San Diego Comic-Con strays from its purest comic book and sci-fi roots every year with the inclusion of shows and movies spanning all genres, but one showcase at this year’s fan event was particularly jaw-dropping: a tribute to the 1990s sitcom Roseanefeaturing controversial comedian Roseanne Barr.
Outside of the convention center where the bulk of the panels take place during the four-day event, there are activations — industry talk brand promotional displays — popping up all over the neighborhood. There are activations for jurassic parkNBC quantum leap, by Disney Haunted house film, and even a celebration of the 25th anniversary of That 70s show. But while the latter nearly erased the presence of problematic star Danny Masterson, several blocks down the street Cozi TV leaned completely into another with its ode to Barr, who last month had a podcast episode removed from YouTube for violating the streamer’s anti-hate speech policy.
Jillian Sederholm Lanford Days Activation Entrance at San Diego Comic-Con
Cozi TV, a multicast network owned by NBCUniversal, set up a free outdoor interactive screen to celebrate “30 years of Roseane“, which premiered 35 years ago, although the exhibit mainly focused on one particular episode that aired 30 years ago.
Roseane season 5, episode 15, “Lanford Daze”, aired January 26, 1993, centering on the celebration of Lanford Days and featuring late country legend Loretta Lynn, who performed a duet with Barr over the closing credits. The replica festival in Roseanne’s hometown of San Diego was complete with carnival games, the Lunch Box Diner’s signature bulk meat sandwiches and a giant inflatable replica of the show’s iconic couch.
Jillian Sederholm The Lunch Box Diner stand
Jillian Sederholm A giant inflatable version of the ‘Roseanne’ sofa
Roseane premiered in 1988 on ABC and ran for nine seasons, winning four Emmys (one for Barr and three for costar Laurie Metcalf), three Golden Globes (one for Barr, one for costar John Goodman, and one for the show itself), and even a Peabody.
Although Barr herself has remained a controversial figure over the years, ABC launched a revival of the sitcom in 2018 with Barr and Goodman among those reprising their roles, but canceled it after a successful season in response to her star posting a racist tweet attacking Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to former President Barack Obama. Months later, the network announced a spin-off sitcom, The Connerswith all of the same cast members except for Barr, whose character was killed by an opioid overdose in the season premiere. The Conners has been renewed for a sixth season.
Jillian Sederholm “Roseanne” pop-up at Comic-Con
The Lanford Days activation is open to the public on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT at 6th and E Street in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.
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