28 years ago today, the world first met Roseanne Conner. Producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, who had previously developed Mork & Mindy, Happy Days, and Soap, wanted to put a new spin on the middle class family sitcom by using a working mother as the show’s focal point. They had recently seen Roseanne Barr on The Tonight Show, loved her “in your face” voice, and offered her the job.
