‘Roseanne’: Everything You Need to Know Ahead of the Sitcom’s Revival

Adam Salandra
TV
TV

After 21 years off the air, the Conner family is about to rise again, thanks to the revival of the hit ’90s sitcom Roseanne.

With all of the original cast returning to their roles and the same iconic set being used, fans of the comedy are sure to be filled with a warm nostalgia from the moment that Roseanne cackles her signature laugh in the opening.

But a lot has happened since the sitcom first went off the air in 1997, so you may be struggling to remember where things left off with the Conner family. FANDOM is here to fill you in on everything you need to know before Roseanne officially returns for a tenth season.

Roseanne New Cast Season 10
The cast of the 'Roseanne' revival.

For starters, the show is doing away with a lot of the major (and controversial) changes that took place in the series finale, which found Roseanne writing a book and revealing that most of the things we knew about the characters weren’t true. In fact, the revival is pretending that most of Season 9 never happened. That means the characters never actually won the lottery, turning them back into the working-class family that audiences first fell in love with.

The dismissal of the series finale also means that Dan Conner is still alive, having not died from a heart attack as the last episode led us to believe. He and Roseanne will be semi-retired when the story picks back up. And what about their fourth child, Jerry Garcia, who Roseanne gave birth to in Season 8? He’ll be mentioned in the revival, but not actually seen, according to the comedian, who explained there were already too many stories to tell. But what about the other children?

Roseanne original cast
The original cast of 'Roseanne.'

Roseanne and Dan’s oldest daughter, Becky, will be played once again by Lecy Goranson, who originated the role before leaving the show to focus on school. Becky will serve as a surrogate for a new character named Andrea, who will be played by Sarah Chalke — the actress who took over for Goranson when she left the original the first time around. Becky’s husband Mark will not appear in the series, as actor Glenn Quinn died of a drug overdose in 2002.

Middle child Darlene (Sara Gilbert) was happily married to her childhood sweetheart David (Johnny Galecki) at the end of the original series and had just given birth to a baby girl named Harris. The revival will find the couple no longer together, although we don’t yet know what happened to their relationship. David will only appear in one episode of the revival, as Galecki is too busy shooting the CBS sitcom Big Bang Theory. But Darlene and David’s children, Harris and gender-fluid son Mark, will be characters on the upcoming tenth season.

As for D.J., the Conners’ youngest child is home after a tour of duty in the military and is bringing his daughter, Mary, with him. D.J. is married to a woman named Geena now, but she is also in the military and still working overseas during the revival.

Roseanne Jackie and Darlene
Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, and Roseanne Barr in Season 10.

One of the show’s best characters, Roseanne’s neurotic sister, Jackie, is also returning. Played by Oscar nominee Laurie Metcalf, Jackie had an array of careers during the sitcom’s original run, including some time as a police officer and co-owner of Roseanne’s diner, the Lunchbox. She also had a son named Andy with ex-husband Fred, but the child doesn’t seem to be a part of the revival’s first season. So for now, we’ll have to wait and see where Jackie is working and what she’s up to these days.

We’ll get reacquainted with all the Conners when Season 10 of Roseanne premieres on Tuesday, March 27 at 8pm on ABC.

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.