Roseanne: Nostalgia At Its Finest

Two weeks into the reboot of Roseanne, the popular 80’s show has proven that it can roll with the changes. Given the disarray of today’s political system, Roseanne’s cast has gone head first into the huge dilemmas of today. With our presidential downfall and other political failures, the first episode went into all of those touchy issues; maybe it was tactful or maybe not, but they were there. If you watched Roseanne before the reboot then you know she is not tactful in the least, but there is something about the show that really just takes me to a nostalgic place.
I watched Roseanne when it originally ran in the 80’s and I have watched and re-watched the syndicated reruns throughout the years. The family dynamic on the show reminded me of my family in some ways, and in others it was just fun to watch. They were trashy, poor, and full of wit, which kind of encompassed my whole life. They were working-struggling class, just like my family and to watch that over and over gave me a sense of standing. Now that I’m older I can really appreciate the show.
The reboot, although politically lined, is the same show. The cast is the same with a few additions and watching the kids (Darlene anyway) parent and not have it together as a grownup really puts things in perspective, if only for the show’s purpose. Roseanne and Dan have that same connection they had in the original series and it is comforting. I was extremely happy to see Dan alive and well on the show. Seeing the reboot is like watching an old friend’s family video reels. It takes me back to the feelings I had watching the show before, except now, I’m older too. I struggle too. I have a family that I sometimes can’t get it together for, too. It’s nice in a lineup of mostly reality shows to watch something that seems old school with a new school twist.