Former ‘Roseanne’ Head Writer Says Barr Was ‘Scared’ by Her Rapid Rise to Fame

‘I always felt bad for her because I knew she was frightened.’. Roseanne Barr has never been afraid to speak her mind, but Danny Jacobson, the former head writer of her hit sitcom, said he always sensed an underlying fear beneath her on-screen bravado. Jacobson worked on the first two seasons of the ABC comedy between 1988 and 1989 and saw up close how Barr went from a modestly popular up-and-coming comedian to an overnight sensation.