Roseanne is back and ABC has just ordered more episodes of the revival series, which recentlydebuted to massive ratings.Roseannereturned for a new season after more than twenty years off the air and America was ready for it, as the show has become an instant success for the network. So,Roseannewill be back for what will be the show’s 11th season overall. Here’s what ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey had this to say about the renewal.
“We’re thrilled that America haswelcomed the Conner family backinto their homes. The show is as fresh and relevant today as it was when it left the air 21 years ago. We can’t wait to see what the Roseanne team has in store for next year.”
The TV landscape has changed a lot in recent years and there’s a lot more competition for eyeballs than there used to be. As such, many networks have turned to revivals, as thefamiliarity helps cut through the noiseand crowded entertainment landscape. So it was always expected thatRoseannewould do well for ABC, but it was tough to predict just how well it ended up doing.
Roseanne’s first episode back brought in a massive 18.1 million viewers on its first night alone, climbing to 21.9 million viewers after additional views have been tallied in the three days since the show premiered. That makes it the highest-rated scripted broadcast so far this season and the highest-rated sitcom for any network in more than three years. With that, it’s not at all surprising to find out that ABC was quick to pull the trigger onbringing the Conners backfor at least one more season.
While ABC is enjoying massive ratings with the new season ofRoseanne, it hasn’t all be sunshine and roses. Roseanne Barr is an outspoken Donald Trump supporter and that’s been carried over as a storyline in the show. Given that he’s a controversial figure in the media, that’s resulted in a bit of a divide. Not only is Barr a supporter of President Trump, but she has far-right political leanings which many disagree with. Much of this becomes about separating Roseanne Barr, the person, fromRoseanne Conner, the character. Despite whatever controversy exists, it hasn’t hurt the series one bit. If anything, given the numbers, it may have helped.
Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Alicia Goranson and Michael Fishman are all set to return forRoseanneseason 11. The episode order has also been upped by the network from nine to 13. Many in the cast are busy with other projects, so it may be tough to keep this going for too long, but ABC is going to milk this for all it’s worth. It’s unclear when this new batch of episodes will air, but it’s possible that ABC could get them ready in time for the fall season, if they put the brick on the gas pedal.Roseannereturns for another new episode this Tuesday on ABC. This news comes to us courtesy ofThe Hollywood Reporter.
