The 1980s were flooded with family sitcoms. The Keatons, The Huxtables and The Seavers were all middle/upper middle class families. It wasn't until viewers were introduced to The Conner family on Roseanne, did we see the plight of the working-class family. Roseanne punched plastic at the factory and Dan was a drywall contractor in Lanford, Illinois. Together, they struggled to pay bills and support their three children and endured frequent visits from Roseanne's neurotic sister, Jackie.
Over the years, Roseanne had as many different jobs as she had hairstyles. She and Dan eventually became business owners at a diner and bike shop, the latter which went out of business. The family grew as Becky's husband and Darlene's boyfriend moved into the house. In addition to dealing with the struggles of a blue-collar family, the show tackled provocative issues such as domestic abuse, abortion, homosexuality, pot smoking and masturbation.
Roseanne was one of my favorite sitcoms. It was a nice breather from the more syrupy family shows at the time. The writing was sharp and witty and the cast had great chemistry. My favorite era is when Dan opened Lanford Custom Cycle up until Roseanne had baby Jerry. It quickly jumped the shark, especially when The Conners won the lottery. By that point, the show was shadow of what the original premise was.
While I've been hesitant of revivals and reboots of my childhood shows, I was excited when it was announced Roseanne would return to television in 2018. I ended up not being a huge fan of the revival, which was short-lived after a tweet from the Queen of Controversy Roseanne Barr. The show was quickly cancelled but The Conners sans its matriarch live on in a spinoff aptly named The Conners.
Creator Matt Williams, who Roseanne battled daily during the first season, hailed from Evansville, Indiana, where many of the establishing photos from the earlier seasons were taken. Initially just The Conner House and The Lobo Lounge were known. After binging the show, I was able to find a few previously unknown locations in the area, though several remain a mystery. Around season 4, the show began using locations around Los Angeles.
Location: The Conner House
Address: 619 S Runnymeade Avenue, Evansville, IN
Location: The Lobo Lounge
Address: 1200 Edgar Street, Evansville, IN
Lanford's favorite watering hole was known as Talk of the Town Pizza until 2019, when it embraced its Roseanne heritage and officially changed its name to The Lobo Lounge...
Location: Lanford Street
Address: Delaware Street & Third Street, Evansville, IN
The famous street signs, which have now been reversed...
Location: The Church
Address: 704 N First Avenue, Evansville, IN All Saints Parish
As seen in the above establishing shot...
Location: Wellman Plastics Factory
Address: 1528 Fulton Avenue, Evansville, IN
Kent Plastics stood in for Roseanne, Jackie and Crystal's place of employment during the first season. The plant closed in 1992, the same year Wellman closed on the show. Today it is a vacant lot...
Location: Jackie's Apartment
Address: 515 Main Street, New Harmony, IN
This building was torn down and rebuilt a while back. Thanks to Paul H for helping track down this location...
Location: The Lanford Lunch Box
Address: 13687 Van Nuys Boulevard, Pacoima, CA
Roseanne had a multitude of jobs during the series. The one we saw the most the diner she opened with Jackie, Nancy and Bev, which got it's name from DJ. Thanks to Cameron Chambers for finding this location.
Season 1, Episode 19: "Workin' Overtime"
Location: Tip Top Diner
Address: 1213 W Maryland Street, Evansville, IN Big Top Diner
Season 2, Episode 10: "Brain-Dead Poets Society"
Location: Darlene's Middle School #1
Address: 1300 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN Benjamin Bosse High School
Season 3, Episode 9: "Bird Is The Word"
Location: Becky's High School
Address: 1300 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN Benjamin Bosse High School
Previously seen as Darlene's Middle School...
Season 3, Episode 16: "Home-Ec"
Location: Darlene's Middle School #2
Address: 1801 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN Washington Middle School
Season 4, Episode 1: "A Bitter Pill To Swallow"
Location: Becky's Gynecologist's Office
Address: 2701 W Alameda Avenue, Burbank, CA
Having been a resident of Burbank for six years, this one was an easy find, as I passed it daily during my commute...
Season 5, Episode 8: "Ladies' Choice"
Location: Bev's Retirement Community
Address: 3600 Barham Boulevard, Burbank, CA The Oakwood Apartments
Another location I instantly recognized was one of my old residences. Back in 1999, I spent two semesters in LA and stayed at the plush Oakwood Apartments. (Building U Represent!) Some of my college friends were seething with jealousy that I was lounging in a hot tub in January while they were digging out their cars back in Ithaca, New York. The massive complex is in close proximity to several of the studios and is known for its temporary housing for cast and crew, especially during pilot season. I remember hundreds of wanna be kid actors running amok and completely understood that old actors' motto - never work with kids or pets.
Season 5, Episode 14: "War & Peace"
Location: Dan's Police Station
Address: 6045 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Location: Jackie & Fisher's Apartment
Address: 6141 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Thanks to Amanda Gonzales for finding this location...
Season 6, Episode 1: "Two Down, One To Go"
Location: Darlene's College Apartment
Address: 5200 Monte Vista Street, Los Angeles, CA
Thanks to Amanda Gonzales for finding this location...
Season 6, Episode 20: "Past Imperfect"
Location: Crystal & Ed's HouseAddress: 525 Bethany Road, Burbank, CA
For whatever reason, they flipped the image for the establishing shot. In actuality, the garage is on the left. Unfortunately, a large tree is in front of the house, which made getting an exact matching shot a but difficult...
Still Need To Locate:
Mark's Apartment Building
The Healy House
The Harris House
The Hair Salon
The Lanford Lodge
Rodbells
Lanford Custom Cycle
Jackie & Fred's House
Related Location:
The Conners (2018-)
