ABC greenlights Roseanne spin-off

After ABC cancelled its popular revival Roseanne earlier this year, the broadcaster has made a straight-to-series order for a spin-off that is set to air this autumn.

The ten-episode order of The Conners (WT) will revisit the family after a sudden turn of events, where they will be forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way “they’ve never had to before”.

The Conners will feature John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman and is set to air on Tuesdays.

Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series, according to a statement by ABC. The move arrives after the leading star made controversial comments on Twitter about a black member of staff in the Obama administration.

“The Conners’ stories demonstrate that families can always find common ground through conversation, laughter and love. The spinoff will continue to portray contemporary issues that are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago,” ABC shared in a statement.

Tom Werner will executive produce, along with Sara Gilbert, Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez. Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan and Bruce Rasmussen are also writers. The series is from Tom Werner and Werner Entertainment.

In support of their new series, the cast members said in a joint statement: “We have received a tremendous amount of support from fans of our show, and it’s clear that these characters not only have a place in our hearts, but in the hearts and homes of our audience.

“We all came back last season because we wanted to tell stories about the challenges facing a working-class family today. We are so happy to have the opportunity to return with the cast and crew to continue to share those stories through love and laughter.”