Season 1

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**Season 1**

File:Promo S1 01.png

Season
Episodes

1
23

Aired
October 18, 1988 – May 2, 1989

Premiere
"Life and Stuff"

Finale
"Let's Call It Quits"

Slogan(s)
N/A

Starring

Roseanne Arnold - Roseanne Conner
 John Goodman - Dan Conner
 Laurie Metcalf - Jackie Harris
 Sal Barone - DJ Conner (1.01)
 Lecy Goranson - Becky Conner
 Sara Gilbert - Darlene Conner
 Michael Fishman - DJ Conner
 Also Starring
 George Clooney - Booker
 Natalie West - Crystal Anderson

**Season 1** • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 • Season 5
Season 6 • Season 7 • Season 8 • Season 9
Season 10

This page is dedicated to the **first season** of ABC's ***Roseanne***. The series was picked up by ABC on October 18, 1988.

The season consisted of a total of twenty three episodes. It premiered on October 18, 1988 with "Life and Stuff", and ended with "Let's Call It Quits" on May 2, 1989.

The DVD box set was released on August 30, 2005 and re-released on September 13, 2011.

## Season Summary

### **Overview**

Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Arnold) is a line worker at Wellman Plastics, along with her sister Jackie Harris (Laurie Metcalf) and friend Crystal Anderson (Natalie West). Jackie has a brief relationship with Booker (George Clooney), the foreman at Wellman. Dan Conner (John Goodman) finds sporadic work as a construction contractor and faces a strained relationship with his irresponsible and womanizing father (Ned Beatty). Roseanne's parents, Beverly (Estelle Parsons) and Al (John Randolph), consider moving to Lanford, but eventually decide against it. Tomboy Darlene (Sara Gilbert) struggles with her femininity as she enters puberty and gets her first period. Becky (Lecy Goranson) faces dating problems with her first boyfriend Chip (Jared Rushton). The Conners face surviving a tornado, a door-to-door salesman dying in the Conners' kitchen, and Roseanne stands up to a new foreman (Fred Thompson), when she leads Jackie, Crystal, and other coworkers as they quit Wellman Plastics.

### **Cast**

*For a breakdown of the characters' appearances, check* here*.*

#### **Starring**

* Roseanne Arnold - Roseanne Conner (23/23)
* John Goodman - Dan Conner (23/23)
* Laurie Metcalf - Jackie Harris (23/23)
* Sal Barone - DJ Conner (1/23)1
* Michael Fishman - DJ Conner (22/23)2
* Sara Gilbert - Darlene Conner (23/23)
* Lecy Goranson - Becky Conner (23/23)

1 *Only appearance in 1.01.*

2 *Appeared from 1.02 onward.*

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#### **Also Starring**

* George Clooney - Booker (10/23)
* Natalie West - Crystal Anderson (14/23)

#### **Recurring Cast**

* Anne Faulkner - Sylvia Foster (8/23)
* Evelina Fernandez - Juanita Herrera (8/23)
* Ron Perkins - Pete Wilkins (7/23)
* Charlayne Woodard - Vonda Green (3/23)
* Ned Beatty - Ed Conner (1/23)
* Estelle Parsons - Beverly Harris (1/23)

## Episodes

### **Pilot**

File:Roseanne 1x01.png
**See main article:** "Life and Stuff"
**Original air date:** October 18, 1988

**Written by:** Matt Williams

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** In the series premiere, Roseanne is summoned to a parent/teacher conference after Darlene has been barking in class. Stressed from the pressures of coping with home and work, she lashes out at Dan for not doing his share.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** Charlayne Woodard (Vonda Green), Ron Perkins (Pete Wilkins), Evelina Fernandez (Juanita Herrera), Anne Faulkner (Sylvia Foster)

### **We're in the Money**

File:Roseanne 1x02.png
**See main article:** "We're in the Money"
**Original air date:** October 25, 1988

**Written by:** David McFadzean

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** Although Dan and Roseanne agree not to spend any of Dan’s $500 advance on themselves, neither can resist the temptation.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** Ron Perkins (Pete Wilkins)

### **D-I-V-O-R-C-E**

File:Roseanne 1x03.png
**See main article:** "D-I-V-O-R-C-E"
**Original air date:** November 1, 1988

