Rosie is Back! And The Conners Cancelled. But There Is a Catch

In May 2018, ABC cancelled Roseanne due to the title star went on a racist rant.  And following Roseanne Barr's firing and the controversial continuation via The Conners featuring the rest of the cast, fans have been polarized after the character Roseanne Conner was killed off.  ABC appears to have decided to change course and revive Roseanne, bringing the character back from the dead.  In order to facilitate this, The Conners is toast, ending in May.  And in its place, ABC shall revive Roseanne for an 11th season.

But there's a change coming.  Instead of Barr, another Rosie shall step into Rosie Conner's shoes.  Meet Rosie O'Donnell, who is recast in the role.  Joining O'Donnell is series alumni John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Alicia Goranson and Sandra Bernhard.  Notably absent is Sara Gilbert as showrunners are seeking to distinguish this reboot as Darlene and her family monopolized the majority of screen time on The Conners.

Playing into a familiar trope with the series, Roseanne Conner awakens from a terrible nightmare she's been dead for 6 years with hoards of irritating relatives invading her household.  Dan remarks "what's up with your voice?" to which she remarks "too many told me it sounds like nails on a chalkboard."  Roseanne elaborates after she passed, all the kids swarmed the house with chaos and Dan married Peg Bundy.  Dan corrects her and tells her after their financial troubles, their professor daughter, Becky, bought it and let them stay there.  They work at Jackie's restaurant, and all is well in Lanford.  

Are you excited for Roseanne's return?  It is moving home to its familiar timeslot at 8:00 on Tuesday, September 31.

Roseanne Barr: Comedienne, Certifiable, or Self-Destructive Trainwreck? See the History on This Cancelled Goddess

TVRG Snapshot: Roseanne Season 2 (1989-90)

 Looking for an established show to binge or relive old glories and blunders?  If mild spoilers don't deter and readers like a preview of what they can't wait to see, take a glance and locate a new series to add to your collection.  Look back  and explore the parent series for The Conners, Roseanne, which enjoyed 10 successful seasons from 1988-97 and a 2018 singular season revival.  
Check out SEASON 1 to gain a sense of history for this landmark series.

TVRG Snapshot: Roseanne Season 1 (1988-89)

Looking for an established show to binge or relive old glories and blunders?  If mild spoilers don't deter and readers like a preview of what they can't wait to see, take a glance and locate a new series to add to your collection.  Look back  and explore the parent series for The Conners, Roseanne, which enjoyed 10 successful seasons from 1988-97 and a 2018 singular season revival.

PREMISE 

Working Class struggles were forefront in ABC's latest offering of sitcoms offered with complimentary canned laughter.  Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) is a 30-something Midwestern woman living the American dream.  She lives in a dying town in America's rust belt, and spends glorious afternoons stamping plastic in a factory instead of fretting over her stories.  Her and drywaller husband Dan (John Goodman) play tug of war over household duties to keep the place running for their children -- teenage Becky (Lecy Goranson), pre-teen smartass Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) and precocious DJ (Michael Fishman). 

Rounding out the adult case is free-spirited single sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), and Roseanne's well-meaning yet mocked best friend Crystal (Natalie West), both of which whom are employed at Roseanne's factory Wellman Plastics.  The first season delivered blue collar laughs bolstered to new heights thanks to Roseanne's quick-witted and loud humor.  The majority of the action centered on the household, with Wellman peppered into the background.

BEHIND THE SCENES 

Prior to debut, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner of Carsey Werner productions conceived the idea of a sitcom centering on a working mother.  Werner paid notice to comedienne Roseanne Barr after she was profiled on entertainment tonight.  Producers cited Barr's ability to embody the voice of a domestic goddess, yet enabled the voice of a working class heroine they desired.[1]  Set in the exurbs of Illinois, Co-Executive Producer Matt Williams modeled the exterior shots of Lanford, Illinois after his hometown of Evansville, Indiana, basing the prized home blocks away from his Alma Mater.  

Unlike fledgling FOX in 1988 (ironic for 2020), ABC sitcoms were presented with delicacy, grace and middle class.  Roseanne's premise profiled the blue collar culture.  Not the typecast trailer trash, but the salt-of-the-earth industrial workers.  The core units may not have enjoyed gourmet meals like the commercials, but they enjoyed the view and recorded them on their VCR.  While 8PM's Angela Bower on Who's the Boss fretted about where to entertain her latest client to stay in trend (read about that HERE), Roseanne Conner fretted feeding her family of five a meal for $12 they wouldn't be biting her ankles and complaining about.

