The Show:
After being shown on television for nine seasons, spanding 271 episodes, Anchor Bay have seen fit to release this smash hit American sitcom on DVD, and have now reached Season 3 (or Series 3 as we call it) in the UK. Roseanne, is basically a show that follows the lives of a typical working class family from Chicago and all the family problems that arise. Starring Roseanne Barr, an overweight controversial lesbian comedienne in the lead role as the family's mother, John Goodman (The Flintstones, The Big Lebowski) as Dan the father, and Lecy Goranson (Boys Don't Cry, How To Make An American Quilt), Sara Gilbert (Riding In Cars With Boys, High Fidelity) and Michael Fishman (AI) as the three kids as well as big names like Tom Arnold, Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne is a show that obviously has the talent. However, does the show have the comedy factor to make it worthwhile?
In a word yes. The comedy factor is certainly there, with all cast members getting their fair share of jokes, and the storylines are ones that most families can relate to (I hope). The humour is also quite diverse ranging from the occasional visual gag, to longish monologues, to very quick and snappy remarks. The show also has it's fair share of drama, especially in this season where storylines are wide and varied. Roseanne might be pregnant, Jackie loses her job on the police force, Jackie breaks up with her fiance, Darlene gets her first kiss and DJ wants to dress as a witch for halloween, despite his fathers displeasure of it being a girls costume.
I can say that this show is probably responsible for a slew of other family comedies including the likes of the hilarious Home Improvement, Blossom and to a lesser extent, even Malcolm In The Middle. I recommend this to fans of great American comedy like the aforementiond shows as well as shows like Seinfeld. Do note though, that I said I recommend this to fans of great American comedy. Not Friends.
To finish off this section of the review, I'm going to provide you all with a brief synopsis of each episode. Discs 1, 2 and 3 contain seven episodes each whilst disc 4 contains four episodes:
The Test - The opening episode of the series, features Becky pestering Dan for her first driving lesson, and the possibility of Roseanne being pregnant with a fourth child.
Friends and Relatives - Dan lends money to Arnie as he thinks he can afford to, but when a building job is cancelled, realises he needs the money. Not being one to tell Arnie he reluctantly borrows the money from Jackie.
Like a Virgin - Roseanne decides it's time to finally give Becky 'the' talk about birth control and sex, blissfully unaware that Darlene is one step ahead of her sister.
Like a New Job - Roseanne starts work in a cafe at the mall much to Beckys embarassment, leaving Dan in charge of the kids at home.
Goodbye Mr Right - After Jackie is injured at work, Gary gives her an ultimatum, it's either him or the job because he's sick of being worried.
Becky, Beds and Boys - Becky goes on a date with 'bad boy' Mark, who is older than her. After seeing him in a bar drinking, Roseanne and Dan want her to stop seeing him.
Trick or Treat - It's Halloween and when Jackie and Roseanne break down, they wait for Dan to pick them up from the local bar. Only thing is, Roseanne is dressed like a lumberjack so hangs out with the men to see what they talk about.
PMS, I Love You - It's Dan birthday, but it's also that time of the month for Roseanne. What will Dan choose: showing up to his surprise party that he knows about, or going fishing?
Bird is the Word - It's school photo time, and in her class picture it looks like Becky is flipping the bird and gets suspended. She loves the respect it gives her, but was it really her?
Dream Lover - Dan stupidly tells Roseanne that he has been having dreams about another woman that he doesn't know.
Do You Know Where Your Parents Are? - Darlene and Becky keep breaking curfew so to teach them a lesson, Roseanne and Dan stay out late one night to get them back with some help with Jackie.
Confessions - An angry and deflated Roseanne discovers that her mother always thought sister Jackie had more potential.
The Courtship of Eddie, Dan's Father - Dans father is visiting but drops a bombshell and surprises everyone by telling them that he is marrying Crystal.
The Wedding - Crystal reveals she is pregnant with Ed's child and Roseanne continues wedding preparations, despite Dan's disproval.
Becky Doesn't Live Here Anymore - After falling out with her parents, Becky decides to run away and move in with her Aunt Jackie.
Home-Ec - DJ has some dealings with a bully and Darlene is embarassed when Roseanne teachers her home-ec class how to budget the family shopping.
Valentine's Day - Darlene is left upset when her crush asks out Becky and Dan manages to do the unthinkable and forget valentine's day.
Communicable Theatre - Roseanne is left with a choice of helping Jackie learn her lines for a play or looking after a poorly Dan.
Vegas Interruptus - Roseanne is told she might lose her job if she goes with Dan to Vegas to see a concert they have been looking forward to.
Her Boyfriend's Back - Dan and Roseanne can't afford to buy Becky the car she wants so her and Mark steal Dan's motorbike.
Troubles With The Rubbles - Kathy Bowman moves in next door to the Connors and is convinced that DJ is a bad influence on her son.
Second Time Around - After Dan is nearly killed at work, DJ follows him around at every opportunity. Dan and Roseanne also decide to write their wills, upsetting Jackie with the fact she won't get custody of the kids.
Dances with Darlene - Darlene is going to a dance at her school so Roseanne does her best to get her into a more feminine state of dress.
Scenes from a Barbecue - Roseanne's grandmother comes through for Mother's day and joins in a neighbourhood singalong.
The Pied Piper of Lanford - Jackies old flame comes back to town, so Dan and Roseanne commit to opening a motorcycle shop with him... But will it open?
The DVD:
Video:
Anchor Bay have presented the third season of Roseanne in the shows original format of 4:3. Although the picture quality is nothing special, only suffering from occasional grain and edge enhancement, it doesn't have any major problems. It's pretty much the same quality (only with more vivid colours) as I remember the show on Channel 4 some years ago. No subtitles have been provided.
Audio:
There is only one audio track provided, and it is the original English stereo track. There was slight hiss during some scenes but dialogue and music were clear and presented at consistent levels throughout. Could be improved upon slightly, but all in all, it's nothing short of a little above average.
Extras:
Anchor Bay have given us a few extras on this release, all of which can be found on the fourth disc. First up we have the a "Season 3: Best Bits" featurette, which basically gives us a few clips for about seven minutes of the best parts of the season, which, if you had watched the first three discs and the four episodes on the fourth disc, you will have already seen. Next up with an interview with Laurie Metcalfe, who plays Roseanne's sister Jackie. Entitled "The Sister That Never Leaves", Laurie tells us about what her time was like on set as well what the other actors were like to work with. An interesting interview which is worth a watch. The final extra is an interview with Lecy Goranson entitled "I Was A Teenage Becky". It is a similar set-up as the Laurie Metcalf interview and we also gets to see what she looks like now, all grown up. Funny thing here is, she looks exactly like Sarah Chalke (Elliot in Scrubs), the actress who took over her role as the eldest daughter Becky, in the later seasons. All the extras are worth watching, however you won't be in a rush to replay them.
