And as Helford put it to EW, Roseanne Barr’s presence and availability has made the creative process more efficient and more likely to reflect Barr’s own comedic and political views than if she was only offering notes during later stages of production.
Skip ahead 25 years or so, and Bruce Helford is once again back in the showrunner position and overseeing a new season of Roseanne, with its outspoken star back as America’s blue-collar matriarch.
Which is a great thing for all involved, since Helford also revealed the pressure to keep Roseanne’s quality intact in the ’90s meant the writers were often plugging away until 2 a.m., trying to nail the honesty and the tone.