About This Quiz
"Roseanne" stood out from the many sitcoms of the 1980s and '90s for its unflinching portrait of a working-class family in Midwest America. The Conners are hardworking but often struggle to stay ahead of the bills. Both Roseanne and Dan, the parents, work outside the home while also caring for their kids: Becky, Darlene, DJ and Jerry. Roseanne's sister, Jackie, lives close by and is also a constant presence in the home. Through it all, the Conners stick together. They're often loud, rude and bossy to each other, but their love is never in question.
Part of what made "Roseanne" so successful was its realistic portrayal of blue-collar life. Roseanne and Dan both struggle with their weight throughout the show. Roseanne works at a series of demoralizing jobs to help support her family. The kids become more independent (and rebellious) as they enter their teens, making choices that their parents don't approve of. The typical viewer could identify with the Conners as a family keeping their heads up while navigating life's challenges day by day. It also helped that the show didn't shy away from issues like sex, racism, homosexuality, addiction and more.
The original "Roseanne" ran from 1988 to 1997; it came back for season 10 in 2018. After ABC fired Roseanne Barr for an offensive tweet, the other cast members returned for the spin-off show "The Conners" without the family matriarch. See how well you know the Conners and their friends with this nostalgic TV quiz!
John Goodman plays Dan Conner, Roseanne's husband and a hardworking father of four. The renewal of "Roseanne" for season 10 brought Dan back to life, effectively retconning season 9.
Jackie, played by Laurie Metcalf, is Roseanne's younger sister and best friend. She notoriously jumps from job to job, working at times as a factory worker, police officer and truck driver.
Darlene is Roseanne and Dan's smart but caustic daughter. In the early seasons, she starts out as a wisecracking tomboy before morphing into a moody teenager whose preferred color is black.
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Johnny Galecki plays David Healy, a sensitive, quiet boy who eventually moves in with the Conners. A sometimes boyfriend of Darlene's, he illustrates the comic books that she writes.
When Mark Healy, David's older brother, begins dating Becky, neither Roseanne nor Dan is pleased. He's a rebellious, surly guy but gradually wins Dan's respect by working for him as a mechanic.
Michael Fishman plays D.J. Conner, the youngest kid until Jerry is born. He starts out as Darlene and Becky's annoying kid brother but matures into a responsible husband, father and military man.
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Nancy Bartlett (Sandra Bernhard) is one of the owners of the Lanford Lunchbox, along with Roseanne and Jackie, and proves herself a loyal friend. After Arnie leaves her, she comes out as a lesbian.
Roseanne's old friend from high school, Crystal Anderson (Natalie West), is a kind woman who finds herself in a series of failed relationships. However, she finally marries Ed Conner, Dan's dad.
Roseanne Barr plays Roseanne Conner, the domineering matriarch of the Conner household. She works a series of jobs before becoming one of the owners of a restaurant. She and Dan weather good times and bad.
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Booker Brooks (George Clooney) is the laid-back foreman at Wellman Plastics, who is later replaced by Keith Faber. Booker and Jackie briefly date, although the relationship doesn't last.
Becky Conner starts out as the most sensible of Roseanne and Dan's kids. But later, she drops out of school, elopes with Mark and finds herself struggling financially — especially after Mark's death.
When Darlene gives birth to Harris Conner Healy, the baby is premature and almost doesn't survive. Harris becomes a sarcastic teenager much like her mother and resents having to move to Lanford.
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Leon Carp is Roseanne's boss before becoming a co-owner of the Lanford Lunchbox. Even though Roseanne frequently antagonizes him, Leon becomes a friend of the Conners', along with his husband Scott.
Played by Ned Beatty, Ed Conner is a traveling salesman who was absent for much of Dan's childhood. Dan resents his father for leaving him and his mentally ill mother alone for long periods.
Roseanne and Dan have their fourth child while in their 40s and decide to name him after the late Jerry Garcia. Jerry is a baby during the original run of the show and doesn't appear in the renewal.
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Crystal Anderson has a son named Lonnie with her husband, Sonny, who later dies in an accident. Lonnie is still a child when his mom marries Ed Conner, Dan's dad, making Lonnie and Dan stepbrothers.
