A Roseanne Spinoff Without Roseanne Barr Is Officially Happening
The Roseanne revival may have had incredibly high ratings when it debuted, but the show was still cancelled in May after star Roseanne Barr tweeted racist statements about Valerie Jarrett, a former Barack Obama aide. At the time of the cancellation, the president of ABC Entertainment wrote in a statement: "Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show." Now, just a few weeks later, ABC has found a way to continue the show without its lead.
An official statement from Tom Werner, executive producer, and Barr, confirms that the show will be spun off to no longer include it's namesake character nor the actress's financial or creative participation. "I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne. I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved” said Barr in the statement. Werner added, “We are grateful to have reached this agreement to keep our team working as we continue to explore stories of the Conner family.” Original stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, and Michael Fishman will reportedly all return for the spinoff. Barr will, however, retain an executive producer credit on the spinoff, per Writers Guild of America rules.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the spinoff's working title is The Conners and has been ordered for 10 episodes. The new show, which is expected to premiere in the fall, will follow the Conner family who, "after a sudden turn of events, are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before" and will explore issues with parenthood, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging and in-laws in working-class America. Though Barr will not be involved in The Conners in any way, she will reportedly retain all rights to the Roseanne Conner character and any future spinoffs or reboots of the original.
"We have received a tremendous amount of support from fans of our show, and it’s clear that these characters not only have a place in our hearts, but in the hearts and homes of our audience," Goodman, Metcalf, Gilbert, Goranson, and Fishman said in a joint statement. "We all came back last season because we wanted to tell stories about the challenges facing a working-class family today. We are so happy to have the opportunity to return with the cast and crew to continue to share those stories through love and laughter.”
Related: Valerie Jarrett Responds to Roseanne Cancellation: ‘We Have to Turn It Into a Teaching Moment’
