Q & A with ROSEANNE : She’s Back in the Swing of Things--Swinging for Fences

Roseanne has always given people something to talk about--most recently, her divorce from Tom Arnold, her Valentine’s Day marriage to burly young bodyguard Ben Thomas and her artificial insemination.

But there’s one thing people haven’t been talking much about these days: her TV show.

Roseanne languished in bed much of this year with complications from in-vitro fertilization, reducing her presence--both on screen and behind the scenes--to a minimum. Since then, “Roseanne” has lost about 15% of its ratings, its executive producer and, beginning tonight, its time slot.

ABC Entertainment President Ted Harbert has moved “Roseanne” from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. to see if he can build a new comedy block on Wednesdays, followed by “Ellen,” “Grace Under Fire” and “Coach.”

Roseanne is irate over the move, which could become permanent next season if she boosts the network’s weak showing in the time slot. There have been suggestions within the industry that perhaps Roseanne, the woman who got her ex-husband his own TV show on ABC, has lost some clout.

Roseanne, in no mood for such talk, got on the telephone to set the record straight, confirm her place of power in Hollywood and guarantee the return of the real “Roseanne,” which features Sharon Stone as tonight’s guest star.

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Question: Do you believe your reduced role on “Roseanne” affected the ratings?

Answer: No question about it. As soon as I came back, they started going up again. It’s not just that I wasn’t in there, I wasn’t involved in the writing or the scripts. The show is basically my voice, and when I’m absent, it’s a totally different show--and not one I’m proud of.

But I had no choice, and I did what I did. If you have to choose between your job and your real life, you choose your real life, which people in this town don’t understand too well, because they have no real life.

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Q: ABC initially said that “Roseanne” was changing time slots. Then last week, ABC put out an announcement that the new time slot was only a six-week test.

A: Oh yeah, because I went right through the roof. I called Ted Harbert and I told him I’m not going to be treated that way. And the way he put it to me was, he said this thing leaked out (of a station meeting) in Dallas. We discussed it, and he said maybe we could do it for (six) weeks, and then the show will go back to its usual time slot for sweeps (in May).

He’s also moving “Grace Under Fire” and “Ellen,” so it’s not just my show. I resent everyone saying it’s some kind of slap to my show, because it isn’t. It’s not unusual or the death cry of the “Roseanne” show or any of that other (stuff), which I know people can’t wait to jump on. And I’m mad about it.

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Q: What are you mad about?

A: I just don’t understand the great big sensational things that go along with my show and what happens on my show. There’s no other show they do it to. Of course, I have to take it personally. I’m the only woman who does what I do--so that’s why. I’m the only woman starring in and producing her own show. And so they just can’t take it. I’m talking about the conservative press, or whatever they call it. Everybody should be happy for me that I got pregnant and I’m doing fine.

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Q: How will “Roseanne’s” humor play to an 8 p.m. family audience?

A: I told Ted Harbert that “if this is the way you expect to quiet me or censor me, it’s not going to work, because I have no interest in doing an 8 p.m. show for you or any other network. If you move me to 8 p.m. next season”--because it could happen--”I’ll so radicalize my show that you’ll have to move it somewhere else.”

I’m paid what I’m paid for the remainder of my contract, whether I’m No. 1 (in the ratings) or No. 80, whether I’m up against prime-time shows or cartoons. I’m here to do the show I want to do and nobody will prevent that.

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Q: Have you been asked to change the content or style of your show if it moves to 8 p.m. for good?

A: Ted Harbert said, “If we move you to 8 p.m., we would expect you to do your 9 p.m. show, but we would expect you to make it more family”--as if it hasn’t been family. I said we’ll do the same show we do now. I won’t take the level of this show down to other 8 p.m. shows on ABC, with happy little stories. It will still be a controversial show.

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Q: How many more years will “Roseanne” be on the air?

A: The show will be on the air one more year, and then I have an optional year.

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Q: Is that your option or ABC’s?

A: That’s my option, and if they piss me off really, really bad, I’ll take that option and do two years. Because they pay me an exorbitant amount of money each week, and I’ll be happy to pocket that money if I’m angry. If I’m happy, I’ll be moving on to other projects, which I also have a contract with ABC for--up to five other shows.

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Q: How much money do you receive each week?

A: I’m not going to tell you that.

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Q: I didn’t expect you to.

A: I make more than anybody else ever has. But that’s because I do more than anybody else ever has. I oversee every script. I sit down and beat out every script with the writers. I edit, change and rewrite scripts every single day. If you want to see my involvement, look at the episodes when I wasn’t on, when I was in bed. When I leave these boy writers to themselves, you can see what happens. Then they do a little boy show, and then they get fired.

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Q: I presume you’re talking about your former executive producer, Rob Ulin?

A: He’s gone. He said he could no longer write for my show if I didn’t speak calmly with him. This was after the show had gone down several (ratings) points, and I wouldn’t speak calmly to anyone.

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Q: Did you bring on another producer to replace Ulin?

A: No, they’re all the same 24 other guys, I just moved them up one. Just like any other factory--they all move up one. I run this show like a blue-collar place.

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Q: Are they all guys?

A: There are four women. But they are all happy and anxious to write. I’m really proud of the three shows they’ve done since I’ve been back. We’re back to the quality of where we were before I got sick. I can’t afford to take a day off.

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Q: I don’t understand why you were ill during the early part of your pregnancy.

A: I had artificial insemination, and all four of the embryos took, so I was pregnant with quadruplets. But three of the embryos were absorbed, and I ended up with just one. That was the time I was in bed for 12 weeks, because I was afraid I was going to lose them all. Now I have nothing to worry about, other than the normal pregnancy thing. I’m almost five months pregnant now.

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Q: Will your delivery further affect the production of the show again?

A: I don’t know. I know the cliffhanger we will do at the end of this year is about going into labor. I’m really superstitious, so I’ve been afraid to do too much stuff about pregnancy on the show. I don’t want to tempt the evil eye.

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Q: “Roseanne” has changed a lot over the years.

A: It hasn’t changed any more than any other show. It’s grown. I mean, I’m not going to go adopt a black kid on the show or anything. It’s the normal evolution of a family--some went to school, some left the house. Now we’re dealing with D.J. going through puberty.

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Q: What if “Roseanne” doesn’t pick up in the ratings. Does that concern you?

A: The show, after seven years, is still an important show, a popular show. How much better do you get? I’m not a crazy human being. Like I told Tim Allen, you can’t be No. 1 forever. You’re lucky if you’re ever No. 1, or in the Top 10. We’ve been there for seven years. We’re No. 8 right now. If the show goes out next year at No. 30, hey, I was lucky to be No. 30. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replace the success of this show.