and later ignored and rewritten by the network. Despite this, there’s no denying that the show’s success continues to be celebrated and remembered to this day, even though the titular character no longer appears on the show she helped create.
How It All Started
Roseanne began when two producers named Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner decided they’d like to develop a show about a working class mother. The producing duo had their own company called, appropriately enough, The Carsey-Werner Company. Prior to Roseanne, the company had produced the hit series The Cosby Show. But Roseanne wasn’t always thought of as the hit series it ended up being.
Roseanne Barr was a standup comedian known for her feisty and confrontational persona. Carsey and Werner saw Roseanne perform her act on The Tonight Show and thought she would be a perfect person to develop a show around. So the producers called Roseanne’s agent to discuss making a show together.
From the beginning, Roseanne made an attempt to include a number of women in its creative team. Among these women were Roseanne herself; producer Marcy Carsey; writers Grace McKeaney, Lauren Eve Anderson, and Laurie Gelman; and director Ellen Gittelsohn. The show was credited for being one of the first to focus on a working class woman.
Casting A Husband
Ultimately, John Goodman would be cast in the role of Roseanne’s husband, launching him on a long and fruitful career in Hollywood. But Barr wanted her future real-life husband Tom Arnold to be cast instead. She lobbied for Arnold to be cast but ultimately the network loved Goodman in the role.
Fire Code Violations
One odd but true fact about the production of Roseanne is that the filming of the first pilot episode was delayed due to fire code violations. Apparently the violations were serious enough that filming needed to be delayed an entire week. Despite this, the show would go on to become a huge hit.
Ratings Success
When Roseanne premiered in 1988, it wasn’t long before audiences began flocking to the show. In its second season, it was the number one show in the ratings, beating out the massively popular Cosby Show. Season one had around 36 million viewers, while season two had almost 40 million.
An Unwanted Gift
When the show hit number one in the ratings, the network decided to send Barr a celebratory gift. But the gift offended Barr. It was a giant piece of chocolate in the shape of a number one. Barr hated the gift, seeing it as a joke about her weight. She reportedly tossed the chocolate into the air and George Clooney destroyed it with a baseball bat.
A Dip In The Ratings
Considering Roseanne was the most popular TV show in America during its second season, there was only one place for it to go: down. Viewership declined significantly throughout the show’s 10-season run, although it remained a popular show for all 10 seasons. By Season 9 in 1996, the show recorded nearly 19 million viewers, a 20 million viewer decline from the height of its success.
Famous Guest Stars
A number of famous actors made guest appearances on Roseanne during its initial 9-season run. Some of these celebs included Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, George Clooney, Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Maher, Chris Farley, Sharon Stone, Ellen DeGeneres, Hugh Hefner, Jerry Springer, Steven Seagal, and many others.
Behind The Scenes Conflicts
Despite the show’s enormous popularity and ability to attract big-name stars, there were some behind the scenes conflicts starting with the first season. Barr did not get along very well with one of the show’s head writers, Matt Williams. Williams was a successful TV writer and producer but Barr didn’t like the amount of authority he had on the show.
A Battle With A Writer
Barr became so furious with some of Williams’ writing and direction on the show that she refused to say certain lines and, one day, even walked off the set. Barr demand
