The Roseanne spin-off is official over at ABC. The network will bring back the series under the working title of The Conners for ten episodes this fall. The spin-off is the result of the sudden cancellation of the Roseanne revival following a racist tweet by Roseanne Barr. The furor that followed caused a flood of opinions on social media that eventually split along political lines and raised questions about the future of Barr’s career and those involved in the series before it was canceled.
According to Deadline, the spin-off will not be connected to Barr at all following a settlement with the series’ longtime producer:
Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series after reaching a settlement with series producer Tom Werner. The Conners will feature the rest of the Roseanne revival cast, John Goodman (“Dan”), Laurie Metcalf (“Jackie”), Sara Gilbert (“Darlene”), Lecy Goranson (“Becky”) and Michael Fishman (“D.J.”), who will reprise their Conner characters.
“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne,” Barr, on whose character the original series was based, said in a statement. “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.”
The question that most seem to be focusing on at this point is how the series will explain the absence of Barr’s character. Having her character die off screen would seem like the logical choice, which is fitting considering how Dan Conner died in a final comment at the end of the original series finale. It’s also the typical way for shows to deal with the loss of a major character, including those lost to controversy like Charlie Sheen.
[harmonica wail]
[“The Conners” is filmed before a live studio audience]
DARLENE: Good morning, Dad
DAN: THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS TWITTER AND THERE NEVER WAS
DARLENE: …. What?
DAN: …I meant, good morning, Darlene.— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) June 22, 2018
If it ends up being a Kevin Can Wait situation, will viewers be surprised? Also, will they return as they did for the revival? Read Tom Werner’s and Roseanne Barr’s full statement below:
Tom Werner and Roseanne Barr have reached an agreement that will allow Werner Entertainment to produce a spinoff of the Roseanne series for ABC without Barr’s further creative or financial 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. 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.”
(Via Deadline)
