The ongoing saga surrounding the Roseanne reboot has been a cultural touchstone for much of 2018. The classic sitcom was revived and was met with high ratings initially, and was even renewed for a second season after a highly viewed premiere. However, its controversial star Roseanne Barr continued to tweet increasingly problematic things until a racially charged tweet about Obama advisor Valerie Jarret was a bridge too far for ABC, who canceled the show following the backlash.
However, in the wake of Barr’s firing, ABC decided to spin off The Conners, focusing on Sara Gilbert’s Darlene and John Goodman’s Dan, without Barr’s creative or financial involvement. This move dealt with the issue of Barr while also rescuing the jobs of many. It also fixed the potentially gaping hole in ABC’s line up.
Gilbert went on The Talk on Monday to discuss the show’s considerably brighter future, exclaiming “I’m so excited. Thank you so much.” Gilbert previously went on The Talk at the beginning of June when Barr’s racist tweets got the show canceled and many people were out of jobs. She expressed her support of ABC’s decision but was obviously pained by the way things had shaken out. While it is still uncertain how The Conners will move on without its central star, it is said to occur following “a sudden turn of events.”
(Via Deadline)
