ABC announced that it’s launching a spinoff of the sitcom “Roseanne,” which was canceled earlier this year after the show’s lead actress and executive producer Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet.
ABC announced Thursday that the series, currently referred to as “The Conners,” will focus on the family’s struggles and how they cope with parenthood, dating, and an unplanned pregnancy, among other things.
“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.
Returning cast members — John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, and Michael Fishman — released a joint statement about the new series, which is set to air this fall.
“We have received a tremendous amount of support from friends 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,” the cast members said in the statement. “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.”
Barr has agreed to not participate in any way with the new series. She and executive producer Tom Werner had previously discussed permitting Werner Entertainment to produce the series devoid of creative or financial input from Barr.
“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from ‘Roseanne,’” Barr said in a statement. “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 cancelled the reboot of “Roseanne” after Barr tweeted that “muslim Brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” a comment that was a reference to former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Barr issued an apology afterwards, yet ABC still discontinued the show.
