Less than a month after announcing it had canceled the popular, working class family centered sitcom “Roseanne” over a racist tweet, ABC has decided to launch a spin-off of the show, sans the main character.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Roseanne Barr reached a settlement with ABC, which will exempt the network from having to pay Barr for the new spin-off. In a statement to the Times, Barr said she “regrets” her actions and agreed to the financial settlement so that “200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved.”
The new 10-episode show is set to air this fall with a working title of “The Conners,” which will focus on the other principal characters from “Roseanne,” played by John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert. The main character is expected to be Darlene, Roseanne’s youngest daughter. The plot will focus on a “sudden turn of events” that changes the daily life of the Conners family, according to an ABC statement shared with the Times.
In its short reboot life, “Roseanne” was a knockout. The show, a critical success in the 1980s to 1990s, focused heavily on working class America and the tensions that arise in families when members hold opposing political ideologies. The show was cancelled on May 29, mere hours after Barr — a real life Trump supporter — tweeted a racist comment about Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama.
