It’s official: Roseanne is returning to television.
More than two decades after the iconic sitcom ended, ABC announced that they will be bringing it back in an all new eight-part revival. ABC’s entertainment president, Channing Dungey, recently confirmed the news during a conference call with reporters.
“We’re rebooting Roseanne,” she said. “It is planned for the midseason. We’re still at the early stages.”
Anytime a network decides to reboot a show, it is hard to get the former cast members to participate. However, all of the original Roseanne cast members have signed on for the revival, including both Beckys. That means we will get more laughs from Roseanne Barr (Roseanne), John Goodman (Dan), Sara Gilbert (Darlene), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Michael Fishman (D.J.), Lecy Goranson (Becky), and Sarah Chalke (Becky No. 2).
“The Conners’ joys and struggles are as relevant — and hilarious — today as they were then, and there’s really no one better to comment on our modern America than Roseanne,” Dungey continued. “They want to laugh, they want to cry, they want to enjoy. I think what the mood of the country has told us is that television is a little bit of an escape.”
In March, Barr took to Twitter to let her fans know that the cast was up for a reunion show. Prior to that, Gilbert and Goodman spoke about the possibility of a reunion on an episode of The Talk.
“Oh, h*** yeah,” Goodman exclaimed when asked if he would want to revive the show. “If we could get everybody together.”
roseanne show cast is up for a reunion show
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) March 16, 2017
According to CNN, Roseanne ran for nine seasons from 1988 to 1997. During that time, the sitcom won a Golden Globe Award for best television series in the comedy or musical category, best performance Globe Awards for Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, a lead actress Emmy Award for Barr, and two supporting actress Emmy Awards for Laurie Metcalf.
Although a specific release date hasn’t been announced, it was revealed that the Roseanne revival will air mid-season in 2018.
Below, you can see what the cast has been up to since the sitcom ended in 1997.
Roseanna Barr
Roseanne has stayed pretty busy since her Roseanne days. In addition to hosting her own talk show, The Roseanne Show (1998 to 2000), Barr has also starred in her own reality show, Roseanne’s Nuts (2011). In 2012, Barr announced her candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Green Party, but lost the nomination to Jill Stein.
John Goodman
Since 1997, Goodman has continued his acting career, starring in many films, including Trouble with the Curve, Monsters, Inc., O Brother, Where Art Though, The Hangover Part III, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Patriots Day, among others. Goodman has won two American Comedy Awards and has hosted Saturday Night Live 14 times. In March, Goodman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert also continued her career as an actress, appearing in The Big Tease, Rugrats, ER, Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Big Bang Theory. Gilbert is also a co-host and executive producer of the daytime talk show The Talk alongside Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood, and Aisha Tyler. Gilbert won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2016 for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show as producer and creator of the show. She married her wife, Linda Perry, in 2014, and the pair welcomed their son, Rhodes Emilio Gilbert Perry, the next year.
Laurie Metcalf
Following her stint on Roseanne, Laurie Metcalf went on to star in Scream 2, Bulworth, and Toy Story 2. She has also held a recurring role on The Big Bang Theory as the mother of Sheldon Cooper. According to Biography, Metcalf received a Tony Award nomination in 2008 for her performance in November and revived her role for Toy Story 3 and the upcoming Toy Story 4. Laurie has four children from her past two marriages.
Michael Fishman
Michael Fishman didn’t do much after Roseanne in terms of acting, but he did make appearances on Walker, Texas Ranger and Seinfeld. He also served as a co-host on The Roseanne Show before it was canceled. Michael is now married and has two children.
Lecy Goranson
Lecy Goranson played Roseanne’s television daughter Becky for the first seven seasons, but she was replaced by Sarah Chalke during the eighth and ninth season due to scheduling conflicts. Since Roseanne, Goranson has made several appearances on other television shows, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Sex and the City, Damages, and Fringe. Her latest work is playing the character Misty in Buck Run, which is currently in post-production.
Sarah Chalke
Chalke joined the cast of Roseanne after Goranson’s departure and continued playing the role for the next two seasons. In 2001, she was cast as Dr. Elliot Reid in the NBC comedy series Scrubs, and from 2008 to 2009, she made guest appearances on the sitcom How I Met Your Mother as Stella Zinman. She is currently engaged to Jamie Afifi, and tog
