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Roseanne

Season 1

23 listed hours · 1988–1997 · ABC

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From the desk

How this season is filed

Filed by Tessa Quinn · Spoiler-Free (Mostly)

The gold standard of working-class sitcom honesty in the network era — Goodman and Metcalf alone are worth the tuition. Loud, broke Lanford, Illinois, with Barr at the head of a household that refused sitcom polish. Funny because it's specific, not soft. Later reboot politics complicated the brand; the original run still re-centers who got to be the American family.

TV Flash files Season 1 of Roseanne (1988–1997) on ABC as the first listed season of 10 — 23 listed hours, 1988-10-18–1989-05-02 from “Life and Stuff” (S01E01) to “Let's Call It Quits” (S01E23). Titles, dates, and synopses on file — no invented recaps.

Desk essentials in this season

  1. S01E01 Life and Stuff

    Life and Stuff is the working-class contract: Barr, Goodman, Metcalf, and a household that treats stuff as the plot, not a punchline.

  2. S01E03 D-I-V-O-R-C-E

    D-I-V-O-R-C-E spells the family weather: sitcom honesty that made Lanford specific instead of soft, polish refused on purpose.

  1. S01E01

    Life and Stuff

    Roseanne and Dan, parents of a low income family, deal with the trials and tribulations of suburban domesticity. Roseanne must keep her sanity while keeping her family together and dealing with her troubling daughter, Darlene.

  2. S01E02

    We're in the Money

    Although Dan and Roseanne agree not to spend any of Dan's $500 advance on themselves, neither can resist the temptation.

  3. S01E03

    D-I-V-O-R-C-E

    Jackie babysits while Roseanne and Dan go out to a formal restaurant dinner -- at which they see a recently divorced friend.

  4. S01E04

    Language Lessons

    A body language test reveals Dan's innermost feelings about his sister-in-law; Darlene has a bone to pick with D.J.

  5. S01E05

    Radio Days

    A songwriting contest unleashes creativity in Dan and Roseanne, while Booker unleashes uncontrolled impulses in Jackie.

  6. S01E06

    Lovers' Lanes

    Roseanne sees Becky and her first boyfriend at a bowling alley. Jackie and Booker make a bet, if Booker wins, Jackie has to spend the night with him.

  7. S01E07

    The Memory Game

    Roseanne discovers that Dan had a one-night stand with her high-school nemesis years ago.

  8. S01E08

    Here's to Good Friends

    Roseanne and Jackie help Crystal drown her sorrows over breaking up with her lover by taking her to the Lobo Lounge for a few pink squirrels and a pep talk.

  9. S01E09

    Dan's Birthday Bash

    Dan's birthday bash at the Lobo Lounge is interrupted by a bully who picks a fight with Dan at the pool table.

  10. S01E10

    Saturday

    Roseanne bets Dan he'll never finish repairing his truck.

  11. S01E11

    Canoga Time

    Dan can't bear to part with the "junk" Roseanne wants to donate to a rummage sale; Darlene forges a passing grade on her report card.

  12. S01E12

    The Monday Through Friday Show

    Dan and Roseanne disagree about where to spend a romantic 15th anniversary; Becky refuses to dissect a frog in biology class; Darlene finds her paper route more than she can handle.

  13. S01E13

    Bridge Over Troubled Sonny

    Crystal struggles to cope with the death of her husband; Darlene decides it's cool to smoke.

  14. S01E14

    Father's Day

    Roseanne steps in to referee when Dan's visiting father pontificates about Dan wasting time working as a contractor.

  15. S01E15

    Nightmare on Oak Street

    Darlene's bad dreams aren't due to the scary movies she's been watching.

  16. S01E16

    Mall Story

    Roseanne takes her reluctant family on a shopping spree at the Lanford mall.

  17. S01E17

    Becky's Choice

    Becky is eager for the dinner party with Chip and his parents to come to an end.

  18. S01E18

    The Slice of Life

    Darlene's emergency appendectormy makes Roseanne anxious and guilty over having yelled at Darlene earlier.

  19. S01E19

    Workin' Overtime

    After two weeks of overtime at work and chaos at home, Roseanne takes refuge at a diner.

  20. S01E20

    Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore

    As a tornado spins through Lanford, a storm is brewing inside the Conner house over the whereabouts of Jackie who hasn't returned from her trip to the market.

  21. S01E21

    Death and Stuff

    The Conners have a corpse in their kitchen, which interferes with Dan's attempts to repair the refrigerator.

  22. S01E22

    Dear Mom and Dad

    An unannounced visit by Roseanne's parents has the Conner house in an uproar.

  23. S01E23

    Let's Call It Quits

    Roseanne has difficulty accepting new rules from a tough new supervisor at the factory.

More from the 1980s.