To quote the immortal Jerry Reed, "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there" with today's column, so let's get right to it.
• Roseanne. The highly anticipated 10th season arrives with back-to-back episodes at 7 p.m. today on ABC. It'll ease into its regular time at 7 p.m. April 3. There will be nine episodes.
Also back is the original cast of Roseanne Barr (Roseanne), John Goodman (Dan -- he didn't die!), Sara Gilbert (Darlene), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Michael Fishman (DJ) and Lecy Goranson (the original Becky). Also returning are a host of others who starred in the 222 episodes that ran from 1988 to 1997.
Born in Season 8, the fourth Conner kid, Jerry Garcia, is out of the picture on a fishing boat in Alaska. In addition, Jackie's son, Andy, won't be seen.
Sarah Chalke, who played Becky (or alternated with Goranson) in later seasons, will appear as the new character of Andrea, but there's a hilarious inside joke about the two Beckys near the end of the first episode.
New cast members joining the Conner family include Emma Kenney (Shameless) and Ames McNamara as Darlene's kids, Harris and Mark, and Jayden Rey plays DJ's daughter, Mary.
Others returning in one way or another are Johnny Galecki (David), Estelle Parsons (Beverly), Sandra Bernhard (Nancy), James Pickens Jr. (Chuck), Natalie West (Crystal) and Adilah Barnes (Anne-Marie).
Sorry, I couldn't find George Clooney on any guest star list. He was in 11 episodes as Wellman Plastics foreman Booker Brooks. After Roseanne, Clooney went on to a fairly successful career of his own.
About the revival, ABC says to expect "fresh stories that tackle today's issues and even more laughs from a brilliant cast and crew that haven't missed a beat." That may be network hyperbole, but in the two episodes I've seen, it's accurate.
During the first half-hour episode, "Twenty Years to Life," Roseanne and Dan, both in their mid-60s, attempt to adjust to having Darlene back home with her two children after she loses her job. Meanwhile, Jackie and Roseanne feud over Roseanne having voted for President Donald Trump.
During the second half-hour, "Dress to Impress," young Mark gets caught with a pocket knife after being bullied for being effeminate on the first day of his new school.
And Andrea? She has hired the 43-year-old widow Becky to be her surrogate mother. It promises to be a wild ride.
Final word: It's time for all the haters to cut Roseanne some slack. It has been 28 long years since Barr butchered the "The Star-Spangled Banner" on national TV. Time to let it go.
• Splitting Up Together, premieres at 8:30 p.m. today on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres serves as executive producer of this new comedy based on the Danish series of the same name.
The series follows the adventures of Lena (Jenna Fischer, The Office) and Martin (Oliver Hudson, Rules of Engagement), who decide to end their 12-year marriage, but still share the house and garage apartment in order to alternate weeks and co-parent their kids. Hilarity ensues, but will it bring them back together?
• Alex, Inc., debuts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on ABC. The comedy stars Zach Braff (Scrubs) as Alex Schuman, Tiya Sircar (The Good Place) as his public defender wife, Rooni, and Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as his unemployed second cousin, Eddie.
Weary of coasting through life, Alex quits his job as a successful radio producer to start his own podcast company. It isn't easy. Hilarity ensues.
• The Americans, 9 p.m. Wednesday on FX. It's the sixth and final season for this tense, outstanding series starring Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, Soviet spies posing as Americans during the Reagan administration.
Season 6 takes place in 1987 and in the episode, "Dead Hand," a major arms-control summit looms and Elizabeth is pushed to her limits as the effort to conceal their identities becomes more difficult.
• Suits is back for Part 2 of Season 7 at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The two-hour season finale on April 25 will be the last hurrah for lovebirds Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle). Why? Well, in real life, Markle is marrying Britain's Prince Harry on May 19. She'll be busy with other stuff after that.
Season 8 sans Mike and Rachel has already been ordered.
• Empire returns to the Fox schedule at 7 p.m. Wednesday. There are nine episodes left in Season 4.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 03/27/2018