one of my favorite scenes from ROSEANNE

[doodlenyc]

One of my favorites as well, I have them memorized because I still watch them regularly. There are few shows that I can watch over and over and this is one. I even like some of the eppies from that final season.

SM2, Cosby took himself out of the Lead Actor category because he know how popular his show was, and him, and that he'd likely win. Since he already had a few Emmys from "I Spy" he decided to let others have that prize.

I remember hating the pilot episode (with a diffent DJ) and really hating the character of Jackie. But like many shows, the pilot was actually very diffent from what it quickly became. Rosanne was less of a harpy who seemed to hate her kids and husband and Jackie became a much more interesting character, less of a man trap/mess up.

One of my favorite episodes is the "Cyrano" one with Jackie having one line..."Tureen of BEEF!" with a pegleg. I use that phrase often. She, of course, has to go on as Roxanne.

[StageManager2]

eatlasagna, I find it hard to believe the cast didn't know Bonnie Bramlett (credited as Bonnie Sheridan) couldn't sing. In the 1960s, Bonnie comprised the husband/wife group of Delaney & Bonnie. In fact, Bonnie co-wrote and performed "Superstar" a couple years before The Carpenters popularized it. Incidentally, I prefer her rock/soul version to Karen's squeaky clean pop rendition (the original lyric is "I can't wait to sleep with you again" not "to be with you again").

doodle: Thanks for the clarification. That's too bad 'cause he really deserved one, as did Phylicia Rashad.

[Mister Matt]

To me, Roseanne earned its place as an iconic classic American television sitcom, but it was not as clearly evident when it aired. It was often disparaged as being too crude and there was much backlash due to Roseanne's publicity stunts, personal life, and studio troubles that regularly caused Hollywood to turn their collective nose at it which ultimately led to the sharp drop in ratings the final two seasons and the bizarreness of the final season. It took a while for the show to find it footing, but once the writing established its more permanent acerbic tone, it became the show to watch for six straight seasons. People wanted to see how they would be delightedly surprised next. And the characters of Roseanne often were saying and doing things that represented its majority audience in a way that no other show at the time was willing to acknowledge. For nearly a decade, Roseanne was the voice of blue collar America and other shows tried to jump on the bandwagon, but the position was already filled and nobody else could do it as well. Today, I think we can see more clearly the innovation and influence the show truly had and Roseanne has easily joined the ranks of television comedienne greats Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur (and was soon followed by Ellen Degeneres).

Laurie Metcalf and Roseanne's Emmys were truly well-deserved. I think John Goodman was perfectly cast, but I was never truly wowed by his performances. To me, he never really delivered that sense of spontaneity I saw in Laurie and Roseanne. Sara Gilbert deserved more than a single Emmy nomination, but even more than Sara, I think Alicia Goranson deserved an Emmy for her work as Becky. She NAILED that character so well, it is almost impossible to distinguish her from her character. And she did it right from the start throughout every episode in every season she appeared. I usually forget she is acting, which becomes readily apparent in scenes with Michael Fishman (the weakest link of the cast, who never developed beyond the "child actor" phase of the first few seasons) and Sara Gilbert's stylistically developed Darlene. Sarah Chalke was ok and held her own when she stepped into Becky's shoes, but she had a natural air of maturity and sophistication that always seemed a bit out of place with the rest of the cast. I was thrilled when Alicia returned, however briefly. Maybe it was typecasting, but I've often wondered why her career never really took off. I thought her performance in Boys Don't Cry was brilliant and memorable.

[StageManager2]

Mister Matt, Gilbert got 2 nominations (1993 and 1994) but lost out both times to co-star Metcalf.

I agree, Goranson should've received a nomination, too. She got the whole pretentious bitchy princess thing down-pat. Sometimes it felt like being a fly on the wall of a real family when she'd go at it with Roseanne in the early seasons.

Don't get me started on Chalke. Ugh! Becky became a pale version of herself (i.e. ditzy, perky) in her hands.

[strummergirl]

Agree on all counts, Mister Matt.

This was a show where people actually looked and talked exactly to what their socio-economic standing was. Compare that to other shows at the time (I won't even include now, that's too easy) that had people wearing designer clothes in huge apartments that seemed completely impossible to what their said profession could afford those characters on those shows (Hi, Friends).

[eatlasagna]

i never hated sarah chalke as Becky... i LOVED her on Scrubs... but she never quite got the role of Becky right... but i did love how Roseanne would always reference the fact there were two Beckys... how they did a riff on the Patty Duke Show... my favorite was when Lecy Goranson came back and everyone kept asking Becky "where the hell have you been"... or during the Halloween episode when the second Becky came back and was trick or treating at their house with some kids... awesome!

StageManager2.. i'm just writing what TV Guide wrote in their music issue from a few years ago... maybe they didn't know she was a singer or maybe they did... maybe she never sang during rehearsals and that moment on the show was unscripted... whatever the case may be apparently the looks on all their faces wasn't acting which is what made that scene more memorable

[StageManager2]

eatlasagna, I was just gonna mention that "Identical Cousins" parody with the two Beckys though not exactly a scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtJCDMaaTiA


Here's the original PATTY DUKE SHOW intro for comparison:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSgtxo4R8JU

[doodlenyc]

I was surprised how strong Chalke was on Scrubs after her rather weak Becky.

I definitely think Estelle Parsons is among those who gave Emmy worthy performances, also Shelley Winters for her guest spots.

[StageManager2]

BTW: The lyrics underline the differences in their characterizations of the same character.

