ABC CANCELS ‘ROSEANNE’

SERIES CANCELLED OVER RACIST TWEET BY SHOW’S STAR

ABC Entertainment president calls tweet by Roseanne Barr “abhorrent, repugnant”

ABC cancelled its hit reboot of “Roseanne” on Tuesday following star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet that referred to former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett as a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes.”

ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said the comment “is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values.” Barr had apologized and deleted her Mondaynight tweet, calling it a “bad joke,” but the damage had already been done.

The revival of the comedy was a surprise smash for ABC, owned by the Walt Disney Co., and was counted on to lead the network’s fortunes next season. Its first new episode in March was seen by more than 25 million people, with delayed viewing counted in, numbers that are increasingly rare in network television.

Dungey’s statement cancelling the show came after Wanda Sykes, consulting producer for “Roseanne,” tweeted that she was leaving. Sara Gilbert, a co-star, also tweeted that the remark was abhorrent.

One of the few network shows about a working-class family, “Roseanne” attracted considerable attention upon its return when Barr’s character supported President Donald Trump. That made the show popular with conservative viewers, and Trump himself suggested the character’s backing had a lot to do with the show’s success.