Following the huge ratings success of Tuesday's premiere, ABC renewing its Roseanne revival for another season is said to be a "foregone conclusion." TV revivals getting picked up beyond their initial order is of course not a new phenomenon, as shows like The X-Files, Will & Grace, and Arrested Development have all come back for more after initially resurrecting from the dead. Now, it looks like Roseanne will be the latest success story among revivals of long-dormant series.

The news that Roseanne's revival will likely get a second season - which would be the 11th season overall for the venerable sitcom - isn't surprising, as the ratings for the two-episode premiere broadcast were insanely high for the current TV landscape. The episodes averaged an enormous 5.1 in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 viewer demographic, and a total audience of 18.1 million, shattering expectations. For reference, that beats out the season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead, which earned a 5.0 in the 18-49 demo and was watched by roughly 11.5 million people.

Related: Roseanne Revival Review: Emphasizing Change Makes The Return Worthwhile

While ratings expectations for the big four broadcast networks are generally quite different than with basic cable, Roseanne's smacking down of long-reigning ratings champion The Walking Dead is definitely a big deal, and ABC definitely wants more of the Conner family. According to TV Line, Roseanne getting brought back for season 11 is a "foregone conclusion," and that ABC had actually began preliminary talks for more episodes before the ratings for the premiere had even come in.

Sarah Gilbert Laurie Metcalf and Roseanne Barr in Roseanne

While it remains to be seen if Roseanne season 10's remaining seven episodes can possibly keep up with the monster ratings drawn by its premiere, even staying in the same ballpark would be a huge victory. Each year, live viewership numbers for both broadcast and cable TV continue to drop, as more and more people turn to primarily getting their entertainment via online sources like Netflix and Hulu. Roseanne's ratings show that big numbers of people can still be drawn in by scripted shows, provided they're given something they deem interesting enough to tune into.

Whatever one thinks of Roseanne and the rest of the Conners getting another season, those ratings do beg the question of what will come next for broadcast TV. Will this be a turning point in the evolution of TV revivals? Will network development slates soon be bursting so full of revamps of long-dead series that there won't be room for original programming? Will shows like ALF Returns and Charles Remains In Charge soon be a thing? Considering how many people watched Roseanne, that hypothetical revival-dominated schedule may one day be the reality.

More: Roseanne Revival Character Guide: How Everybody’s Changed

Roseanne season 10 airs Tuesdays on ABC.

Source: TV Line