5 Sitcoms ABC Should Revive to Replace ‘Roseanne’

Adam Salandra
TV
TV

After a racist tweet from Roseanne Barr received an avalanche of backlash this week, ABC immediately decided to pull the plug on the next season of the controversial comedian’s revived sitcom. But this couldn’t have been an easy decision for the network, as Roseanne was the star player in ABC’s fall lineup.

Now, with a huge hole in its upcoming schedule, TV execs have to find a replacement for the popular revival. And if they’re looking to swap it out with another rebooted blast from the past, we have a few suggestions.

Here are five ABC sitcoms that could be revived to fill the nostalgia-shaped hole in the network’s heart.

Family Matters

Did I do that?? Family Matters was a classic member of ABC’s TGIF lineup in the ’90s and delivered a look at a middle class, multi-generational family much like Barr’s show did. But the series steered clear of controversial storylines in favor of more traditional family comedy, which may be just what the network is looking for to help it recover from the Roseanne scandal. Perhaps a revival could center around Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow, together at last, raising a family of their own. Just so long as there’s a new nerdy neighbor to barge in and destroy everything, we’re sure it would be a hit.

Who’s The Boss? 

Just as Roseanne was revolutionary for tackling topics like abortion and same-sex marriage during its initial run, Who’s The Boss? shined a spotlight on single parenting and gender roles. The sitcom, which ran from 1984-1992, featured Tony Danza as the housekeeper for Judith Light’s Angela, a high-powered businesswoman raising a son on her own. Danza’s daughter was played by Alyssa Milano, who went on to a witchy role on Charmed, and Danny Pintauro played Light’s son, Jonathan. Pintauro later came out of the closet, so perhaps a revival of the sitcom could continue playing with gender by featuring his character with a husband of his own.

Happy Endings

Happy Endings was one of those shows that failed to get enough viewers to survive on ABC, but the fans it did have were diehard. And they’ve been demanding the series come back ever since it was canceled back in 2013. Arguably the best hangout sitcom since Friends, the show’s six stars had more chemistry than a science lab, and every episode was laugh-out-loud funny. The actors reunited at Vulture Festival in 2016 and said they’d all be more than thrilled to come back for a revival, with creator David Caspe adding that “everyone would want to do it.” So with the stars, writers, and fans all ready for more, it could be the perfect time to bring the show back.

Perfect Strangers

Roseanne touched on immigration issues during its short-lived revival earlier this year, but Perfect Strangers was doing it first when it ran on ABC from 1986-1993. When Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot) arrives in Chicago from the Mediterranean island of Mypos, he asks to move in with his stuffy cousin Larry Appleton (Mark Linn‑Baker). The dichotomy of the two personalities leads to some hilarious moments as the two men eventually grow close. But what are Balki and Cousin Larry doing now in their retirement years? There’s currently room on ABC’s fall slate to find out.

Dinosaurs

This show, about dinosaurs who lived like humans, was as strange as it was mesmerizing. Giant dino puppets made up the cast of characters that mirrored most other traditional sitcom families: a blue-collar father, a sweet-natured mother, a rebellious teenage son, a shop-a-holic daughter, and a scene-stealing baby. But surprisingly, much like Roseanne, the prehistoric sitcom touched on quite a few topical issues, including LGBT rights, censorship, and of course, endangered species. The show went off the air in 1994, so with nearly 25 years of advancements in technology, a reboot of this series could really look amazing.

Which old ABC sitcom would you like to see the network revive? Head to Twitter and let us know your pick!

Adam Salandra
Adam Salandra is an Entertainment Editor for FANDOM. When he's not covering the latest in pop culture, you can find him playing with his French Bulldog pup or hovering over the table of food at any social gathering.