Weeks after the decision to cancel the very successful rebooted sitcom Roseanne, ABC has officially announced it will move forward with a spinoff of TV’s current top-rating show but without it’s controversial star Roseanne Barr.
The show was shut down last month after Barr posted racist and bizarre tweets.
ABC said at the time: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
After much behind-the-scenes discussions, Barr has agreed to walk away from the show she helped create so the spinoff can happen.
Called The Conners, the show will now centre on Sara Gilbert, who plays Darlene Conner. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barr will retain all rights to her Roseanne Conner character and any future spinoffs beyond The Conners or any future reboots of the original.
The statement about the new show included this from Barr: “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.” ABC has confirmed that “Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series.”
Roseanne stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman have joined together to release their own statement. “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. “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.”
We recall the most controversial episodes from Roseanne, the first time around.
The Conners will include the existing cast – except Roseanne.
“The Conners’ stories demonstrate that families can always find common ground through conversation, laughter and love. The spinoff will continue to portray contemporary issues that are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago,” ABC said.
