‘Roseanne’ Might Come Back as ‘Darlene,’ Focus on Sara Gilbert’s Character
As soon as “Roseanne” was canceled earlier this week, people began wondering whether we’d truly seen the last of the show. Roseanne Barr sealed her own fate with an especially vile tweet that compared former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape, but the sitcom was a ratings juggernaut for ABC and no one else involved appears to have been a racist conspiracy theorist. Now, a new possibility has emerged: a spinoff focused on Sara Gilbert‘s single-mom character, Darlene.
Gilbert immediately distanced herself from Barr’s supposedly Ambien-induced tweet: “Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least,” she tweeted.
“This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.”
ABC president Channing Dungey called Barr’s comment “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values” in a brief statement announcing that “Roseanne” had been canceled.
TMZ first broke the news, adding that John Goodman is “very interested” in the spinoff.
Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.
— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) May 29, 2018
This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.
— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) May 29, 2018
