Just when you’re sick of talking about the dumpster fire that is the Roseanne Barr situation, there’s more news that actually puts a new wrinkle in the story. No, we’re not going to share the latest batch of crazy tweets from the disgraced TV star (the tweets are there for anyone to see if you’re so inclined). Instead, we have news that ABC might be pursuing a new way to continue “Roseanne” without the titular star.
According to Variety, producers Tom Werner, Bruce Helford, and star/producer Sara Gilbert have been discussing various options for keeping the series alive, minus the controversial star. The report says that the discussions are still in the early stages, but that the three are preparing to sit down with ABC to discuss the future. However, the odds of a revival of the revival happening are still slim.
There are a couple factors that prevent this idea of moving forward sooner than later. First, ABC and the producers know that for it to work, Barr would have to see zero financial benefit, which would be difficult considering her involvement behind-the-scenes. Next, the revival of the revival would be contingent on the cast wanting to return, which again isn’t a guarantee.
That being said, ABC does have a financial interest in seeing the series move forward without Barr. According to the report, key actors and the “highest echelon” of writers and producers have contracts that call for a guaranteed 10-episode second season. That means that whether they roll cameras or not, those people will be paid for 10 episodes. So, the way the producers and ABC see it, they could pay them to do nothing, or perhaps pay these members of the cast and crew to work on a new iteration of the series.
One of the actors involved has recently remained silent about the whole situation. John Goodman, who has been a star on the series for years and one of the main attractions on this new reboot, has been away on vacation, according to reports, and hasn’t released a formal statement. However, ET caught up with the actor and asked him about the Barr controversy. He said he would “rather say nothing than to cause more trouble.”
And when he was asked about a new spin-off of the series, he said, “Then you’ve heard more than I have.”
Guess we’ll have to keep an eye out for a potential spin-off in the future, however unlikely it may seem.