ABC
Now that the Roseanne spinoff is officially on the way, star Sara Gilbert has opened up about undertaking The Conners without Roseanne Barr.
“I’m so excited, thank you all so much. I really appreciate it,” Gilbert said on Monday’s The Talk after co-host Sharon Osbourne congratulated her on the news of The Conners.
After ABC announced that they had greenlit the spinoff straight to series and had come to an agreement with Barr in which she would have no further involvement with the franchise, it was also confirmed that John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman would all be reprising their roles alongside Gilbert.
With such a quick turnaround from the abrupt cancellation of the Roseanne revival to creating the spinoff, there is no determined premiere date for The Conners yet but a synopsis says the show will follow “the Conner family who, after a sudden turn of events, are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.”
The synopsis continued, “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.”
After the announcement for the Conners was made, Gilbert, Goodman, Metcalf, Goranson and Fishman released 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.”