`Roseanne' Adult Humor Forces Change

WASHINGTON - With a gay marriage due on tomorrow night's episode of "Roseanne," ABC Entertainment has elected to switch Rosie's time slot from 8 until 9:30, moving "Coach" to Rosie's slot for that night only.

ABC spokeswoman Janice Gretemeyer said that "it's not the idea of the gay wedding" that prompted ABC to switch the time periods.

"After all, the program has often had gay humor. We just felt the adult humor in this episode was more appropriate for the later time period." On a typical night at 9:30, less than 10 percent of viewers are under age 11, she says.

The episode, called "December Bride," details, in ABC's low-keyed prose, the "uproarious antics" surrounding "Roseanne's wedding plans for Leon (played by Martin Mull) to his longtime lover, Scott (guest star Fred Willard)."

Both programs will return to their regular time slots on Dec. 19.