It has been reported that ABC executives are apparently regretting firing Roseanne Barr after a controversial tweet she sent out earlier this year. The Roseanne spinoff series (excluding the matriarch of the show) called The Conners aired in mid-October, and now ABC is fearful that the show will not perform as well without Roseanne in the picture.
A source close to ABC says that it would’ve been a lot more reasonable to give her a suspension rather than terminate her altogether. “The whisper across ABC is that they will not even be a quarter of what Roseanne achieved last season,” the source says, according to Daily Mail TV.
Inside sources are also calling the immediate termination of Roseanne’s place on the network as a “knee-jerk” reaction.
“We didn’t think it through properly. What Roseanne did was wrong but we shouldn’t have rushed to fire her. It was almost a knee-jerk reaction by Ben [Sherwood] and Channing [Dungey] who should have launched an investigation,” the insider tells DMTV, “This would have given them more time to listen to the public, advertisers and cast members to determine the best decision.”
ABC is apparently realizing that viewers may not tune in to watch the spinoff series knowing Roseanne is not part of the cast.
“The comments on social media tend to skew in favor of Roseanne and slam The Conners and the cast members who came back. Even dedicated fans of the Conner family feel conflicted about supporting a show that so swiftly eliminated the show’s matriarch and creator,” a source says.
While Rotten Tomatoes has granted the series a generous 96%, TV Series Finale has reported the official ratings of the first three Conners episodes, which have appeared to drop with each run. The first episode performed the best with over 10 million viewers, and by the third episode, the ratings dropped to a little over 7.8 million.
So far, Roseanne has not commented on ABC’s apparent regret towards the decision to terminate her from the network. She did, however, make a comment upon the first episode airing of The Conners to say she’s not dead, in reference to how her character was removed from the show.
It’s too early to tell if The Conners will continue to drop in ratings or if they will somehow rise up from the ashes within the next several episodes, due to air every Tuesday on ABC.
Be sure to SHARE this article, and don’t forget to check out the video below of a scene from The Conners.
disqus_skY2q2u2Ee says
HAHAHA! knew you blew it, even before I TRIED to watch this mess. HAHAHA!
Annie says
Should not have fired Roseanne. I won’t watch without her. She was the show.
Dan says
This is severe exaggeration bordering on clickbait. The Conners is not tanking. That last episode ranked #18 overall and #11 in the key demo. True it’s not #1 like it was last season, but it’s hardly tanking. It’s still one of the biggest hits of the current season in fact!
Donna says
I still enjoy the other characters in the show and will continue to watch. I give a lot of credit to Roseanne for doing what was best for other cast members. Do I wish she was back on? Yes I do. Maybe this could all be a dream and they can bring her back…
Peggy says
What they should have done instead of having her die have her maybe go into a coma during surgery then they could eventually bring her back
susanne betthauser says
It IS bad. I have only watched 3 episodes – the first one, one other one and the Halloween show. That was HORRIBLE – so painful, nothing funny about it. Just NOT the same without Roseanne. Not watching any more! BUT, TV Land and CMT have brought back the original series. Watch them every day! Thank you for bringing her back!
Valerie Laesch says
Maybe they should think about bringing her back, like they did Dan. It was all a dream.
Paul says
The rest of the cast with the exception of John Goodman are not nearly as funny or talented as Roseanne Barr .
renee says
well, that’s what you get when you rush to judgement on someone in the heat of the moment … that’s God’s Job, not liberals…her joking her opinion, get over it grown ups….a lot of that knee jerk reacting going around lately. sad
Bev Atkins says
It was ridiculous the way u fired her then killed her! Without her the show is not funny! Rosanne is the show! That’s what u get when u rushed to fire her! Ur bad u lose!
Dayne Scott says
Well, she shouldn’t have been fired…..the new version would be better if they got rid of those Gawd awful grand kids and stuck with the original cast. The new kids are just dang irritating.
Glenda Green says
Instead of entertainment industry playing politics, they ought to stick w what they do…entertain! I loved the new show, but without Roseanne, i wont watch the connors! You will not be rewarded by me for playing the PC political game!!!!
CINDY says
ROSEANNE WAS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THAT SHOW. JOHN GOODMAN WAS ALSO A FAVORITE. BUT I WON’T BE SUPPORTING A SHOW THAT MAKES SUCH RASH DECISIONS BECAUSE OF PC KNEE JERK REACTION TO A TWEET. MY GOD, NO ONE CAN HAVE AN HONEST OPINION ANYMORE BECAUSE SOMEONE WITH THIN SKIN MIGHT BE OFFENDED?? GROW A PAIR PEOPLE! ROSEANNE HAS DONE MORE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL KINDS THAN MOST OF THESE MEALY MOUTHED DO NOTHINGS.
Paula B. says
You can’t have freedom of speech – without freedom of speech. It’s supposed to be a country where you are free to say things without being punished. Where’s the freeedoms if you’re going to write something then have people not like it and it costs you, your job. ABC was punished then as well. People are out there saying things, but that’s okay and it is okay, but some shouldn’t be punished because of something that is said.
