Sara Gilbert

“I feel that we’re all able to, as a country, really talk and really listen to each other.”

IF THERE’S ONE FAMILY UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO SELF-ISOLATE, IT’S THE Conner family of Lanford, Illinois. “They don’t really have friends. We make jokes about tackles the pandemic in the third season of the reboot on ABC. Not only does Sara Gilbert reprise her double Emmy-nominated role of Darlene, she also serves as an executive producer. “I’m just so extremely grateful to be shooting anything,” Gilbert says about filming during a pandemic. “Without an audience, it’s a bit of a challenge to get your energy up to performance level.” Like most Americans, the impact of COVID-19 has also impacted the fictional family financially, with Darlene and Becky forced to work at the local factory where Roseanne and Jackie worked in the original series. Even though the pandemic is a tough story line to tackle, particularly for a comedy series, it’s a reality many can relate to right now. “I feel like that’s the truth for so many Americans who are smart and driven and do everything they can and can only get to a certain place in their dreams.”