Posted on 06/21/2018 6:19:34 PM PDT by EdnaMode
It’s official: ABC has given a 10-episode series order to The Conners (working title), a spinoff of Roseanne, for fall 2018. The spinoff will take over the Tuesday 8 PM slot on the ABC schedule that was vacated when Roseanne was suddenly canceled following a controversial tweet by star and executive producer Roseanne Barr. (Roseanne‘s order had been for 13 episodes.)
Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series after reaching a settlement with series producer Tom Werner. The Conners will feature the rest of the Roseanne revival cast, John Goodman (“Dan”), Laurie Metcalf (“Jackie”), Sara Gilbert (“Darlene”), Lecy Goranson (“Becky”) and Michael Fishman (“D.J.”), who will reprise their Conner characters.
“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne,” Barr said in a statement. “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.”
It is unclear how exactly Barr’s character will be written off but ABC describes it as “a sudden turn of events.” On the new show, 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 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 said in a statement.
Added 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.”
I hear the actors, who all had two-year deals for Roseanne, recently signed new one-year contracts for the spinoff, keeping them at the same salaries, believed to be around $300,000 an episode.
The writing-producing team that had been in place for Season 2 of the Roseanne revival are set for The Conners after new deals with the writers a number of whom got raises I hear. Tom Werner executive produces alongside Sara Gilbert, showrunner Bruce Helford, writers Dave Caplan and Bruce Rasmussen as well as Tony Hernandez. The series is from Tom Werner and his Werner Entertainment, a tweak from the credits of Roseanne, which was produced by Carsey-Werner.
Because of the circumstances under which ABC canceled the Roseanne revival, the network’s executives had been adamant that they would only proceed with a spinoff series if Barr has absolutely no involvement — creative, financial or any other. After a deal with Barr, the network had seven days to pick up the spinoff, which it did. In anticipation of an order for the offshoot, ABC held off on announcing a replacement for Roseanne on its fall schedule.
“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,” Werner and Barr said in a joined statement.
Added Werner, “We are grateful to have reached this agreement to keep our team working as we continue to explore stories of the Conner family.”
Immediately after the May 29 cancellation of the Roseanne revival — ABC’s highest rated and most watched series last season, the producers behind it started mulling a spinoff without Barr. The writers bounced around ideas and the creative team met with ABC on June 4. The network quickly jumped on board if the new series could be done without any Barr financial interest. After a couple of weeks of back-and-forth, an agreement between Werner and Barr was reached, paving the way to a pickup.
Roseanne was created by Matt Williams, based on a character created by Roseanne Barr. The fact that the follow-up series does not feature Barr’s character Roseanne Conner, rights to which she is said to maintain, made it easier to hammer out an agreement with her.
Sara Gilbert.
a lead ballon
This spin-off of "All in the Family" features the further adventures of Gloria Stivic and her son Joey. She and Mike are separated and she's gotten a job in a veterinarian's office.
I bet the Connors without Rosanne won't even do as well
DOA. Will join Solo on the scrapheap.
All liberal writers - all liberal cast... Yeah, that’ll ‘standout’.... /s
LOL. Sounds like the “young guns” in “skinny pants” down at abc can’t come up with anything new and original. Probably too busy taking selfies of themselves sitting at their desks drinking Starbucks and waiting for Friday. People watched the show to see Roseanne Barr. Not the “Conners”. Geez. No wonder they vote for “democrats”. They’re idiots.
OK. Sara Gilbert. Happy now?!
I doubt it garners much support after folks do the first show out of curiosity - I won’t even bother with that....
The idiots who made the initial decision to ditch Roseanne following up with another epic bad decision. Will not watch without Roseanne. Hope ABC/Disney loses its shirt.
Not in my house...
Wonder what the ad time will sell for...
Except for the ones that break apart, especially when the mother dies.
Samantha C gets to keep her show after saying the most offensive word to women about Ivanka Trump.
Peter Fonda gets to keep his movie after saying Barron Trump should be kidnapped and raped.
But Barr loses her livelihood for comparing Obama's closest aide to a science fiction character of militant intelligent apes.
It's probably liberal tit-for-tat for what happened to Kathy Griffith, because Trump.
-PJ
Is the pilot going to show the horrifically diseased and mangled Rosanne on her death bed? Or maybe exploded into pink mist by a subway train, a la Charlie Harper?
How you gonna start this ride, cowboy?
The double standards are despicable.
Same here. It’s not the same without Roseanne.
ask nancy...
well abc... at least oprah has some good white people working for her...
They could allow her have a dignified end, sort of...such as, she went walking (determined to get healthy), then mysteriously sustains a head injury with subsequent amnesia - last seen bandaged up like a mummy in the hospital.
But I’m sure they’d like to make political hay instead:
She goes to a Donald Trump rally...attempts to flail a heckler and falls from upper level.
Or she took the grandchild to school and was gunned down by active shooter.
Lefties happy - “serves her right!”
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