Marcy Carsey, an executive producer on the original run of “Roseanne,” says she would not reboot the ABC sitcom without titular star Roseanne Barr.
“I would have a very difficult time. I think I would not,” Carsey answered when asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the possibility during Friday’s ATX Television Festival. “I think I would just say, ‘OK, we had a wonderful run. I love the show we did all those years ago and I would just move on.”
We’ll see if ABC and producers Carsey-Werner, who are reportedly discussing options for such a Roseanne-less “Roseanne,” heed that advice. One leading thought is to center the show around Sara Gilbert’s Darlene. Gilbert, a host on CBS’ “The Talk,” is credited with putting together this year’s “Roseanne.”
“I am very proud of the show we did originally,” Carsey, who didn’t have a hand in the 2018 version, said in conversation with HBO SVP of programming Kathleen McCaffrey. “I thought the reboot was terrific — great job, great work. So all I can say is it’s a shame. A couple of hundred of people doing really wonderful work — crew, cast, writers — to have that work so well and be so creatively interesting and have it just disappear like that when everybody, 200 or 300 people, thought they had a gig? It’s a shame.”
“I totally understand why they made that decision, and I’m comfortable with it,” she added on ABC’s cancellation call. “I just think it wasn’t what the network wanted represented.”
ABC scrapped its No. 1 show late last month after Barr posted a racially-charged tweet about former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. It certainly wasn’t the first time that the comedian and actress embarrassed her employer — especially on social media — rather, proved to be the last straw.