**Written by:** Lauren Eve Anderson

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** Date night for Dan and Roseanne turns into a brush with divorce, after they run into an old friend who has just been through one. Dan begins to fear the worst about their marriage and decides to put their relationship under a microscope. After a lot of “what ifs” they come to the conclusion that there’s hope after all. Meanwhile, Roseanne’s sister Jackie inadvertently forgets she promised to baby-sit the kids.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** N/A

### **Language Lessons**

File:Roseanne 1x04.png
**See main article:** "Language Lessons"
**Original air date:** November 22, 1988

**Written by:** Laurie Gelman

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** Dan and Roseanne agree to take a body language test which will prove whether they can physically communicate their thoughts. But the plan backfires when Dan’s true feelings about Roseanne’s sister, Jackie, are laid bare – he thinks she is a meddlesome moocher, especially after she inadvertently comments on his lack of work. This forces a confrontation between the in-laws.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** N/A

### **Radio Days**

File:Roseanne 1x05.png
**See main article:** "Radio Days"
**Original air date:** November 29, 1988

**Written by:** Laurie Gelman

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** As Darlene and Becky bicker over territory, Roseanne cheers and encourages Dan’s decision to enter a country-western song writing contest (with one of her own poems as the lyrics) in hopes of crooning his way to fame and fortune. Meanwhile, the friction between Booker, the factory manager, and Jackie heats up.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** Anne Faulkner (Sylvia Foster), Evelina Fernandez (Juanita Herrera), Ron Perkins (Pete Wilkins), Charlayne Woodard (Vonda Green)

### **Lovers' Lane**

File:Roseanne 1x06.png
**See main article:** "Lovers' Lane"
**Original air date:** December 6, 1988

**Written by:** Danny Jacobson

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** On an evening out with the gang at the bowling alley, Roseanne sneaks a peek at her daughter Becky’s first boyfriend. Meanwhile, Booker makes a bet with Jackie for very high stakes; if he wins she’ll have to spend the night with him.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** Anne Faulkner (Sylvia Foster), Ron Perkins (Pete Wilkins)

### **The Memory Game**

File:Roseanne 1x07.png
**See main article:** "The Memory Game"
**Original air date:** December 13, 1988

**Written by:** Grace McKeaney

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** Dan and Roseanne receive a notice in the mail announcing their fifteenth high school reunion. Dan's enthusiastic plan to take photographs for the high school reunion yearbook exposes a 15-year-old secret he has kept from Roseanne. His attempts to explain things to an angry Roseanne bring hilarious results.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** Anne Faulkner (Sylvia Foster), Evelina Fernandez (Juanita Herrera), Ron Perkins (Pete Wilkins)

### **Here's to Good Friends**

File:Roseanne 1x08.png
**See main article:** "Here's to Good Friends"
**Original air date:** December 20, 1988

**Written by:** Danny Jacobson

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** It's up to Roseanne and Jackie to console a brokenhearted Crystal when her boyfriend breaks up with her. It takes a night at the Lobo Lounge, reflecting on love and men, to set her straight. But while at the Lobo, a miffed Jackie notices Booker with another woman. Hours earlier, he had told her he had to spend the evening with his mother.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** Anne Faulkner (Sylvia Foster), Evelina Fernandez (Juanita Herrera), Ron Perkins (Pete Wilkins)

### **Dan's Birthday Bash**

File:Roseanne 1x09.png
**See main article:** "Dan's Birthday Bash"
**Original air date:** January 3, 1989

**Written by:** Grace McKeaney

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** Roseanne and the kids surprise Dan with an extensive birthday breakfast. Later on in the evening, Roseanne throws Dan a party at the Lobo. During the party Dan comes close to being violent with a jerk at the billiards table, but is stopped by Roseanne. Afraid that he will look like a wimp Dan vows that he will beat up the billiards bully the next time he sees him. Becky is invited to Chip's for a dinner.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** N/A

### **Saturday**

File:Roseanne 1x10.png
**See main article:** "Saturday"
**Original air date:** January 10, 1989

**Written by:** David McFadzean

**Directed by:** Ellen Falcon

**Plot Synopsis:** It's Saturday at the Conners, and Dan plans to spend the afternoon "working" (that is, drinking beer and talking) on restoring an old truck with his friends. Roseanne, who has heard Dan make similar promises before, bets that he and the gang can't finish the repair work by the end of the day. Dan takes the bet, but soon realizes that he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

**Recurring Guest Stars:** N/A

## Videos

Gallery of videos used to promote the season.

## Gallery

Gallery of photographic posters used to promote the season.