Ever since ABC canceled "Roseanne" in late May and then decided to move forward with "The Conners" the following month, there has been an awkward question: How will the new show will explain the absence of its predecessor's titular star?

Well, wonder no more, because John Goodman has an answer. The actor recently did an interview for The Sunday Times, and he indicated that his character's wife, Roseanne (Roseanne Barr), will be killed off.

"It's an unknown," he said (via Deadline). "I guess he'll be mopey and sad because his wife's dead."

Oh, how things have changed. Until "Roseanne" returned earlier this year, Goodman's character, Dan, was the one who had been killed off. When they got him on board for the revival, they had to explain away his death in what had been the series finale in 1997. Now, the TV family will be grieving again, and it seems unlikely that they'll ever get their lost love one back.

The "Roseanne" cancellation came after Barr posted a racially charged tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama. There was a swift, strong backlash, including writer and co-producer Wanda Sykes announcing that she was quitting. ABC's decision saw a lot of jobs be lost in the immediate aftermath, but fortunately, "The Conners" brings back much of the cast and crew.

"The Conners" premieres Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

[via: The Sunday Times; Deadline]