Co-Executive Producer, who initially dubbed the sitcom as Life and Stuff, was released inside 13 episodes at the insistence of Barr [2].  Barr pushed aggressively to have the sitcom self-titled and succeeded.  A risky venture given behind the scenes wranglings of the entertainment industry at the time when stars exhibited extreme power with consequences.  Earlier that year, Valerie Harper won a wrongful termination suit after being fired from her NBC sitcom Valerie (later evolved to The Hogan Family).  After 13 episodes (and ratings soaring to regular top-5 placement in each showing), Barr delivered the ultimatum either Williams goes, or she would walk.  Williams ultimately exited.  It appeared to be a dustup between a star and producer, but rather an ominous warning of what was to come with this enchanting yet cursed franchise.

PLOT HIGHLIGHTS

Plotting for the pilot season remained simplistic.  The initial episodes profiled domestic strife as Dan and Roseanne divvied up/sparred over domestic duties.  Plenty of familial issues were addressed such as Becky's dating woes at 13, Darlene receiving her first period, a day at the samm family style and Dan and Roseanne conspiring for the ideal post-Honeymoon after three sniping children.  A healthy dose of diversion occurred at the ladies' place of employment, Wellman Plastics, where "spinster" sister Jackie romanced supervisor Booker Brooks (some unknown actor named George Clooney).  A whole year reigns by through familial and romantic issues, and Booker gets replaced by a nasty foreman, Keith Faber (Fred Thompson), leading to a Norma Rae revolt. 

(Curious who Norma Rae is?  Google Sally Field before Mrs. Doubtfire and Steel Magnolias and learn of a great social relevance piece)

ENSEMBLE

Initial seasons of Roseanne featured the best spatial relationship among the principle cast of six, peppered with a couple recurring characters (George Clooney, Natalie West) and a slew of guest stars appropriated.  Roseanne (the character) naturally took the lead, as Goodman and Metcalf balancing the adult front.  The children peppered in appropriate stories as needed, and plenty of space was had by all.  

Such space was valued by the time seasons 6-10 came about as all struggled for consistent display as the cast exploded to a strong recurring roster and cast changes were addressed.

NOTABLE SOCIAL ISSUES

The series became a herald for addressing blue-collar issues.  Earlier seasons kept it simple. tackling less controversial issues such as insurance and healthcare issues, workplace for the modern women and typecast teenage issues.  Becky delved with dating, while sarcastic troublemaker Darlene stole cigarettes and delivered the series' first gut-punch episodes as a ruptured appendix left the family not only frantic but dealing with insurance heckling.

WHAT WORKED? 

The debut season of Roseanne arrived in late October 1988, on of the worst years in broadcast television history as the WGA Strike of 1988 delayed production [for more about that messin a Hollywood dress, click HERE].  Unlike many ruined/established shows, Roseanne offered a fresh pallet of working class humor. Just like the polished, peppy and pretty shows like Dynasty and Dallas, Roseanne offered up oodes of domestic drama.  The difference lie in the fact that Roseanne packed canned laughter to remind folks when to take a toke, err I mean joke and run with it.  

Roseanne's debut season dealt with a less than ideal cast showcasing impoverished does't equal inadequate.  Mall drama of appeasing a 14-year old transcends rich or poor.  Tornadoes make middle-aged me heroes as they shield their wives spouting jokes about houses by to cut down telephone bills.  And that spinster sister, who's quite occupied with her taken boss is something which can happen to all, classes, even the industrious working kind.

WHAT IS BEST FORGOTTEN?

Natalie West is a capable performer, but her infusion as Roseanne's zany friend Crystal Anderson was not quite a joke, but the butt of the series' initial seasons.  Thrice divorced and tragically widowed, Crystal Anderson had a midlands twang to her vocals and was designed as the scene stealer.  The indirect foil came about when Roseanne's energetic and single sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) filled this partial need, rendering Crystal obsolete. Writers persisted and continued to integrate Crystal with an emotional episode explaining her last husband's untimely death in an industrial accident leaving him entombed in a cement pylon in town.  This flattened gut-puncher episode delivered on paper a blockbuster back story, yet failed as it was played for comic fodder vs. dramatic character development

ADVICE TO NEW VIEWERS BINGING THIS SEASON 

The Conners evolved from a dynamic series.  If one can discern art from artist, enjoy Roseanne repeats on local affiliates  and lead into The Conner's strong following.

A History of President Trump’s Relationship with Nielsen Ratings (Part 2)

DISCLAIMER: This article has nothing to do with the president's political views or actions. The purpose of this piece is to focus on the way he has used Nielsen ratings and whether his usage was correct or incorrect. Click here to read the original article.

Donald John Trump (center). Photo Credit: Flickr

While not the first president to join the social networking service, former Celebrity Apprentice host Donald Trump has infamously used Twitter to demean his naysayers and uplift his well-wishers with a sea of exclamation marks and hashtags. One particular topic that the 45th president has latched onto is the subject of Nielsen ratings. While there is no shortage of Trump tweets discussing the ins-and-outs of this audience measurement system, it may be difficult for those not familiar with television ratings to figure out if The Donald is using the data correctly. Pictured below are just a few instances where Trump has dished out an attack based on Nielsen ratings and if his statements are factual or a work of fiction.

