Is “Roseanne” the most realistic sitcom of all time?
This year marks the 20th anniversary of "Roseanne," the sitcom that dared to show the lower middle class as it actually lived. Even by today's standards the show is still revolutionary and there's still nothing like it. Overweight parents, an aggressive female protagonist, a sardonic tomboy of a daughter, openly gay and lesbian characters that are treated with respect, realistic yet frightening financial problems-all these elements are unique rarities lacking even on modern TV.
''I'm more relevant now than it was then," says Roseanne Barr. "I'm very proud of its timelessness and, you know, the fact that it has a political edge that is even more relevant now than it was then."
John Goodman who played husband Dan Connor agrees that the show was groundbreaking. "We came on following 'Moonlighting,' and there was stuff like 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' with all of these happy, rich, feel-good people, and then there was us. We knew we were different, and we knew she was really plugged in to what was going on in the country. People who looked like us were not doing too good. You know, you'd often have scrambled eggs for dinner.''
Sure, sitcoms are a dying breed (if not dead, thanks to reality shows), but we'd have to agree that "Roseanne" was innovative and continues to ring true stronger than ever even today. What's your take on "Roseanne"? [EW][Jezebel]
