ABC Is Considering Resurrecting ‘Roseanne’ Cast For New Show With Sara Gilbert As The Lead, Per ‘TMZ’
The Roseanne TV series could pull a Dan Conner by being resurrected on ABC. However, according to a recent report by TMZ, the show as viewers know it is definitely over for good.
When Roseanne Barr tweeted a racist comment likening former White House adviser Valerie Jarett to an ape, she didn’t just get herself fired by ABC; she also put the careers of dozens of other people in jeopardy. However, there’s still hope for the rest of the Roseanne cast, which includes acting heavyweights like John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel tried to help his network save its most popular show by suggesting that ABC should make John Goodman the star and rename the series Dan. According to People, many fans — including famous faces like The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons — have also rallied behind the idea of a spinoff centered on Roseanne Conner’s liberal, Trump-hating sister Jackie. However, instead of making Goodman or Metcalf the lead, ABC is allegedly in talks with Sara Gilbert about retooling the show to focus on her character, Darlene, Dan and Roseanne Conner’s youngest daughter.
According to show insiders, Sara Gilbert is already leading the push to make the Darlene re-branding happen by calling fellow cast members to see if they’re on board with the idea. John Goodman is reportedly “very interested,” so at least Darlene and her kids, 9-year-old Mark (Ames McNamara) and 14-year-old Harris (Emma Kenney), will still have a place to crash if the show goes on.
ABC, Sara Gilbert in talks for Darlene-centered #Roseanne reboot: https://t.co/v4O6SnhNA7 pic.twitter.com/roeLa1BN9P
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) June 1, 2018
It may be true that Sara Gilbert hasn’t received the acting awards and accolades that critical darlings John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf have, but The Talk co-host is responsible for breathing life into one of Roseanne‘s most beloved, groundbreaking characters. In fact, The Cut declared that intelligent and artistic LGBTQ icon Darlene was the “best reason” to watch the reboot.
Roseanne executive producer Tom Werner is another power player who is reportedly working to get the ball rolling on a re-worked series centered on Darlene. However, there is one big issue that could complicate plans to keep the rebellious outsider and her family on TV. As noted by Entertainment Weekly, Roseanne Barr is the creator of Roseanne, so she would financially benefit from any retooling or spin-off of the show. This would defeat the purpose of ABC firing her to send a clear message about its values as a company.
One idea being floated around is to create a new series starring Sara Gilbert, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and any other cast members who are interested (minus Roseanne Barr, obviously). However, they could no longer play the Conners. If ABC decides to do this, its unclear whether Gilbert’s new character will still possess the same traits that Darlene fans first fell in love with three decades ago.
