Picture this: ABC is moving forward with Roseanne without Roseanne Barr. Less than a month after the sitcom reboot was canceled following a racially charged tweet by the star, the network announced plans to bring it back—this time without its namesake. The decision has sparked a whirlwind of reactions, but the show must go on, right?
The Show Must Go On: A New Chapter for Roseanne
ABC isn’t letting the Conner family story end just yet. “We are grateful to have reached this agreement to keep our team working as we continue to explore stories of the Conner family,” said executive producer Tom Werner. The revamped series, tentatively titled The Conners, will focus on the family without their titular matriarch. Sara Gilbert, who plays daughter Darlene Conner, is expected to take center stage. Her character will step into the spotlight, with more screen time dedicated to her kids: the rebellious teen Harris Conner-Healy (Emma Kenney) and the gender-fluid Mark Conner-Healy (Ames McNamara). “I’m so excited,” Sara said, expressing her enthusiasm for the new direction.
Cast Reunion: The Conner Crew Returns
Sara Gilbert isn’t alone in this endeavor. All of her fellow cast members—John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman, and Lecy Goranson—are returning for a 10-episode season this fall. Together, they expressed their excitement: “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,” they 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.”
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When the network announced it was moving forward without Roseanne, she issued her own statement, saying, “I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne… and I wish the best for everyone involved.” In a podcast interview with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, recorded shortly after the scandal broke but released weeks later, she expressed even more emotional remorse: “I’m so sorry that I was so unclear and stupid… I’ve lost everything.”
Roseanne's Legacy: A Bittersweet Farewell
Most of her co-stars feel a sense of sympathy for Roseanne, despite their disapproval of her controversial remarks. “They didn’t like what she said, but she never said those things on the set,” an insider exclusively told Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue. The fate of her character remains uncertain. In last season’s finale, Roseanne Conner was battling an opioid dependency and preparing for life-threatening surgery. This has led some to speculate that her character might meet an untimely end, a move that echoes the fate of problematic characters on shows like Valerie and Two and a Half Men. “They don’t want to make Roseanne’s absence an ongoing storyline,” the insider explained. “They want a clean break.”
View this post on InstagramDon’t be fooled. This is all for #Roseanne.
Looking Ahead: A New Era for the Conners
To facilitate this transition, Roseanne, 65, agreed to receive no credit or financial compensation for the new season. “That was a major surprise,” the insider noted. “No one really thought she would go that quietly.” Roseanne herself claims she accepted the settlement to save jobs: “I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs could be saved.” The show will move forward, with star Emma Kenney expressing her excitement: “The Conner family represents acceptance. I feel so blessed to be able to show that this fall.”
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