Geez. The show was called “Rosanne”. I’ve never watched new, or old versions, except maybe in passing. What did the ABC brain trust think was going to happen?
They thought they could repeat what happened when Valerie Harper exited her NBC sitcom in the ‘80s and squeeze a few more years out of it (as ‘The Hogan Family’).
If they had cancelled the show Roseanne could have shopped it around to another network. Maybe move it to Fox and have a funny intro about moving and why Sara Gilbert's character is now tall and blond. But by keeping and renaming it they kept it away from Roseanne, even if it cost them millions. Political incorrectness must be punished no matter what the financial cost to the punisher.