ABC Sets Roseanne Revival Premiere, But What Show Will Step Aside?

Thanks to Will & Grace showing us revivals can be done right, we no longer have to fear premiere dates of reboots that we once cherished. Phew!

ABC has set the debut for its revival of Roseanne, the network's adored sitcom that ran from 1988 to 1997 and was once the most-watched show on television. The new version will premiere on Tuesday, Mar. 27 at 8/7c (that's the same day but an hour earlier than when it dominated the ratings in its first six seasons), and get extra time to familiarize itself with your living room once again with a one-hour premiere. Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ABC previously belonged to The Middle, but that slides back to 8:30/7:30c starting Apr. 3.

That means ABC has to do some more readjusting of its schedule from 9/8c and on. If it sticks with the two-hour comedy block, at least one of the three shows that are currently there -- Fresh Off the Boat, black-ish or The Mayor -- will get benched. That could be bad news for The Mayor, which has been the weak link of the night in ratings and is in danger of cancellation. ABC also has two new midseason comedies to schedule: Zach Braff's Alex Inc. and Jenna Fischer's Splitting Up Together, which would be candidates for experimentation on Tuesdays.

Roseanne Revival Adds Two Familiar Faces

As for Roseanne, it will bring back all of its regulars from the original run, including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Michael Fishman, Lecy Goranson, Sarah Chalke, Laurie Metcalf, Estelle Parsons and Johnny Galecki. And since Goodman's included, the series finale -- in which Goodman's character Dan died -- will be erased from canon or maybe we'll all just pretend it never existed.

Roseanne premieres (or re-premieres) Tuesday, Mar. 27 at 8/7c on ABC.