ABC Picks Up ‘The Conners’ Roseanne Spin-Off Series
Rumours have been circulating ever since ‘Roseanne’ was ripped off the air after the titular star’s tweets got her show cancelled that we could be getting some form of spin-off. Now it’s official.
US network ABC has picked up ‘The Conners‘ for a 10 episode run to replace the cancelled show. Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series. ‘The Conners’ (working title) will star all the rest of the characters, including Dan (John Goodman), Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), Darlene (Sara Gilbert), Becky (Lecy Goranson) and D.J. (Michael Fishman).
Things will also be pretty much the same behind the camera with the same writing and production team carrying on the jobs they would have gotten if ‘Roseanne’ has made it to Season 2. “I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne,” commented Barr 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.”
There also followed a joint statement from the surviving members of the Conner clan, saying “We have received a tremendous amount of support from fans 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. 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.”
ABC hasn’t revealed the character of Roseanne’s fate on the new series, but they do say “after a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before. This iconic family — Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. — grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, ageing and in-laws in working-class America. Through it all, the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns – with love, humour and perseverance, the family prevails.”
Over in the US, ‘The Conners’ (or whatever it ends up being called) will go into the vacant scheduling hole the cancellation left in the network’s schedules. Still no news on a UK pick up for ‘Roseanne’ (which now seems very unlikely), or for ‘The Conners‘, but we’ll let you know if we hear something.
