CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : ROSEANNE .. ABC / CASEY WARNER COMPANY .. USA 1993 ..

 

ABC TELEVISION

Presents

ROSEANNE

Starring

ROSEANNE BARR as Roseanne Conner

JOHN GOODAMAN as Dan Conner

LAURIE METCALF as Jackie Harris

SARA GILBERT as Darlene Conner

MICHAEL FISHMAN as DJ Conner

SANDRA BERNHARD as Nancy Bartlett

JOHNNY GALECKI as David Healey

 First Cousin.. Twice Removed

( Series 5 - Episode 17 )

Special Guest Star

JOAN COLLINS as Ronnie - Roesanne's Cousin.

Roseanne is feeling nervous as she awaits the arrival of her estranged cousin Ronnie whom she has not seen in years and who she had a falling out with.. 

After the excesses of the 80's, one of the biggest sitcoms to end the decade and which was still popular well into the 90's was 'Roseanne'. Featuring the exploits of the Connor family, led by tough, outspoken mother of three Roseanne and her husband Dan. The series was one of the first to make the mother the chief of the household and proved to be a ratings winner for nine seasons, the show was revived briefly in 2017. 

Joan appeared as a guest star in one episode of the series in 1993, in the unlikely role of Roseannes cousin Ronnie! Joan was also amused at the suggestion when she was offered the role. 

'' You want me to play her cousin! Roseanne and I look about as much alike as Laurel and Hardy!!'

Joan was not convinced when her agent  told her that Roseanne really wanted her for the show and that it was rare Roseanne loved anyone! Joan decided to ask the advice of her good friend Sue Mengers who advised her to do it, but just to ease her mind she would organise a dinner party  for Joan and Roseanne, so they could meet in a social setting. Joan agreed and the evening was certainly interesting as also attending were tough Hollywood mogul Barry Diller and chat show host Sally Jessy Raphael, who did not hit it off. Roseanne who was then married to Tom Arnold and they were still all lovey dovey, although they seperated a year later, a lifetime in Hollywood!

Joan felt Roseanne was more softer than her tv image and she grew to like her and decided to do the show although when she received the script, she was horrified as it was one of the worst she had ever read. She failed to find one comedic line in it and felt despair as she was trapped into her contract with the show. She was hardly suprised when she attended the readthrough and met the writers who looked as funny as a heart attack, no wonder the script was appalling. Joan put a brave face on proceedings and was shocked when even Roseanne protested at how bad the script and demanded a rewrite. That prospect filled Joan with dread as it meant she would have to learn a new scripts in couple of days. Her fears came through as each day new pages were delivered to her and she found it pointless learning any of it. It got to the stage that each new line was tackier than the last and Joan appealed to Tom Arnold that she could not say some of the tacky lines.

' We are a tacky show! ' he said to her. 'Wait till you see what I am going to do for a warm up! I will show them my liposuction scars!'

The dreaded script

Joan was not at all surprised at this and she did not look forward to the taping as minutes before she was due to shoot, even more pages were given to her to learn. She managed to get through the taping and was relieved when she got a great reaction from the live audience. 

'They Loved Ya!' proclaimed Roseanne after the show. 'Ya gotta come back. We love ya too!'

Well Joan did not appear on the show again, however she did guest on Roseanne's shortlived chat show. Joan brings a touch of glamour to the show and although not a barrel of laughs, its mildly amusing and Joan and Roseanne look as if they are having fun!

You can buy the full series of 'Roseanne' on a 27 disc set with many extras.. You can order at the following link... 

ORDER BOX SET OF ROSEANNE HERE!