Patty Carter says
Well it deserve those people right they done Roseanne wrong over a joke shame on your reaction of taking it too seriously.
scott says
I am so happy this happened to abc/disney I said this would happened as soon as i heard that they did this to her you can not make this show with out the star
Ginny says
I won’t watch the show without Roseanne. She was the star and only two people on that show could act: Roseanne and John Goodman. The rest are nothing, they were just supporting roles. ABC has been a real political pain for years and have kept THE VIEW on, who are nothing but bigoted, insulting, rude women (if you have to call them that) – and this should teach ABC a lesson. Not bothering with the show. ABC blew it, and yes, a country that says ‘freedom of speech’ NOW only believes that IF the speakers are who they want to hear from.
Cjeverhart says
Disagree. Show holds weight without the bigot (no pun intended). I love watching it moving forward. Such a dynamic cast!
Maria Gaza Romero says
So happy to see the Connors Tank. Roseanne was the show. Not Becky, and not Dan.
Frank says
John Goodman has known Roseanne for 30 years. He says she’s no racist, and I believe him.
Cindy Miner says
When I watch the Connors I feel like Roseanne could just pipe up at anytime and give her opinion in the show. It’s missing something and that is Roseanne. They need to rehire her and she could come back as a ghost or someone in a mirror that can talk to them and make the show watchable.
Tommy Kelch says
They should do like Dallas did when they made Bobby come back after there was a “dream” about his departure…….
Chris Hoppe says
Did you really think the show would be that good without both Rosanne and Dan together? Slap-Kick comedy is 1 serious (Rosanne) and 1 comical(Dan) to make it happen. Without 1 or the other, it’s not Slap-Kick Comedy and doesn’t work.
Patrick says
If they ask her back,she should demand twice as much $ as she was making,or tell them to go to hell !
Franky says
Bring Rosanne back, the show was better when she was there. Do like the soaps when they bring someone back from the dead they make it as Dan had a dream that she died but for real he wakes up and she is there beside him. Save the show bring back Rosanne. They were too in hurry to fire her, hey everybody makes mistakes and says thngs they regret after.
Tom Jones says
I will NOT watch, without Roseanne.
Carol Queen says
Why, oh why does ABC keep the big mouth has beens on
The View, saying and promoting hate and racism, but, Roseanne , because she is a personal friend of Donald Trump was fired because of saying something out of line…..come on people WAKE UP!!! Our entire family no longer watches anything on ABC, only our local news…….get your heads out of your butts and do something about the actions that are taking place now.
Carol Queen says
It will never happen!
Chris Wentz says
Nope… Love it without her.
Courtenay Sutton says
I wont watch without Roseanne, I did try the first episode but without her it isn’t the same.
Angel warnke says
I will not watch this show the conners without Roseanne she was a great actress and a good one at that its a big loss i think to the show all together and disappointing that Roseanne it no longer on the tv show so no i won’t support this tv show without Roseanne in it
Jason D. says
I disagree with ABC firing Roseanne. They did jump the gun and they never gave her a chance. People make mistakes, EMPLOYEES make mistakes and are not fired. This was kinda like a “Drunk Tweet” which I am sure many people have done. Roseanne attempted to APOLOGISE, it should have ENDED there. Her apology was sincere, yet ABC was only thinking about themselves, and let her go. UNFAIR had this been a union thing, they might have had a fight on their hands.
Sinister Grin says
Won’t watch it without Roseanne. The show WAS Roseanne. Not “The Conners”. Very disappointing all the way around. Luckily I still have my DVDs from the original series.
Sinister Grin says
I agree. I mean if they can bring Dan back from the dead and have two actresses who played Becky in the same room then they can bring Roseanne back to the show.
Toma says
I refuse to watch it without Roseanne, she was the whole show.. Good riddance to the new show…
Stacey says
It is NEVER too late to reverse decisions in Hollywood. Remember Dallas? Superman? Star Trek?
Norma Bruscani says
Why is our society so willing to destroy someone’s career because of a few inappropriate words, anyway? Comedians are allowed to say rude, vicious, and hateful things, often, but they seem to be excused, most often. Free speech has become a very scary and slippery slope!
John Aventi says
Surprise, surprise, surprise! Hahahahahahahaha!
Rachel Patterson says
Never, ever watch even a scene from it without Roseanne. It IS, after all, the Roseanne Show. The cut her out without thought. I’d never even think about watching “The whoever they are” show…
Sue says
I will support her in anything she does, EXCEPT going back to that show. Her co-workers should have stood up for her and they need to go down the drain. Especially the ones that criticized her (no talent fishman).
Hjeana says
Exactly (y)
tom says
LOL,,Did anyone think this Crap would last,,,,Good Grief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mark White says
Firing Roseanne Barr was a DUMBASS MOVE ON THE PART OF ABC.THE CONNERS
ARE TANKING IN THE RATINGS? WHO GIVES A SHIT?
Yun ki says
I would never watch it without Roseanne. I was getting excited about seeing an American show again. Oh well. Watching that would be like hockey without a puck. Grits without corn, stock markets without stocks.