Where Sarah loved that dopey Mark
And wound up in a trailer park
Our Lecy shouts and Lecy squeals
She wants a house that's not on wheels

Whereas Lecy's Becky was determined and headstrong, Sarah's was a flaky pushover.

[strummergirl]

I loved that they always made fun of the two Beckys (also using Bewitched and soap opera tropes as companion pieces). They were way too meta for that to be a 'jump the shark' moment, unlike the insanity of the last season:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B10IUzsOR6g

I loved Chalke's return in the Halloween episode. The audience reaction was so delayed, it was kind of like, 'Oh, is she suddenly Becky again?'.

[landryjames2]

Roseanne was (is) an absolutely brilliant show. I didn't really watch after Season 4 (I never really liked the Mark and David characters, nor did I particularly care for Estelle Parsons whose presence grew as the show progressed). Nonetheless, those first few years are incomparable.

[songanddanceman2]

I loved Mark and David and actually think the show was at its best from season 2 through 8

[doodlenyc]

The biggest surprise was how much Roseanne herself grew as an actress. She had some truly amazing moments, imo and the some of the writing and story lines were wonderful...after she took over.

The lack of writing emmy nods I think was a real backlash against her.

[Mister Matt]

Oh, absolutely. Roseanne's personality rubbed the industry in every wrong way. They finally tossed Roseanne a bone for season six when they acknowledged her contribution to television and the end was in sight, but the lack of noms for writing, direction and for comedy series was rather shameful.

[doodlenyc]

...and the year she finally won, she had been denied so long that she didnt even attend the ceremony.

[Mister Matt]

Which also offended the industry and was considered disrespectful.

I even remember the negative buzz surrounding She-Devil because people were appalled that Meryl should stoop to appear in a film with Roseanne Barr. Truth was...Meryl wanted to do a comedy. I really don't think it was a bad movie, but the negative buzz really soured its opening.

Fun little nostalgia: http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/reviews.html?sec=1&subsec=256

I agree with Roger Ebert.

[broadwayguy2]

I LOVED all of the two Becky references and the meta-ness. However, my absolute favorite was the trip to Disney World after Goransen returned. I don't remember the reasoning, but just for the two part Disney episode, Chalke returned as Becky. On Becky's first entrance, the action froze and an understudy announcement was made. BRILLIANT.

[TheatreDiva90016]

"apparently the cast had no clue that the actress playing Bonnie could sing that like so that was their real response to her"

Considering they rehearse the show for a week and the scripts were written out well in advance, This is just not the case.

They knew she could sing and let her have her moment. Maybe she 'opened up' during the filming, but they rehearsed it plenty of times before they filmed it.

Nothing on that show was unscripted, trust me.

[MrMidwest]

The show was already going downhill at this point, but I love the discussion Jackie and Roseanne have in this episode about the lack of a female point of view in the music of their day. (It starts around 6:50 into the video)


Use me, I'll set you on fire, ya bastard

[StageManager2]

"...and the year she finally won, she had been denied so long that she didnt even attend the ceremony."

doodle, she'd only been nominated once before she won. She was nominated in 1992, won in 1993, and was nominated in 1994 and 1995. But it's still a shame that it took the Emmys until the 4th season to nominate her. IMO, her best work was in those seasons.

BTW: What was up with Candice Bergen hogging all those Emmys (1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995) for that insipid MURPHY BROWN? I apologize if anyone liked that show, but I thought it was dull and unfunny. Bergen did not deserve all those Emmys. Had she continued to submit herself for consideration she probably would've kept on winning. Same goes for Helen Hunt for MAD ABOUT YOU. With the exception of Roseanne and Kirstie Alley (CHEERS) the decade was taken up by Bergen in the first half and then by Hunt for the latter half.

[eatlasagna]

"I LOVED all of the two Becky references and the meta-ness. However, my absolute favorite was the trip to Disney World after Goransen returned. I don't remember the reasoning, but just for the two part Disney episode, Chalke returned as Becky. On Becky's first entrance, the action froze and an understudy announcement was made. BRILLIANT."

aah yes... that was brilliant... but i love how it was said... the character of becky who was performed by lecy goransan and then by sarah chalke and then by lecy goransan will now be played by sarah chalke... AWESOME! and i think it was the same episode where Roseanne says something like... aren't you glad you came back for this... good stuff

[broadwayguy2]

Yes, yes, YES, lasagna. The phrasing put it right over the top!

The "aren't you glad you came back" line.. love.

[Armie3]

Eight years later...

 

I guess maybe I shouldn't have bumped such an old thread, but I was searching and it was interesting to read such positive comments about Roseanne, before this past year's ****show. At least to me.

Any of the OPs in this thread still around to share their current feelings?

Has the legacy of Roseanne been ruined?

Will you be watching The Conners tomorrow night?

How do you feel about Roseanne (Conner)'s death?

 

Songanddanceman2 said  "I would love to see this show comeback with all the original cast"...

Be careful what you wish for! 

[Mister Matt]

I think Roseanne's insanity has tainted its revival, but really doesn't change the legacy of what made the original series a classic.  The fact that the show is continuing without her (as well as survived in the past during her personal antics) seems to underscore the fact that the show's legacy was more about the writing, cast and direction than it was about Roseanne Barr.  It remains to be seen how well this new version fares, but I'm looking forward to watching it.

[Armie3]

How did you feel about the recent season just gone? 

It will be sad to see Roseanne die tonight, a shame that Conner has to pay for the mistakes of Barr. I'll be so interested to see how the characters react, I wonder if Bev is still around. I don't know if it's going to be work, time will tell I guess.