'Roseanne' to deliver pregnancy plot

GOOD MORNING: Roseanne is pregnant. And the father-to-be is John Goodman. It's for the "Roseanne" TV show, of course, and scenes have already been taped. Roseanne's incisive humor is mixed with concern about pregnancy at her age -- plus an already-established family, including one child (Sara Gilbert) attending college. Rosie and Dan (John Goodman) express the same apprehension as well as joy experienced by (viewing) couples in the similar situation. It's being handled with extreme attention. And it has not yet been decided whether "Roseanne" will get through the pregnancy to childbirth. Stay tuned -- I will ... At week's end, Roseanne heads to N.Y. readying to host the MTV Video Music Awards, Sept. 8 ... Jay Kanter, who set up his indie banner after departing MGM, is setting his first feature, and it's a biggie: "Mr. Christian" by William Kinsolving. The story's about Fletcher Christian -- who did not die on Pitcairn Island. He returns to England and confronts Captain Bligh in court and is absolved of wrongdoing. Kanter bought the script for a six-figure price in a deal set by Marion Rosenberg. Kinsolving is now also writing "Christian" as a book ... Tomorrow, Michael Eisner makes his first return since surgery in front of the TV cameras. He'll do four intros for movies to air this fall on the Disney Channel, as he has done in past seasons. And as Walt did before him ... Alan Ladd Jr. keeps a world time clock on his desk so he knows when to call his "The Phantom" company in Australia, his "Braveheart" company in Ireland -- and his "Brady Bunch" next door at Paramount. Joe Dante must start directing Par's "Phantom" before mid-October: that's when the rains come to the jungle sites in Queensland, where half of the movie shoots. New York streets and interiors will be in the WB studio there. The Great Barrier Reef is another major site for the pic, to be in the mid-30 million$ .

THE BASEBALL STRIKE CAME TO THE RESCUE of Michael Ritchie and "The Scout" company. They were able to go back to Yankee Stadium to shoot pickup shots using St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Tewkesbury and shortstop Ozzie Smith with thesp Brendan Fraser in a World Series game with the Yankees. They weren't able to use the baseballers during the original April shoot because of stringent team regulations about participation during the regular season. Pitcher Brett Saberhagen was able to be lensed because he'd just completed rotation and wasn't needed for four days. The one-night "Scout" shoot cost $ 500,000 to use a fully lighted Yankee Stadium, complete with electronic scoreboard, rockets, etc. But Ritchie says "It was worth it. I'm glad we made it -- we were able to add three new visual gag scenes." The newly illuminated Yankee Stadium caused understandable consternation in the neighborhood, and news helicopters were promptly overhead investigating. The movie opens Sept. 30, regardless of the strike situation ... Among the showbiz stockholders of the now-shuttered Carnegie Deli in BevHills is Brandon Tartikoff, who philosophically noted he had been sandwich No. 17 on the menu and formerly had been No. 3 sandwich at the Stage deli -- but was replaced by Howard Stern. "I guess," said Brandon, "I'm sandwich-less in L.A. -- with apologies to "Sleepless in Seattle' "... When not busy last week with her litigation vs. Jon Voight, Laura Pels was at the White House with screenwriter David Scott Milton taking notes on Oval Office procedures. They're readying the film version of Jack Valenti's political novel, "Protect and Defend," which Pels' production company bought for $ 500,000 ... BAFTA's annual party tonight at Consul General Merrick Baker-Bates' home is a sellout. Garry Marshall is guest speaker, there's a raffle and auction and news of more UK/LA fest doings ..."The Simpsons" take a note from outer space this season -- as a comet strikes Springfield. And the Halloween show is a parody of "The Shining."

CANDY SPELLING WILL BE ON CAMERA 11 ayem-2 p.m. Sept. 18 from West Chester, Pa. on QVC when she introduces her Fantasy Dolls -- priced from $ 150-$ 350. All her profits go to Para Los Ninos. Aaron Spelling had a fantasy castle set built for Candy, who sells the limited edition with host Mary Beth Roe. The dolls are U.S.-made, Candy proudly points out ... Miramax will publish a coffee-table book to coincide with the bow of Robert Altman's "Pret A Porter." The book will contain script segs, interviews with Altman and the stars, as well as arty stills and behind-the-scenes candids ... Gil Gerard hosts today's Celeb Golf-A-Thon at Braemar C.C. benefiting the City of Hope ... Guesting at Debbie Reynolds' Monday Movie Night tonight at her Vegas hotel is pal Ann Blyth -- at the screening of "The Student Prince" (1954).