» Where Are They Now

'Roseanne' broke the mold of the traditional family sitcom. The Conners, headed by a brash matriarch, were an unglamorous blue-collar family in small-town Illinois. The nine-season series (1988-1997) mixed comedy with the heavy issues of domestic violence, homosexuality, unemployment, teen sex, abortion and alcoholism.

Its final season was a disappointment (winning the lottery?), made more strange in the series finale when it was revealed that the various plot twists were part of Roseanne Conner's fictionalized writings about her family.

However, the series ranked in the top four of the nation's most-watched shows for most of its tenure, won four Emmys, three Golden Globes and a Peabody Award and served as a launching pad for John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, George Clooney, Sarah Chalke and Roseanne herself. -- By Aimee Deeken

As Ms. Grant warned her students in the opening montage, "You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying ... in sweat." And sweat they did, for six seasons in an Emmy-winning TV series that ran from 1982 to '87 and drew from plenty of source material; not only was it based on a 1980 feature film, both the series and film were inspired by the real-life Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York.

Just like in real life, a few members of the cast went on to bigger and better things, while others faded into obscurity or, sadly, found out the true cost of fame. Here's a look at what happened to these talents after graduation.

With the success of the new '90210,' a revamp of its original spin-off, 'Melrose Place,' was bound to follow. Many doubted 'Melrose' would make it past the first season (in fact, Heather Locklear was brought in to boost ratings after the disappointing debut year), but the series became a pop-culture touchstone, with a six-season run (1992-'97).

In anticipation of the remake (our remote-control-operating finger is itching), we looked up the residents of our favorite '90s apartment complex. Find out where they've been since they moved out of 'Melrose Place.' -- By Ryan McKee

President George H.W. Bush once said, "We are going to keep on trying to ... make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons." The long-running family drama of which he spoke was based on a biographical novel by Earl Hamner Jr.; it launched with a telepic, 'The Homecoming: A Christmas Story,' and aired from 1972 to 1981.

Who knew a show about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression would be a bona fide hit? It turned out to be the slice of Americana the country was craving. Find out what John Boy, Olivia, Jim-Bob, Mary Ellen and the others been up to since they bade their TV audience a final goodnight. -- By Kristina Lopez

Ratings for 'Full House,' which began its run in '87, were low at first, with critics panning the cheese factor of the San Francisco-set sitcom. For its second season, ABC moved the Tanners to the family-friendly TGIF lineup, and the show about a widower raising his three daughters with the help of his brother-in-law and best friend found its groove. (Cheese factor? What cheese factor?)

Running eight seasons, 'Full House' became iconic pop candy for Generation X. Just a taste of what it gave us: eye-rolling references for later dorm-room talks, John Stamos' "bad guys just need a hug" lesson -- and the Olsen twins, adorable-little-Michelle-turned-billion-dollar-empire-controlling entertainment tycoons. Name another sitcom with a track record like that ... Exactly.

The original '60s 'Star Trek' was a series ahead of its time. Breaking racial barriers and social taboos, the show spawned a franchise that has become almost as vast as space itself and has fans the world over, some 40 years after the initial incarnation went off the air.

We check in with Spock, Sulu, Data, Picard, Seven of Nine and the rest of the 'Star Trek' crews to see if they've live long and prospered. Find out where the 'Trek' actors are today.

Once upon a time (1976) there were three beautiful actresses (Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith), a pudgy personal assistant (David Doyle). They worked for a mysterious producer (Aaron Spelling) and an unseen actor (John Forsythe) who talked via a speakerphone. It was a big, jiggly hit

After one season its biggest star (Fawcett) left and was replaced by a bubbly blonde (Cheryl Ladd). Then the smart one (Jackson) split in the third season and was replaced by another gal (Shelley Hack). That actress barely made it through one season before being replaced by another beauty (Tanya Roberts).

Then the ratings dropped and the show was canceled, in 1981. But 'Charlie's Angels' lives on in our hearts -- and our Farrah Fawcett poster.

'The Cosby Show' ran for just eight seasons (1984-'92) and yet had a huge impact on TV as we know it.

It's been named one of the best sitcoms of all time, changed the way African-Americans are portrayed on television, spawned a successful spin-off ('A Different World') and helped pave the way for shows from 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' to 'Everybody Hates Chris.'

So what have Cliff, Claire and their 'Cosby' brood been up to since we last invited them into our living rooms? Who went on to more sitcom success, who won Tonys ... and which cast members found their spouses while working with the Huxtables? Read on to find out.

Capeside's high schoolers (and myriad relatives) set the trend for other teen dramas -- big vocabularies, extensive pop culture references ('Gilmore Girls,' 'Veronica Mars') ... and active sex lives ('The O.C.,' 'Gossip Girl').

'Dawson's Creek' aired for six seasons, from 1998 to 2003, ending with a flash-forward glimpse into the characters' lives in 2008.

Five years have passed, and some of the 'Creek' alum are still very much in the limelight. We check on where they've been able to channel all that teen angst.

What are Arnold, Willis and the gang up to now?

"Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?" 'Diff'rent Strokes' first aired 30 years ago on Nov. 3, 1978, and ended 189 episodes later on Aug. 30, 1986. This prime-time comedy about a wealthy white widower who adopts his Harlem housekeeper's two black sons broke boundaries with its racially mixed cast and made stars of its players. We find out what happened to the actors who moved our world.