ABC Orders 'The Conners' Spinoff Without Roseanne's 'Financial or Creative Involvement'
Roseanne Conner is (probably) dead. Long live "The Conners"!
ABC has ordered a "Roseanne" spinoff called "The Conners" (working title, but it works) with a series order of 10 episodes for Fall 2018.
The network announced the news Thursday night, along with statements from the cast and ousted star/creator Roseanne Barr.
It sounds like "The Conners" will kill off Roseanne Conner, maybe similar to how they killed off Dan Conner (John Goodman) in the original series finale.
Here's the spinoff synopsis:
"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, aging and in-laws in working-class America. Through it all, the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns – with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails."
The show will star OGs John Goodman ("Dan"), Laurie Metcalf ("Jackie"), Sara Gilbert ("Darlene"), Lecy Goranson ("Becky"), and Michael Fishman ("D.J."). It will air Tuesdays (8:00-8:30 p.m.) just like Season 1.
ABC added that additional cast members and a premiere date will be announced later.
They also took pains to say "Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series." That had been a sticking point of any spinoff plans -- since she co-created these characters, any spinoff without her would have kept giving her money. But in her statement, Roseanne said she accepted a settlement to keep the jobs of the existing cast and crew.
ABC posted that Executive Producer Tom Werner and Roseanne Barr "have reached an agreement that will allow Werner Entertainment to produce a spinoff of the Roseanne series for ABC without Barr's further creative or financial participation. "
Here's Roseanne's statement:
"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."
Here's Werner's statement:
"We are grateful to have reached this agreement to keep our team working as we continue to explore stories of the Conner family."
Here's ABC's statement:
"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."
And here's a joint statement from returning stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, and Michael Fishman:
"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."
Fans will surely have their own statements about all of this.
ABC canceled "Roseanne" in late May, after a particularly racist tweet from the star. Many fans suggested the show continue with a spinoff called "The Conner Family" or "Dan," and ABC was reportedly interested in possibly zeroing in on daughter Darlene. Now we know what the network settled on.
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