TV FAM HANGING IN THERE
‘Roseanne’ continues without namesake star
Roseanne may have written the tweet, but the stars of “The Conners” are determined to write their own ending.
John Goodman says he and his longtime “Roseanne” co-stars weren’t ready to say goodbye to their characters after Barr’s bile on Twitter in May prompted ABC to cancel the show.
They’re now reuniting — without Barr — for a spinoff, “The Conners,” and Goodman says the returning cast, which also includes Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert, is eager to give their characters a different sendoff.
“We’re leaning on each other when we do this show,” Goodman told People in a new cover story. “And supporting each other — that’s a very strong feeling among us. It’s different, but we can create something new from it. Let us finish the story on our own terms. Come along with us and see how we do.”
Barr was fired by ABC this year shortly after she posted a tweet calling former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett the baby of “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes.”
The actress has since insisted the tweet about Jarrett was not racially charged, and that she didn’t realize Jarrett is black.
“The Conners” will reportedly address the absence of Barr’s character on the show by killing her off.
The cancellation of “Roseanne” came just two months after the show was rebooted following more than two decades off the air.
“Coming off such a high, it was hard to wrap our heads around,” Metcalf told People of the series getting axed.
The actress, who starred as Barr’s character’s sister Jackie, acknowledges there was a considerable risk in doing “The Conners,” which premieres on ABC on Oct. 16.
“But we all decided as a group to take the risk, knowing that we could be judged by deciding to come back,” Metcalf told the magazine.
The original run of “Roseanne” aired for nine seasons, from 1988 to 1997, and centered on the working-class Conner family, who live in suburban Illinois.
The series was a ratings hit when it returned earlier this year and had been renewed for another season before the cancellation.
“Any sadness that we feel over what we’ve lost we’re hopefully channeling in an honest way into the show,” Gilbert told People. “And our show has always been able to deal with heavy topics, particularly for a sitcom. It’s been kind of built into the mix.”