The second season of Roseanne - General

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November 03 2005

The second season of Roseanne is available for pre-order at Amazon.com. Season two includes all seven of the Roseanne episodes written by Joss.

(I did a quick check and it didn't look like this had been mentioned before, but apologies if I missed it. Also this is my first post, so, umm, 'Hi').

duncan | General | 15:13 CET | 31 comments total | tags: joss whedon, roseanne, dvd

Hi Duncan.

Joss, should I buy this? Will the episodes stand the test of time? (Or, cutting around the corners: are they good?)

gossi | November 03, 15:32 CET

Well the early seasons of Roseanne were very good indeed. So I'd buy it.

Simon | November 03, 15:36 CET

Hmm, I never liked Roseanne. That woman drove me crazy, so I had no fun whatsoever watching her in the show. Still, it's Joss eps. Ah well, this might just have to be the one thing Joss did that I've never watched. Or maybe people I know are going to buy this set, in which case I may just borrow it and watch just those seven episodes ;-).

GVH | November 03, 16:20 CET

Thanks for the link, Duncan. It was a good show. I always wondered which episodes Joss had written, but somehow never managed to find a site that had writer info for the show. I find it telling that I remember many of the episodes that it turns out Joss wrote even though I have not seen them in years. The last one where Rosanne and Dan try to bond with the daughter they don't have as much in common with, I particularly remember.

It is very much like when I heard that James Marsters played the young Detroit minister in Northern Exposure. I remembered the role very well and fondly as have most Northern Exposure fans who I mention that to...even if they stubbornly turn their noses up at BTVS.

newcj | November 03, 16:25 CET

What a great show, and oh how I loved Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki.

Question: Did Glenn Quinn ever appear in any Joss-penned episodes of Roseanne? I don't think so, but if anyone would know, it would be one of you.

chickenbird | November 03, 16:42 CET

The completist in me just has to buy these. I own everything else Joss has done, even down to Twister and Speed.

Roseanne was a show of incredibly varying quality, I found, but I do remember liking more of the earlier eps than the later. It would be very funny if the Joss eps are the ones I liked back then!

More bucks to fork out - mind you, I will have to wait for the R4 release first!

catalyst2 | November 03, 17:16 CET

Wow. I had no idea that Joss wrote any of this show. And I've been dying for it on DVD because I think it's one of the best shows that was ever on tv. I had no idea season one was even out. Thanks!

But just wait for Season 3, when a 16 year old Alyson Hannigan guest stars.

[ edited by numbereleven on 2005-11-03 15:48 ]

numbereleven | November 03, 17:45 CET

I'd like to know how much of Joss's writing actually survives in the episodes. From what I recall reading in one of the interviews with him, it sounded as though everything went through a process of being pretty much rewritten by the show's producers, but I could have got that totally wrong. If there is any discernable Joss element still in them, I'd be keen to buy. I do remember liking Roseanne quite a lot in the early days (I couldn't swear as to whether it would have bee S1, S2 or later), but I don't think it would tempt me without the Joss connection (I haven't bought S1, for example).

Edited to add: Actually, I've quickly looked at the episode summaries, and they are the ones I remember seeing and loving, so I'm probably going to buy it. I'd still be keen to know how heavily re-written they were (or otherwise), though.

[ edited by Kiddo on 2005-11-03 15:53 ]

Kiddo | November 03, 17:45 CET

edit: whoops, never mind.

[ edited by areacode212 on 2005-11-03 16:09 ]

areacode212 | November 03, 18:09 CET

I know what you mean, Kiddo. If, for example, a big fan of The Shield was to buy Angel Season Two looking for episodes with a particular Shawn Ryan touch, I expect they'd go away disappointed. And equally, I don't think I'd've been able to pick out Jane Espenson's Gilmore Girls episodes (or Tim Minear's Lois & Clark ones) if I hadn't been checking the credits.

I suspect that many of you have this interview pretty much memorized (I can certainly quote large chunks of it), but Joss discusses his time on Roseanne here. It's quite close to the top.

(Oh, and, many thanks to whoever (whomever?) tidied up my initial post. I'm much obliged).

duncan | November 03, 18:11 CET

I don't know about buying, but yeah, Roseanne is one great TV show. I think it had like a run of great seasons, from 2-5, or even later, that stand the test of time. And the Joss episodes are good -- when the show runs late at night in syndication, I usually make it a point to watch, though I can't believe he actually wrote seven of them.

dottikin | November 03, 18:13 CET

I watched Roseanne's early seasons. It was a shock to me when I found out I had been a Joss Whedon fan before I even knew his name. I specifically remember the poetry episode he wrote. I have never forgotten the name of the poem (To Whom It Concerns). Now that I know Joss wrote the episode, I wonder if he was the sole writer of that poem. I remember the episode Fathers and Daughters as well. I may just have to purchse this now.

Turtle | November 03, 18:19 CET

Oh my god. Joss wrote that poem? Buh. I remember seeing that episode when I was about.. erm.. 16 or some such, and it having some kind of an impact.

gossi | November 03, 18:26 CET

I don't actually know if he wrote that poem, but he did write the episode. I'm only assuming, of course, that he wrote that poem.

Turtle | November 03, 18:35 CET

I have never forgotten the name of the poem (To Whom It Concerns)

Geez, I totally loved that poem and that episode. It didn't hurt that I was a 10 year old tomboy who liked writing poetry myself at the time. Very touching episode. God, how funny is it that Joss touched my life a good 10 years before I knew who he was! Thanks for that episode, big guy.