Exhibit A: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

Why aren’t they firing no talent Samantha Bee for the horrible language used on her low ratings show? A total double standard but that’s O.K., we are Winning, and will be doing so for a long time to come!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2018

After comedian Samantha Bee hurled obscenities towards Ivanka Trump on her TBS series, President Trump took to Twitter to defend his daughter while simultaneously calling for Bee to be fired from her "low ratings show". Likely furious from Roseanne being removed from her ABC sitcom for racist tweets, Trump mentions that there is a double standard when it comes to how conservatives and liberals are treated. For its fourth season, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has averaged an incredibly modest 0.2 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. Although the late-night program has already secured a fifth season renewal, even the most devoted fans cannot pretend that it's a solid performer. Despite the fact that online clips of the program take in millions of views on YouTube, the amount of people tuning in for a television broadcast of Full Frontal are few and far between. Just like Trump pointed out, its numbers leave much to be desired

Did Trump Use Ratings Correctly?: YES

Exhibit B: July Democratic Debate

Very low ratings for the Democratic Debate last night — they’re desperate for Trump!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2019

Following the first Democratic debate, the 45th president logged into his Twitter account and penned a disparaging remark aimed at the "low ratings" that the broadcast produced. In reality, Trump's assertion could not be further from the truth. The CNN telecast of the debate turned in a hefty 1.65 rating in the 18-49 demo with nearly 9 million viewers. A quick scan of a daily ratings report in 2020 demonstrates that most offerings don't even come close to pulling numbers that high. On top of that, Hannity (a show he has praised for its great ratings), garnered a measly 0.34 rating with 4.3 million viewers for a broadcast on January 30, 2020. While still respectable for today's standards, Trump uplifting such low ratings while attacking the much stronger Democratic debate conveys he may be a touch biased in this scenario.

Did Trump Use Ratings Correctly?: NO

Exhibit C: Roseanne/Will & Grace

....said what she did, even being on a much higher rated show, she would have been thrown off television. Will Fake News NBC allow a McCarthy style Racist to continue? ABC fired Roseanne. Watch the double standard!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2019

In this set of September 2019 tweets, Trump takes aim at Will & Grace actress Debra Messing for allegedly being a racist. Once again, the president calls out the more liberal broadcast networks for holding conservatives to a different standard. He uses his friend & supporter Roseanne Barr to back up his claim since she was discharged from the "much higher rated" Roseanne revival while Messing remains employed despite being accused of similar behavior. While he has been under fire for telling lies and twisting facts in the past, Trump could not have been more accurate with this statement. As a testament to its popularity, Barr's series was the most-viewed television program in 2018. The eight-episode revival of Roseanne premiered to a monstrous 5.2 rating and averaged a staggering 3.5 in the 18-49 demographic. In sharp contrast, the third season of the Will & Grace revival is currently averaging a pitiful 0.5 rating. Even at its highest (a 3.0 rating for its 2016 premiere), the Messing series paled in comparison to the sheer magnitude of Barr's Nielsen numbers.

Did Trump Use Ratings Correctly?: YES

Exhibit D: CNN & Don Lemon

Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television (with terrible ratings!). https://t.co/iQXCc7lvCt

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2020

CNN's Don Lemon became the target of a verbal onslaught in a late January tweet by the commander-in-chief. In the incredibly brief observation, the president insulted Lemon's intelligence and ability to conjure up Nielsens. For the most part, it does seem like this comment holds weight. The cable ratings for the same evening that the tweet was fired off illustrates that the programs on Fox News (a network Trump has lauded for its high ratings) comfortably performed higher than those on CNN. On that particular day, multiple Fox News programs made up the top 25 highest-rated shows while the CNN airings missed the threshold. Even if these ratings generally fluctuate depending on the topic discussed, it's clear that the president is not too far from the truth with his "terrible ratings" proclamation.

Did Trump Use Ratings Correctly?: Somewhat

Recap

Given the fact that Trump hosted a reality series on NBC for over a decade and has made cameos on many programs from the peacock network's lineup, it's safe to say that he understands the Nielsen system more than the common individual. Nonetheless, he may not realize that ratings have declined substantially since he left The Celebrity Apprentice in 2015 to secure a spot in the Oval Office. Because of this, numbers that may seem low to him are simply average or even solid given how far viewership has declined as a whole. Ultimately, expect Trump's Nielsen-based tweets to hold at least some truth (even if he does use them to back up already established biases). 

What did you think of this article? Do you believe Trump has an understanding of Nielsen ratings? Sound off in the comments below.