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‘Roseanne’ Reboot Reportedly To Include ‘Gender Creative’ 9-Year-Old Character

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 11:14 PST, Jul 31, 2017

The upcoming reboot of the hit sitcom Roseanne, which ran from 1988 to 1997, may be getting a bit more controversial. That’s because more characters are being added to the line-up, including the children of Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) and David (Johnny Galecki). According to reports, at least one of those children is slated to be a “gender creative” 9-year-old grandson to Roseanne herself.

As Showbiz 411 reports, casting calls for the Roseannereboot grandkids via Darlene and David have already gone out, and at least one of the descriptions is already raising some eyebrows. The pair, whose adolescent antics and budding relationship dominated the original Roseanne series, is reportedly scripted to have two children in the reboot – a 14- or 15-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son.

Darlene and David’s daughter in the eagerly anticipated Roseanne reboot is reportedly named Harris, and she sounds like a typically ambitious, “type A” teenage girl. It has been reported that she is “aspirational and upwardly mobile” with big plans to be more successful than her parents, but minus the off-putting attitude that often goes along with blind ambition.

“She has a big heart.”

While Roseanne’s new granddaughter may be little more than a standard sitcom teenager, fans might find her little brother to be far more controversial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdcr-fNf9cw

David and Darlene’s 9-year-old son, Mark, has a bit of a tragic back story. He’s reportedly named after his Aunt Becky’s deceased husband. In the original Roseanne series, Becky’s husband was played by actor Glenn Quinn, who passed away from an opioid overdose 15 years ago.

In addition to being named after his late uncle, 9-year-old Mark will also reportedly be “gender creative.” The casting call for the Roseanne reboot character is seeking a young actor capable of portraying a “sensitive and effeminate” persona, and who physically displays “qualities of both young female and male traits.”

Mark’s storyline has not been made public, and it is unknown how prominently his so-called “gender creative” role will factor into the Roseanne reboot plot. Even so, news that the network television sitcom is apparently seeking a gender creative 9-year-old is already raising eyebrows and ire on social media.

At least one Twitter user is calling on “patriots” to let ABC, which will be airing the Roseanne reboot, that they are “done” with the network based on the controversial move to incorporate a gender creative 9-year-old into the new Roseanne cast.

Of course, the original Roseanne was no stranger to controversy – even sexual controversy. In one episode, Roseanne and Murial Hemmingway engaged in a shocking (at the time) lesbian kiss. That kiss pushed the boundaries of the decade and sparked a huge backlash against the highly successful show. Even so, the topic of children’s gender issues is sure to be a hot-button when the new reboot hits the airwaves.

As Fox News reports, ABC has yet to confirm the inclusion of a gender creative child in the upcoming Roseanne reboot, simply stating “no comment” when questioned by the news network.

Roseanne herself has also remained mum on the talk that a gender creative grandson will be part of the reboot. She did, however, cryptically tweet early Monday.

The Roseanne reboot was officially announced in May, and the popular series (featuring most of the original cast) is set to return to TVs everywhere in 2018.

[Featured Image by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Images]

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