Make some more room around the kitchen table.
Although Johnny Galecki’s involvement in ABC’s forthcoming Roseanne revival remains an open question, new details have come to light that suggest his character, David Healy, will at the very least have a strong presence in the eight-episode continuation.
ABC declined to comment for this story, but TVLine has learned that producers — which include Galecki’s onscreen squeeze Sara Gilbert as well as titular star Roseanne Barr, actress-comedienne Whitney Cummings and sitcom vet Bruce Helford — have quietly begun searching for a young actress and actor to portray the children of Gilbert’s Darlene and Galecki’s David.
The news essentially confirms what we strongly hinted at back in May: The twist in Roseanne‘s 1997 series finale that erased David and Darlene’s entire relationship — and instead paired David with Becky and Darlene with Mark — will, in fact, be undone. (The twist in question revealed much of the show to be a figment of the title character’s imagination. It also posited that John Goodman’s Dan had succumbed to a heart attack, something the revival will also gloss over.)
Of Darlene and David’s two kids, one of them — daughter Harris — was actually introduced to viewers in Season 9’s 19th episode, when Darlene delivered the baby very prematurely. I’m told the now 14-year-old hellion will be the spitting image of Young Darlene, in appearance and attitude. Their other child, meanwhile, will be a boy under the age of 10.
The big question remains: Will David have a hands-on role in his kids’ lives? Or will Galecki’s Big Bang Theory commitment force Barr to make Darlene a widow — or even worse, turn David into a deadbeat dad? (Note to ABC and CBS: Please hash this out!)
