Roseanne revival aims to break as many taboos as possible

The Hollywood Reporter

"The more tension there is, the funnier it is," says executive producer Bruce Helford, who points to upcoming storylines including an episode about a Muslim neighbor and Dan facing competition from people hiring illegal immigrants. "Another taboo we addressed was the opioid crisis," says executive producer Whitney Cummings, "which is this thing we're seeing in the news, but it's not being tackled on (scripted) TV, certainly not network TV. But what I've always loved about Roseanne is the show's ability to have these incredible dramatic moments in a multicamera sitcom with an audience sitting there, not laughing 'cause an incredible dramatic moment is playing out, whether it was when DJ wouldn't kiss the black girl at the school play or Jackie's domestic abuse. We thought maybe this could be one of those episodes."