Before he was synonymous with creating some of the most successful sitcoms of the modern era, The Big Bang Theory‘s Chuck Lorre was a writer on the original run of Roseanne. Now, decades after serving on the staff, he’s opened up about the “malice” he experienced and why he wouldn’t walk away.
Fresh off the ending of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe Season 1 on the 2026 TV schedule, Lorre spoke to Dinner’s On Me With Jesse Tyler Ferguson about Roseanne Barr hating having words put in her mouth. As he explained, her attitude wasn’t specific to him. It applied to everyone:
Roseanne hated that there were writers. Fundamentally hated that there were writers who would write words that she would say… Any writing staff. Didn’t matter if I was on it or anybody was on it. The premise of anyone putting words in a stand-up comedian’s mouth is fundamentally flawed. There’s very few comics that can do that.
Lorre worked on the show for two years, both as a writer and EP, and recalled putting in 60-70-hour work weeks on a regular basis. As mentioned, it was all with a star who didn’t want them there, but also needed a writing staff to make the show happen. Obviously, it worked, and they created one of the best sitcoms of all time, but it wasn’t easy.
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When asked why he tolerated such a tense environment, Chuck Lorre’s answer was similar to that of many people who are faced with a bad work experience. He found a way to get through it because the alternative was going back to a life where he had to struggle to support his family:
I navigated it because I had 15-20 years of poverty and I had health issues and all sorts of stuff. I was not going to go back. Under no circumstances was I going to go back to scrambling to pay the rent. Scrambling to take your kid to a doctor when they had an earache.
In the end, it all seems to have worked out for Lorre. That writing job eventually led to producers trusting him to create his own sitcoms, including Grace Under Fire, Dharma & Greg, Two And A Half Men, and, of course, The Big Bang Theory franchise. Had it not been for Roseanne, would Johnny Galecki have gotten the role of Leonard?
Chuck Lorre’s comments may sound inflammatory, but I think he was diplomatic in explaining that Roseanne Barr’s issue with the writing staff was more of a common issue with all stand-up comedians. They make a living off their own jokes and writing, so it’s hard to then turn over control to a group of others and have to say their lines.
Perhaps the stress of Roseanne ultimately helped Lorre down the line, when he had to fight to have Jon Cryer on Two And A Half Men. Or it gave him the confidence to do yet another Big Bang Theory spinoff, and one that was wildly different than anything else he’s done. It’s still interesting to hear about the experience and get a sense of how it might’ve shaped him.
Roseanne is available to stream right now with a Peacock subscription, for those feeling nostalgic for the classic series. As for Chuck Lorre, his sitcoms are seemingly any and everywhere, and I’m sure he’s not done yet creating great television for the masses.
