See the first photo of the beloved TV family without their matriarch.
The Conners are back!
On Friday morning, ABC released the first-ever glimpse of the cast of the upcoming Roseanne spinoff hard at work on set. In the image, Sara Gilbert, Jayden Rey, Michael Fishman, Ames McNamara, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson and Emma Kenney all gather around the all-too-familiar kitchen table with their scripts while preparing for filming.
An official synopsis for the show reads, "After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before. This iconic family -- Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. -- grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging and in-laws in working-class America. Through it all, the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns -- with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails."
It’s difficult to ignore the glaring absence of Roseanne Barr in the photo. It was her racist tweet directed at former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett that resulted in the cancellation of her eponymous sitcom reboot in late May. Barr has since apologized numerous times for her behavior.
Although the new show’s synopsis clearly hints at tragedy befalling Barr’s character, her onscreen husband, Goodman, recently hinted that her exit will be explained with far more finality on the show.
In a recent interview, the 66-year-old actor said that the rest of the cast will have their work cut out for them in order for the spinoff to succeed. He also explained his character Dan Conner's frame of mind when viewers see the family again.
"I guess he’ll be mopey and sad because his wife’s dead,” he told The Sunday Times.
He also explained that, in a way, 65-year-old Barr had given her approval of the spinoff.
“She had to sign a paper saying that she relinquished all her rights to the show so that we could go on," he stated. "I sent her an email and thanked her for that. I did not hear anything back, but she was going through hell at the time. And she’s still going through hell.”
The Conners premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Get more news on the Barr in the clip below.
RELATED CONTENT:
