Roseanne
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Roseanne was one of the most successful series of the late '80s and early '90s. It always received great ratings and was awarded with 4 Emmys, 3 Golden Globes and 4 American Comedy Awards. The show ran from 1988 to 1997 and ended with one of the most original (and confusing for some) endings in TV history.
- Shelley Winters plays Estelle Parsons' mother in the show, but she is only seven years older in real life.
- Jim Varney's character's full name was Prince Carlos Phillip Jonathan Kent Arthur William Hobson Peppy Charmaine.
- D.J. was born in 1981.
- D.J. stands for David Jacob.
- All the exterior shots going to and coming from commercial breaks are shots of various city streets and buildings in Evansville, IN. This is where Matt Williams, the executive producer, was born and raised as well as attended college at the University of Evansville. He graduated from F.J. Reitz high school in Evansville.
- Alicia Goranson's request to wear her hair shorter as Becky was originally turned down by the producers. Goranson took her case to Roseanne, who solved the issue by taking up a pair of scissors and hacking Goranson's hair short then and there.
- Sometimes, posters for the comic book "The Sandman" can be seen in Darlene's bedroom. These were suggested by then-writer Joss Whedon.
- The character 'Dan Conner' was ranked #13 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (20 June 2004 issue).
- In Alicia Goranson's first episode after her absence, Roseanne and Dan were in D.J.s old room which they were fixing up for the new baby, when Becky shows up at the door with a drop cloth. Roseanne asks "Where the hell have you been?" A little later, Darlene and D.J. are in the laundry room when Becky walks in and Darlene asks "Where the hell have you been?", prompting Becky to question, "Why does everyone keep asking that"?
- Not only did two actresses play Becky (Alicia Goranson and Sarah Chalke) but there were also two D.Js (Sal Barone (II) and Michael Fishman), two actresses playing Dan's mother Audrey Conner (Ann Wedgeworth and Debbie Reynolds), three actors playing Crystal's son Lonnie (Josh Williams, 'Luke Edwards' and Kristopher Kent Hill) and two actors playing DJ's best friend Todd ('Troy Davidson' and Adam Hendershott)
- "Corn" (the vegetable) is shown or mentioned in almost every episode (usually canned corn).
- All three of Roseanne's husbands (Bill Pentland, Tom Arnold, and Ben Thomas) made at least one guest appearance on the show.
- The show's original title was "Life and Stuff".
- During the last four seasons of the show, recurring guest stars Johnny Galecki (David) and Glenn Quinn (Mark) actually appear in more episodes than their on-screen girlfriends/wives Sara Gilbert (Darlene) and Sarah Chalke/Lecy Goranson (Becky)
- Early during the first season, Roseanne frequently butted heads with the show's creator Matt Williams. Williams worked as the executive producer for the show's first thirteen episodes, but quit when Roseanne vehemently refused to say to her on-screen husband, "Well, you're my equal in bed, but that's it." Roseanne felt it was a line her character would never say.
- Although Alicia Goranson returned in the eight season to play Becky, Sarah Chalke, her replacement, still played Becky in some episodes that season. When Goranson left the show again at the end of the season, Chalke took on the role of Becky full time again.
- George Clooney appeared in the first season, as Roseanne's boss at the factory where she worked.
- Becky was born 15 March 1975.
- Allegedly, in the early years there was a naked picture of George Clooney, only covering his privates with "Groucho"-style goggles, on the set fridge. This photo was supposedly taken by John Goodman or Roseanne when the three went out drinking one night. Then it mysteriously disappeared from the set one day.
- During Lecy Goranson's short return to the role of Becky, Sarah Chalke made a cameo appearance in a Halloween episode. She appeared at the front door with children, trick-or-treating.
- In one episode, Jackie says what she loves about Chicago is the theatre. In real-life, Laurie Metcalf is one of Chicago's most famous stage actresses.
- The theme song was instrumental for all but the last season of the show, when it featured lyrics sung by John Popper of Blues Traveler (who played Stingray Wilson in "Of Mice and Dan" in season 8.)
- Ned Beatty is not quite 15 years older than his on-screen son John Goodman.
- Beverly's middle name is Lorraine.
- The character name, Arnie Thomas, is a play on Tom Arnold's name.
- Sarah Chalke took over the role of Becky for the final time in the 8th season she showed up in the episode "We're Going to Disney World!" When she enters the first scene Roseanne says "Aren't you glad that you're here this week?"
- In the fall of 2008 Barr said, on what the Conners would be up to now, "I've always said now that if they were on TV, DJ would have been killed in Iraq and [the Conners] would have lost their house." When asked for more details on where the rest of the Conners - Jackie, Becky, Darlene, David, and Mark - would be, Barr said "Your question is intellectual property that may be developed later, so I don't want to get into that."
- Roseanne consistently ranked in the Nielsen top 20 shows listing for eight of its nine seasons. It reached its pinnacle in its second season becoming the most watched television show in the United States.
- For the final season Roseanne earned $650,000 an episode.
- Sara Gilbert's contribution to the show was considered so important to Roseanne that the show's producers juggled storylines and taping schedules to allow her to study at Yale University while remaining part of the cast, shooting remote segments of Darlene at a soundstage in New York.
