ABC Slates Roseanne Spin-off

ABC has given a straight-to-series order to The Conners, a spin-off of the canceled Roseanne, for this fall starring John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman.

The move comes three weeks after ABC dropped Roseanne over racist comments made by the creator and star, Roseanne Barr, who will have “no financial or creative involvement in the new series,” ABC noted. In the new show, the Conners are “forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before,” after a “sudden turn of events.” ABC said in a statement that “The Conners’ stories demonstrate that families can always find common ground through conversation, laughter and love. The spin-off will continue to portray contemporary issues that are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago.”

The Conners will sit in the Tuesday 8 p.m. slot vacated by Roseanne. “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,” ABC said. “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 Gilbert, Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez. The series is from Tom Werner and Werner Entertainment.

Barr said in a statement: “I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne. 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.”