LOS ANGELES — Roseanne Barr looks more glamorous, John Goodman slimmer. But the mass-market plaid couch is a giveaway that ABC’s “Roseanne” revival hasn’t ditched its roots.

The blue-collar Conner family and the times in which they live are at the heart of the sitcom debuting at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday, as they were for the hit 1988-97 sitcom inspired by Barr’s stand-up comedy.

The prospect of updating “Roseanne” was exciting “as long as we were permitted to tell relevant and authentic stories,” said Tom Werner, a producer for both shows.

That focus, noteworthy in the ’80s when the show entered a relatively small TV universe, is still rare despite the swarm of broadcast, cable and streaming shows.

The 2016 presidential campaign “was a wake-up call in that there were a large group of voters who were frustrated with the status quo” and being sidelined by the economy, Werner said. “What we’re interested in doing is just telling honest stories about a family that’s up against it.”

In “Roseanne,” it’s up to matriarch Roseanne, a supporter of President Trump, and her sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), a hard-core opponent, to handle the political jousting.

“He talked about jobs” and shaking things up, Roseanne says of Trump in one scene. “I know this may come as a shock to you, but we almost lost our house because of the way things were going.”

“Have you looked at the news? Because now things are worse,” Jackie retorts.

“Not on the real news,” Roseanne says.


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