The kid who played Roseanne’s son DJ has fond memories, even of being spanked

GETTING spanked on TV is embarrassing except when your screen mum is Roseanne. The hit series is back on Ten and doesn’t skirt around the controversial issues.

IT’S BEEN two decades since the final curtain call on comedy series Roseanne.

The rumours of a reunion swirled over the years, as creator and comedian Roseanne Barr toyed with the idea.

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The original cast, on the original couch. Picture: SUPPLIED

Bringing back a hit show is fraught with risk. Do you leave it in the past to preserve its memory, or dig it up for one last hurrah?
The timing was never right, until now.

One cast member says he never gave up hope that the show should return.

Playing DJ Conner, Michael Fishman, now 36, grew up on the show’s set, and considers his

castmates to be family.

“Maybe it’s being naive, but I might be the one person who didn’t have any doubts,” he says.

“I feel like the group of people is special. I feel like they have chemistry and sit together well. So

I hoped we’d have this opportunity. I know Roseanne always had a passion to go back one day, I

didn’t expect it to be this soon.”

Fishman (centre back) says he never gave up hope that the show would return. Picture: TEN

Over nine seasons from 1988 to ’97, Roseanne was must-see weekly TV.

The Conners were one of America’s best-loved and relatable families; working-class, overweight,

snappy and snide, they struggled to make ends meet in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, but

they loved each other. And they tackled big issues as easily as small.

All of the original cast members have returned, even Dan (John Goodman) who was killed off at

the end of season eight. Sisters Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (who was played by Lecy

Goranson and Sarah Chalke at different times — they both return with intersecting storylines) and

aunt Jackie (Laurie Metcalfe).

The only missing face is Becky’s husband Mark (Glenn Quinn). The actor died of a heroin

overdose after struggling with addiction, and an episode of the series is dedicated to his memory.

Extended family: There’s less room on the couch these days. Picture: TEN

The Conner family home hasn’t changed.

“It’s a decorating choice called ‘poverty’,” jokes Darlene.

Obviously the Conners are older. Roseanne and Dan are slimmer, having both shed kilos for health

reasons. Counting out their weekly prescriptions of pain pills, the screen couple is a picture of

contentment, with grandkids running in and out of the kitchen.

But will the show, once considered controversial, resonate with today’s audience?

Fishman says yes.

“One of the greatest parts of going back to work was the ability take my own kids into my

childhood a little bit,” he says.

“They see people on the show as extended family members, because they’ve spent time with them

as my friends. Extra aunts and uncles. To be back on set, all together and for them to see how

much fun we have, it’s been a really special experience for me.

“The biggest confidence boost was that first week, I brought my kids to the taping.

They don’t watch a ton of TV, but they said ‘I like this show, it’s really good’.

To hear each one of them say that independently, I felt like we were on the right track with the

next generation of audience.”

From episode one, we see that Roseanne does not intend to return meekly.

The muckraking matriarch has fallen out with her sister over politics.

Barr, a Trump-supporter in real life, is vocal about supporting him in the show.

President Donald Trump looms large over the Conner household. Picture: AFP

Fishman says it’s what Roseanne does best.

“We’ve always had this amazing ability to do really serious topics with humour. As an actor you

don’t get that a lot.

“I think people will be surprised by DJ’s progression. He was in the military, served in Syria and is

now at home. His wife is still deployed. He has a daughter named Mary, and it’s a great story and

opportunity to reflect real life.

“Returning home from the military, having an interracial marriage and a bi-racial daughter. Dealing

with complex issues that I think real families face every day.”

Some of the show’s most controversial moments nearly didn’t make it to air — Barr threatened to

take her show to another network unless ABC aired the gay kiss storyline in 1994.

Domestic abuse, racism and abortion; nothing was off limits.

Of the many pivotal moments in the show, Fishman recalls with acute embarrassment the episode in which he was spanked by his screen mum.

Back in the hood: DJ (Fishman) with Metcalfe, Rey and Barr. Picture: TEN

“There’s an episode where DJ steals a car and Roseanne spanks him, that was a really significant,”

he says.

“There was no way to do it without getting swotted in the butt. So, it made for an interesting

conversation between Roseanne and I. She was like, “I’m going to do this”, and I was like, “well

just do it.”
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