‘Roseanne’ spurs new look at blue-collar, conservative fare

LOS ANGELES — The instant-hit status of “Roseanne” is triggering the familiar Hollywood impulse to copycat success.

Even with series pilots nearing completion for the 2018-19 season, producers are eagerly pitching revivals of sitcoms that, like “Roseanne,” had their day 20 or 30 years ago, according to an industry insider.

There are networks and streaming services trying to figure out how to create projects of similar appeal, said veteran movie and TV screenwriter Lionel Chetwynd.

ABC’s “Roseanne” is part of a still-expanding reboot trend that includes revamped versions of “Will & Grace,” ”One Day at a Time” and “The X-Files,” and the upcoming “Murphy Brown.”

Whether “Roseanne” will lead to a wave of shows about families divided by politics and confronting social issues remains to be seen, observers say.

Associated Press