News / TV

Roseanne without Roseanne: ABC orders The Conners to 10-episode season

After all this, ABC is still making more episodes of Roseanne. Just now, without Roseanne.

The rumors quickly ramped up after ABC cancelled the once-revived hit thanks to Roseanne Barr’s racist Tweets, and it’s now official. The Conners, a spinoff of Roseanne, will come back this fall with 10 new episodes of the family, including John Goodman (‘Dan’), Laurie Metcalf (‘Jackie’), Sara Gilbert (‘Darlene’), Lecy Goranson (‘Becky’) and Michael Fishman (‘D.J.’).

But what about Roseanne herself?

According to the new network logline:

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.

As for the woman the hit sitcom was based on, ABC said “Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series.”

“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,” ABC shared in a statement.

In support of their new series, cast members John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman said, in a joint statement:

“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.”

Tom Werner will executive produce, along with Sara Gilbert, Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez. Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan and Bruce Rasmussen are also writers. The series is from Tom Werner and Werner Entertainment.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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