More “Roseanne” could be on the way. A revival of the beloved ABC sitcom toplined by Roseanne Barr is currently being shopped to networks, The Hollywood Reporter writes. Creator/star Barr has already signed on, as have original stars John Goodman and Sara Gilbert.
According to the source, Gilbert is the driving force behind the eight-episode revival. The “Talk” co-host is set to exec produce alongside original series producers Barr, Tom Werner, and Bruce Helford.
“Roseanne,” which ran for nine seasons from 1988 to 1997, is one of the few television series that depicts a working-class household — and from a female perspective, which is even more unusual. The sitcom followed the everyday lives of Roseanne Conner (Barr), her husband (Goodman), sister (Laurie Metcalf), and children (Gilbert, Alicia Goranson, and Michael Fishman).
Goodman’s return is surprising since the 1997 finale of “Roseanne” revealed that his character, Dan, was dead. He had died of a heart attack offscreen and as THR writes, “his appearances in the ninth and final season had been a product of the writings of the Roseanne character.” But it seems Barr has already worked out how Dan can appear in future episodes. In a 2009 blog post, she wrote about where she thinks the Conners are now. Barr believes Dan eventually returned to Roseanne after “faking his death.”
Since “Roseanne” ended, Barr has appeared in guest roles on shows like “The Office,” “Portlandia,” and “Cristela.” She also starred in the 2011 Lifetime reality series “Roseanne’s Nuts” and was the subject of the 2016 documentary “Roseanne for President!”
Gilbert has been a co-host of the daytime show “The Talk” on CBS since 2010. She serves as exec producer as well. Among her recent acting credits are “Supergirl,” “The Comeback,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”