‘Roseanne’ spin-off planned without the original star
ABOUT three weeks after ABC abruptly cancelled the revival of “Roseanne” following Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet, the network has ordered a spinoff — without Barr attached.
The working title is “The Conners,” and centres on the family as they grapple with “parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, fi nancial pressures, ageing and in-laws in working- class America,” the network said in a news release. “Through it all, the fi ghts, the coupon cutting, the hand-medowns, the breakdowns — with love, humour and perseverance, the family prevails.”
“Roseanne Barr will have no fi nancial or creative involvement in the new series,” the release added.
The network also included a statement from Barr: “I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from ‘ Roseanne,’” she said. “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.”
In late May, ABC shut down the series after Barr’s tweet, which likened Valerie Jarrett, adviser to former president Barack Obama, to an ape. Barr later deleted the tweet and apologised, saying it was a joke. Still, hours after it was sent, ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey announced, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
In the days that followed, Barr — who was also dropped by her talent agency — blamed the
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. Roseanne Barr, actress
sleep medication Ambien for the tweet, and tweeted that she begged ABC not to shut down the series so the cast and crew could keep their jobs. At one point, she also criticised her co- stars via Twitter, saying that the reaction from consulting producer Wanda Sykes ( who said after Barr’s tweet that she was going to quit the show) made ABC “very nervous,” so they cancelled the series. Now, the spin- off, which has a 10- episode order, will star John Goodman as Roseanne’s husband, Dan; Laurie Metcalf as her sister, Jackie; Sara Gilbert as her daughter, Darlene; Lecy Goranson as her other daughter, Becky and Michael Fishman as her grandson, D.J. Gilbert will also return as an executive producer alongside Tom Werner, who executive produced the show’s original run in the 1990s. ABC said additional cast members will be announced at a later date. The show will air Tuesday nights this autumn. — WP-Bloomberg