ROSEANNE reboot — what are your thoughts? (1 Viewer)

[Radioman970]

It’s just a dopey tv show. Why would this make you nervous?

lol ...perfectly said!

But I think injecting too much modern politics will hurt this show for me. I'm about burned out.

 

[Stan]

For whatever reason, I'm sure my parents couldn't explain it today, but I wasn't allowed to watch Roseanne when it originally aired so I've never actually seen it. (I asked them recently and they laughed and didn't even remember that prohibition.) I might watch a new episode just because of that.

Really aging myself here. When I was in elementary school, we actually went home with pre-printed letters warning our parents not to let us watch "Laugh-In" or "Love, American Style". Way to inappropriate

So of course we watched. At that age the humor was meaningless, but the "Prude Patrol" had to step in.

 

[sjbradford]

I’m wary of it.

The early years of Roseanne - particularly seasons 3 and 4 - were excellent. If the entire series run were of that quality, it would be considered a classic.

But as Roseanne Barr gained more control over the show, the Roseanne Conner character changed. Originally, she was sarcastic but warm and was the type of person you’d like to have a beer with. Around season 5, she turned into this shrill, man-hater who could be really nasty to those around her. The show became more concerned with “pushing the envelope” than being funny. The underrated Lecy Goranson left, and Sara Gilbert began delivering all her lines in this monotone, a la Tina Yothers. The show runners changed constantly, too.

I recently saw an episode where Dan was leaving his job at the city garage, and he got Mark and Jackie’s husband Fred to help him steal his desk. A quick throwaway gag, but the Dan Conner from the earlier seasons would never have done that.

The showrunner for the new series is Bruce Helford, who ran season 5 when the show was still pretty good, but past the classic years. So it could go either way. I am happy to see, though, that they’ve gotten the entire original cast, plus guest stars like Bev (Estelle Parsons), Crystal (Natalie West), Anne Marie, etc.

 

[disctrip]

It was dumb the first go-round, it will be twice so this go-round.

 

[Stan]

I’m wary of it.

The early years of Roseanne - particularly seasons 3 and 4 - were excellent. If the entire series run were of that quality, it would be considered a classic.

But as Roseanne Barr gained more control over the show, the Roseanne Conner character changed. Originally, she was sarcastic but warm and was the type of person you’d like to have a beer with. Around season 5, she turned into this shrill, man-hater who could be really nasty to those around her. The show became more concerned with “pushing the envelope” than being funny. The underrated Lecy Goranson left, and Sara Gilbert began delivering all her lines in this monotone, a la Tina Yothers. The show runners changed constantly, too.

I recently saw an episode where Dan was leaving his job at the city garage, and he got Mark and Jackie’s husband Fred to help him steal his desk. A quick throwaway gag, but the Dan Conner from the earlier seasons would never have done that.

The showrunner for the new series is Bruce Helford, who ran season 5 when the show was still pretty good, but past the classic years. So it could go either way. I am happy to see, though, that they’ve gotten the entire original cast, plus guest stars like Bev (Estelle Parsons), Crystal (Natalie West), Anne Marie, etc.

Had its ups and downs, but other than the last season, I enjoyed it.

I think Sara Gilbert did some of her best work on "Roseanne", been a down hill slide ever since. She tossed out a few good Sheldon zingers, but was basically awful on TBBT. I also thought Sarah Chalke was a huge improvement over Alicia Goranson. We all have our opinions.

Have to disagree, but the Bev & Crystal characters were incredibly annoying. That voice Estelle Parsons chose to use was worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.

 

[MatthewA]

The Big Bang Theory is one of those shows I just can't get into. I feel nothing for it whatsoever. It just exists.

Really aging myself here. When I was in elementary school, we actually went home with pre-printed letters warning our parents not to let us watch "Laugh-In" or "Love, American Style". Way to inappropriate

So of course we watched. At that age the humor was meaningless, but the "Prude Patrol" had to step in.

Thanks to streaming, cable, and the Fox Network, what people were shocked by then would be nothing compared to what they permit on network TV today. I was almost 7 when The Simpsons premiered, and there were even TV news reports that Bart Simpson t-shirts, especially the "Underachiever and Proud of It" one which I think either me or my dad actually had, were encouraging antisocial behavior and anti-intellectualism at school. And while that show never died (except creatively), many of its contemporaries are coming back from the grave. Go figure.

 

[KPmusmag]

Really aging myself here. When I was in elementary school, we actually went home with pre-printed letters warning our parents not to let us watch "Laugh-In" or "Love, American Style". Way to inappropriate

So of course we watched. At that age the humor was meaningless, but the "Prude Patrol" had to step in.

We received a similar letter which included the Adam West "Batman" because of the violence. Zowie!

 

[BobO'Link]

Really aging myself here. When I was in elementary school, we actually went home with pre-printed letters warning our parents not to let us watch "Laugh-In" or "Love, American Style". Way to inappropriate

So of course we watched. At that age the humor was meaningless, but the "Prude Patrol" had to step in.

We never got such letters. In fact, I don't recall any local controversy over *any* TV show. And I grew up in a very conservative, small town, in the mid-south. My dad was a Deacon in the Baptist church and was quite restrictive on the movies I was allowed to see but never censored any TV show as long as I was old enough to stay up. The preacher occasionally railed against rock 'n roll but never once mentioned a movie or TV show. I grew up watching The Smother's Brothers, Laugh-in, and Love American Style with no fear of having them taken away. In hindsight, it's quite amazing he didn't rip out the TV just because of their content.

