Photo: ABC
Roseanne
Lord knows there just aren’t enough shows on television about middle class families. Some critics have compared ABC’s The Middle to the classic Roseanne, and I guess I’ll concede that. But Roseanne did something for working class folks that TV just wasn’t doing – giving them a respectful and dignified voice.
Set in a small Midwestern town, Roseanne Connor was the factory-working, tired wife and mom who was too loud, too stressed, and not really conventionally attractive. All of these things made her character seem like it would be wildly unlikable, but she proved to be one of the most seminal characters on TV. Feminist without being political, Roseanne was all of our mothers, sisters, coworkers, and, we hoped, us.
Rethinking this show would take a lot of finesse. The chemistry among the cast members was mostly responsible for its popularity, so getting new actors that find that rhythm is no small feat. Also, the spirit of the show, and its nod to a populist way of thinking, would probably be pretty big right now, as long as they get it right in tone.
If all the stars could align and this show got remade in an authentic way, I would watch the heck out of it, just like I did the original.