Originally posted Thursday, June 21, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
ABC has resolved issues with Roseanne Barr, opening the door for "The Conners" spinoff without Barr's creative or financial involvement.
The network today officially announced the show will take the place of "Roseanne," which had been set to air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. The 10-episode second season will feature all the major stars of the show not named Barr including Sara Gilbert, John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf.
Barr last month tweeted a racist insult about a former Obama adviser that quickly led to the cancellation of her reboot despite the fact was a huge hit for ABC after two decades off the air.
The name of the show is still tentative, but the focal point will likely be on Gilbert’s character, Darlene.
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."
"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,” Barr said in a statement.
The producers have not decided on how they will write Barr’s character out of the show.
"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 in a statement.
ABC had already committed financially to pay the major stars whether this spinoff was going to happen or not.
Many Trump supporters will likely abandon the show over her absence. As Brian Lowry of CNN wrote:
Practically speaking, keeping some semblance of the series alive solves a big scheduling problem for ABC, which was left with a gaping hole in its Tuesday-night lineup. But at 10 episodes, matching the original order for the "Roseanne" revival, "The Conners" has the feel of a short-term solution that's fraught with unintended consequences. Will it rile up Barr (despite her stated blessing) and her biggest fans? This could be a PR headache of a different sort...