[ edited by Rogue Slayer on 2005-11-03 17:19 ]

Rogue Slayer | November 03, 19:05 CET

I have been thinking for a long time that Joss Whedon MUST have written that great Darleen poem 'To Whom It Concerns', it sounds like Joss. So just knowing he wrote the episode: 'Brain Dead Poets Society' pretty much convinces me I was right. That has always been my very favorite episode.
I guess I'm going to end up buying these DVDs.

[ edited by embers on 2005-11-03 17:21 ]

embers | November 03, 19:20 CET

A year or so ago, I looked up which episodes of Roseanne Joss had written and I watched them in reruns on TV. But for some reason the episodes mostly had different writers credited on screen (I do think the one with the poem actually did say written by Joss). So I'm not sure if:
- I had different info about which episodes Joss wrote (I don't think this is the case).
- I had the same info and it's wrong.
- I had the same info and it's right, but the on-screen credits are different.

In any case, I'm pretty sure the on-screen credits are different than the online info, and I don't know who to believe. I plan to get the DVDs from Netflix and check again.

jam2 | November 03, 19:23 CET

I'm not sure whether or not I've seen any of the Joss episodes, but "Roseanne" was a good-to-great show for most of the shows I saw on a sporadic basis throughout its run -- except for the very strange final season when the show seemed to follow its star down some strange mental byways, shall we say.

On an insider note, I didn't know this until recently, but I recently discovered that a friend of mine was an intern on "Roseanne" while Joss was there. She has a teenager at the time (her dad worked on the show) and she has very fond memories of him and one of the other writers (can't remember his name, but he also went on to do good work, I think) who, she says, used to pull her aside her and talk to her and some of the other other interns to try and get a handle on up-to-date teen-lingo.

bobster | November 03, 19:41 CET

Always enjoyed Roseanne when I watched it (and it was one of the few sitcoms I ever watched). Must put this on my wishlist.

Caroline | November 03, 19:51 CET

"To Whom it Concerns" was very memorable to me. Joss wrote that? WOW.

spikeylover | November 03, 19:51 CET

Bobster! That rules.

Also, best way to put the final season. Ever.

I absolutely adored Roseanne through it's entire run, through ALL the job changes and the new Becky, then the old Becky... but the series finale will always be, in my mind, the worst finale in the history of tv. It took everything you knew and loved about the show and threw it in the food processor. It was sort of like a slap in the face to fans, though I'm sure it wasnt intended that way.

And, I'm not an Angel fan, so I was waiting for one of you guys to mention Mark...?

numbereleven | November 03, 19:54 CET

Season 2 was a great season, just yesterday I was looking up the episodes Joss wrote, and they're all memorable and good episodes. Right now I get my fill of Roseanne through reruns, but I may eventually buy this season anyway. Spread the Joss love.

nna_funk | November 03, 20:05 CET

And, I'm not an Angel fan, so I was waiting for one of you guys to mention Mark...?

I believe chickenbird mentioned Glenn way up yonder...

Rogue Slayer | November 03, 20:50 CET

I love Roseanne! It was my favorite show when it was airing. I completely identified with Darlene as the depressed teen, and I just thought it was the best sitcom ever.

I don't know if I can afford to start collecting these DVDs, but I may rent them. Someday I'd certainly like to own them.

electricspacegirl | November 03, 21:03 CET

Does anyone know how 'To Whom It Concerns' goes? And what happened in the series finale?

I remember watching Roseanna a long time ago but I was too young to understand it properly, I think. I don't think I'll be buying these but you never know.

Razor | November 03, 23:19 CET

Ask and ye shall receive...

To whom it concerns, Darlene's work will be late,
it fell on her pancakes and stuck to her plate...
To whom it concerns, my ma made me write this,
and I'm just her kid, so how could I fight this...
To whom it concerns, I lost my assignment,
maybe I'll get lucky, solitary confinement...
To whom it concerns, Darlene's great with the ball,
but guys don't watch tomboys when they're cruising the hall...
To whom it concerns, I just turned thirteen,
too short to be quarterback, too plain to be queen...
To whom it concerns, I'm not made of steel,
when I get blindsided my pain is quite real...
I don't mean to squawk, but it really burns...
I just thought I'd mention it, to whom it concerns...

From The Darlene Conner Appreciation Page, which also has an mp3 of it (from the episode).

zeitgeist | November 03, 23:29 CET

I don't read X-Men either so I might aswell skip this one too. Cause that woman just makes me crazy.

Djungelurban | November 03, 23:57 CET

Ah, I actually remember that. Think it may be one of the things I actually liked about the show, yes, seeing as I still remember it. But something in the show just rubbed me the wrong way. Ah well, I'm glad everyone else seems to have enjoyed it :-).

Djungelurban: I agree about the woman. But you really should check out X-Men. It rocks ;-).

GVH | November 04, 00:01 CET

I never cared for Rosanne herself, but I thought the show was much more than her.

I also remember that poem. It still makes me teary.

Next time Joss is answering questions, maybe someone could ask him if he did indeed write it.

newcj | November 04, 00:18 CET

I never watched Rosanne and have never heard that powm before, but I'd say it has Joss's fingerprints all over it. It talks about pain! How could it not be by Joss?!

zz9 | November 04, 02:39 CET

Geez, I totally loved that poem and that episode. It didn't hurt that I was a 10 year old tomboy.

Ditto. I remember being in awe at the time because her poem was exactly what I was feeling. It was like it was written just for me. How cool is that that it was Joss who wrote it. He must have been an adolescent girl at some point in a previous life.

Karen The Red | November 04, 09:27 CET

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