‘Roseanne’ Spinoff ‘The Conners’ to Air Without Roseanne Barr

Not long after abruptly canceling the hit Roseanne reboot, ABC announced it will continue the show’s story via a spinoff sitcom this fall called The Conners. The only difference? It won’t include Roseanne Barr. 

ABC said the show will pick up after “a sudden turn of events.” The returning Conners family members include John Goodman (Dan), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Sara Gilbert (Darlene), Lecy Goranson (Becky) and Michael Fishman (D.J.), according to company. 

“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,” the network said in a statement.

The returning actors released a joint statement after ABC announced the spinoff, explaining that they believed the Roseanne characters still had stories to tell that viewers care about. “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.”

But Roseanne Conner’s story, as far as ABC is concerned, is over. The network confirmed that Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in The Conners. 

In a statement also released today, Barr said, “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.”

This announcement comes just three weeks after ABC pulled the successful sitcom due to Barr posting racist statements on Twitter about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Barr deleted the post and apologized for the statement.