The Conners are back! ABC has ordered a Roseanne-less “Roseanne” spinoff, fittingly (and tentatively) titled “The Conners.”
The new sitcom has been greenlit straight-to-series, with 10 episodes set to debut in Fall 2018. Starring John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman, “The Conners” will air in “Roseanne’s” vacated Tuesdays from 8 p.m.-8:30 p.m. time slot.
Additional cast members and a premiere date will be announced later.
Here is ABC’s official description for “The Conners”:
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 (Goodman), Jackie (Metcalf), Darlene (Gilbert), Becky (Goranson) and D.J. (Fishman) – 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.
That “sudden turn of events” almost surely refers to Roseanne Conner’s (Roseanne Barr) sudden exit.
Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series, ABC said. Read more about that, as well as a statement from Barr, here.
“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.
The returning announced cast said the following 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.”
Tom Werner will executive produce “The Conners,” along with Gilbert, Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez.
Helford, Caplan and Rasmussen are also writers on the spinoff. The series is from Tom Werner and Werner Entertainment.