Roseanne: The Ultimate Reality Show
What is the secret to the success of the rebooted sitcom?
By David Churchill Barrow
Obviously in a strict sense Roseanne is not a reality show – the Connor family is fictional. It does portray the foibles of working class life humorously and accurately, but that does not set it apart from the myriad of other good sitcoms. What garnered 18 million viewers, generated a cultural phenomenon, and has set the left’s hair on fire is Roseanne’s and Dan’s clear-eyed view of the world as it actually exists, and their anticipation of unintended consequences.