Roseanne reboot? Who needs it? The original overstayed its welcome for me... I liked the first few seasons but then grew tired of her constant smirk and snarkiness.

 

[skylark68]

Maybe it was my age but Roseanne was a really boring show when it first came out. I still remember that horrible movie she was in, She Devil. That about sums up my thoughts on Roseanne Barr.

 

[John Dirk]

At least now with the return of Roseanne they will be bringing back a show that, at its best, was funny, relevant, and ahead of its time in numerous ways*. But times have changed and so has she. Luckily, the rest of the surviving cast will be back and the last season is being ignored.

In my opinion, your comments above illustrate exactly why this is a horrible idea. Why tamper with the legacy of these classic shows and the actors who brought them to life? I love seeing John Goodman pop up in occasional film cameos playing new [age appropriate] characters. I don't need to see an undead Dan Conner.

 

[John Dirk]

For whatever reason, I'm sure my parents couldn't explain it today, but I wasn't allowed to watch Roseanne when it originally aired so I've never actually seen it. (I asked them recently and they laughed and didn't even remember that prohibition.) I might watch a new episode just because of that.

Why not watch the original episodes?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Why not watch the original episodes?

That's a great question to which I don't have a great answer. I suppose "time" is probably the most honest answer.

 

[John Dirk]

That's a great question to which I don't have a great answer. I suppose "time" is probably the most honest answer.

I hear you brother but investment [in this case time] and reward are usually directly proportional. My humble opinion is that your limited time would be better spent on the original episodes as opposed the new ones. I wasn't a big fan of the show but I still respect it as a classic.

 

[MatthewA]

We received a similar letter which included the Adam West "Batman" because of the violence. Zowie!

And even that was toned down because of the Comics Code.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

And now "Murphy Brown" boards the reboot train:

01.24.2018

“MURPHY BROWN” RETURNS TO CBS

CANDICE BERGEN REPRISES STARRING ROLE

NETWORK GIVES WARNER BROS. TELEVISION-PRODUCED COMEDY

13-EPISODE SERIES PRODUCTION COMMITMENT

FOR 2018-2019 BROADCAST SEASON​

CBS has given a 13-episode, series production commitment to a current day revival of the Network’s classic comedy MURPHY BROWN from Warner Bros. Television for the 2018-2019 broadcast season, it was announced today by Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment, and Thom Sherman, Senior Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Entertainment.

Candice Bergen, who starred in the title role from 1988-1998, will reprise her role. As its 30th anniversary approaches, MURPHY BROWN returns to a world of cable news, social media, fake news and a very different political and cultural climate.

Warner Bros. Television, producers of the original series, will produce the new multi-camera comedy with original creator Diane English serving as writer/executive producer through her Bend in the Road Productions banner. Bergen will also be an executive producer.

During the show’s original 10-year run on CBS, MURPHY BROWN received 62 Emmy nominations (with 18 wins), 15 Golden Globe nominations (with three wins), three Screen Actors Guild awards, five Directors Guild nominations (with two wins) and four Writers Guild nominations (with two wins). Bergen won five Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

In 2010 TV Guide named Murphy Brown one of the “25 Greatest TV Characters of All Time.”

* * *​

Press Contacts for CBS:

Phil Gonzales
818-655-1580
[email protected]

Scott Grogin
818-655-1584
[email protected]

The only way this works for me is if it really leans into the changed media environment. I would be more excited if Candice Bergen is the only returning series regular.

Robert Pastorelli and Pat Corley both died more than a decade ago. Charles Kimbrough is in his eighties and has only taken on voice work since 2003. That leaves Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud as potentially available to return.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

And now "Murphy Brown" boards the reboot train:

The only way this works for me is if it really leans into the changed media environment. I would be more excited if Candice Bergen is the only returning series regular.

Robert Pastorelli and Pat Corley both died more than a decade ago. Charles Kimbrough is in his eighties and has only taken on voice work since 2003. That leaves Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud as potentially available to return.

The only positive I see in this is maybe WB clears up some music licensing issues and releases the original series on DVD.

...Or licenses it out to Shout or Time-Life for a complete series release.

 

[Bob_S.]

Have no interest in Murphy Brown. Didn't watch it then, won't watch it now.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Season 10 Trailer:

 

[Ron Lee Green]

They've been doing this for years, except they used to be called "TV reunion" movies: 2-hour made-for-TV movies where they reunited casts from old TV shows like, I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later, Return to Mayberry, Rescue from Gilligan's Island, etc. Now, instead of movies, they're more like mini-series.
Back in 1981, The Brady Girls Get Married was filmed as a 2-hour movie, but NBC decided to chop it up into half-hour installments, and aired one episode every Saturday Night. It got decent ratings so that spun-off the series called, The Brady Brides. It didn't last very long. I think 6 episodes.

 

[Stan]

Maybe it was my age but Roseanne was a really boring show when it first came out. I still remember that horrible movie she was in, She Devil. That about sums up my thoughts on Roseanne Barr.

That thing was awful, major career mistake. Her basic comedy is pretty good, hopefully this reboot works.