The Conners’ Roseanne Rule Is Great News For Its Future

The Conners defied all odds when it returned without its titular matriarch and lead character, Roseanne Barr, and a recent rule from the show’s producers is great news for the future of the Roseanne spinoff. Premiering in 1988 and running until 1997, Roseanne was one of the top shows of its time, heralded for realistically portraying an average, blue-collar, American family. The show was greenlit for a revived 10th season in 2017, bringing back the original cast with resounding success — however, the return was short-lived. 

After Barr posted a tweet referring to former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett as the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes,” ABC canceled the already-approved Roseanne season 11. Instead, ABC announced it would be releasing a revised version of the spinoff series, retitled The Conners, which would pick up the series after the off-screen death of Roseanne and the exit of Roseanne Barr. In a recent interview, executive producers Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan confirmed that there is no reference that is “off-limits” when it comes to Roseanne in The Conners. Here is why this decision is great news for The Conners’ future.

Rebooting a series after 20 years is already difficult enough — deciding how to continue a series without its main character is even more difficult. In the case of The Conners, the show’s producers have decided that they aren’t going to shy away from referencing Roseanne or her death. This decision is great news for the future of the series. Roseanne was the heart of the series for the first nine seasons and as the matriarch of the Conners, her character is still incredibly important to the family she left behind after her death. The writers have made the decision to prioritize authenticity and naturality over the fear of backlash. The Conners never mentioning Roseanne would be a problem; for The Conners to be able to succeed, the series can’t ignore its origins.  In referencing Roseanne Conner in this way, The Conners can highlight the importance of the character while separating her from the actress who portrayed her.

This green light from the producers gives The Conners room to fully explore her absence without fear of backlash. The series chose to kill Barr’s character through a drug overdose — a reality that too many families in the U.S. can relate to. Throughout The Conners, the series has explored the pain of losing a family member, but also the beauty of coming together after tragedy and beginning life again. In The Conners season 4, Dan Conner (John Goodman) may have gotten remarried, but that doesn’t mean the show has forgotten Roseanne existed, and it shouldn’t. A recent quip by her daughter, Becky (Lecy Goranson), about Roseanne being in Hell manages to keep alive the snark Roseanne was famous for while creating an authentic moment for the Conner family.

With this permission, there is now no reference that is off-limits for The Conners. Instead of being forced to awkwardly avoid its nine-season history in fear of backlash, The Conners can reference its past openly, exploring the world of Roseanne without Roseanne. This open exploration is key to the future success of the spinoff. For the characters and the plot of The Conners to remain authentic to what audiences have come to love from the series, the series needs this ability to openly explore the vacuum that Roseanne’s absence has left behind.

New episodes of The Conners release every

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