Back and better than ever! The Roseanne revival premiered on Tuesday, March 27, and received massive ratings.
ABC reports that 18.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the reboot, which also attained a 5.1 rating among adults 18-49. According to the network, the beloved show delivered the highest-rated comedy telecast on any network in four years, with the last one being CBS’ 2014 premiere of The Big Bang Theory.
Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) took to Twitter to express her excitement about the show’s success. “I am so grateful to the fans of the Roseanne show for giving it a good Premiere rating,” the 65-year-old actress raved. “You are all wonderful — here is to making America laugh & talk again! LOVE U.”
The premiere sent fans into frenzy by featuring John Goodman’s return as Dan Conner, who was believed to have died in the original series’ season 8. Roseanne’s daughter Darlene (Sara Gilbert) also moves in with her on the premiere after losing her job. The single mom is raising two kids on her own, teen daughter Harris (Emma Kenney), who was born premature in season 9, and 8-year-old son Mark (Ames McNamara).
Barr and Laurie Metcalf, who portrays her sister Jackie, recently chatted with Us Weekly about the iconic sitcom’s return. “I think the writers have done a really good job of balancing everybody’s viewpoints,” Metcalfe, 62, said of the siblings, who share contrasting political views. (While Roseanne is still a Republican who voted for Donald Trump, Jackie is a staunch Democrat).
“The Roseanne and Jackie relationship is always going to be a bit contentious because they’re sisters. In the pilot episode, there’s been a real rift between them, and yet they manage to make it through that because it’s family and you have to,” she explained. “Throughout the episodes, sometimes they’re team players and sometimes they’re not. Usually, they’re team players when they gang up against Mom (Estelle Parsons). That’s when they’re super strong together!”
Roseanne airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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