Another ’90s reboot! Roseanne Barr‘s Emmy-winning sitcom is poised for a comeback, according to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. Sources told THR that an eight-episode revival of the show is in the works.
Barr is reportedly game to return, as are John Goodman and Sara Gilbert, who played her TV husband and TV daughter, respectively. THR reports that Gilbert has been added as an executive producer alongside original executive producers Barr, Tom Werner and Bruce Helford, and that the revival is being shopped to networks and streaming services (including, yes, Netflix).
Michael Fishman, who played DJ on the show, told Us, “Roseanne fans are the best in the world who have pushed for this for years. If it does happen, it is a credit to their passion and dedication.”
Roseanne ran on ABC for nine seasons from 1988 to 1997. It centered on the Conner family in Illinois and won three Golden Globes and four Emmys, including acting awards for Barr and Laurie Metcalf, who played the title character’s younger sister, Jackie.
With the 20th anniversary of the series finale coming up in May — and other recent or upcoming reboots for shows including Full House, Gilmore Girls and Will & Grace — it’s not exactly surprising that Roseanne is in the conversation too. In fact, Goodman and Gilbert addressed the possibility when they reunited on The Talk back in March.
“Oh, hell yes,” Goodman told Julie Chen if he’d be interested in a revival. “The big ‘R’ and I did a pilot about five years ago that didn’t go anywhere … but we were very happy to work together. … But if we could get everyone together …”
Gilbert said she would do it too, as long as they had a good story to tell. “Your only fear is, you don’t want to do a bad version, right, because you don’t want to damage what’s been done.”
Barr, for her part, has been thinking of a revival for years. Back in 2009, she took to her blog to share her thoughts on where each of the characters would be in a reunion show. Becky would work at Walmart, Darlene would meet a woman and have a test-tube baby, Dan would show up alive after faking his death, and Roseanne and Jackie would open a medical marijuana dispensary.
Tell Us: Are you excited for a possible Roseanne revival?