Arnie, played by Barr's then-husband Tom Arnold, is Dan's eccentric, goofy friend. He marries Roseanne's friend Nancy but soon after leaves her, he says because he was abducted by aliens.
Jackie becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with Fred (Michael O'Keefe). At first, Jackie pushes Fred away, reluctant to let him be involved in his son's life. They marry briefly but don't work out.
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James Pickens Jr. plays Chuckie Mitchell, one of Dan's good friends who is a regular on poker nights. Chuckie, who appears in both "Roseanne" and "The Conners," also sometimes works in Dan's garage.
Bev Harris, played by Estelle Parsons, is Roseanne and Jackie's highly critical mother. Her marriage to Al Harris was an unhappy one, and she takes out her bitter feelings on her family members.
Nana Mary is the opposite of her daughter, Bev Harris. While Bev is uptight and shrill, Nana Mary is free-spirited and easygoing. D.J. and his wife Geena later have a daughter they name after Mary.
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Andy Harris, Jackie and Fred's son, is a cousin to Becky, Darlene, D.J. and Jerry. He and Jerry are close in age and often share a crib for naps. Later, he's a ring-bearer for Darlene's wedding.
Played by both Ann Wedgeworth and Debbie Reynolds, Audrey Conner is Dan's mom, of whom he is very protective. Dan is heartbroken to learn that Audrey suffers from mental illness and blames his dad, Ed.
In the early seasons of the show, Roseanne and Jackie have a seemingly loving relationship with their dad, Al Harris (John Randolph). However, the show introduces the idea that he was an abusive father.
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Fisher and Jackie date for a long time, but their seemingly nice relationship has a dark secret. When Roseanne discovers that Fisher has been abusive to Jackie, she and Dan take matters into their own hands.
Ronnie, played by Joan Collins, is Roseanne and Jackie's wealthy cousin, with whom Roseanne doesn't get along. However, Ronnie encourages Darlene to pursue art school, recognizing her talent.
Anne-Marie (played by Adilah Barnes) and Roseanne were high school friends and still are good buddies. Anne-Marie's husband, Chuckie, is also friends with Dan and sometimes works with him.
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When Keith Faber takes over as foreman at Wellman Plastics, morale quickly evaporates. After he raises the quota to an impossible number and disrespects his workers, Roseanne leads a walkout.
In season 9, DJ meets Heather (Heather Matarazzo) at a video store, and they form a connection over their shared love of movies. A chipper girl, Heather tries to snap Roseanne out of her funk.
Darlene and Molly have a complicated friendship. Sometimes they get along, but most of the time they detest each other â — especially when Molly flirts with David. Molly also deserts Darlene at a concert.
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Charlotte Tilden is the polar opposite of her sister, Molly. While Molly is flirtatious and sometimes unkind, Charlotte is insecure and timid. She gets along well with Roseanne, though.
The young daughter of DJ and Geena, Mary Conner (Jayden Rey) misses her mom when she's away on active duty in the military and looks forward to chatting on Skype. She first appears in season 10.
Named for his late uncle, Mark Conner Healy is comfortable in his own skin, even when his peers give him grief about his appearance. Mark is a creative child who prefers to wear feminine clothes.
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For seasons 3 and 4, Bonnie Watkins (Bonnie Bramlett) and Roseanne work together at Rodbell's Department Store. A recovering alcoholic, Bonnie is happy to get her life back under control.
Roseanne thinks Kathy is stuck-up and tries to get along with her only because DJ is friends with Kathy's son, Todd. Kathy explodes at Roseanne after the Conners unwittingly help burglars rob their home.
Samir and his family move next door to the Conners in season 10. Roseanne initially harbors suspicions of them because of their Yemeni background. However, she soon comes to respect them.
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Scott, played by Fred Willard, is Leon's boyfriend and later husband. A lawyer, Scott is much different from Leon: more laid-back and congenial. He and Leon intend to adopt a toddler girl.
Ty Tilden, played by Wings Hauser, is a single father to two teenage girls, Molly and Charlotte. The Conners think he is friendly and laid-back, but he's too trusting of his daughter Molly.
A young Joseph Gordon-Levitt played George, a new neighbor who wants to be friends with DJ but isn't aware of how boring his rambling speeches are. The Conners try to put up with the well-meaning kid.
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