Roseanne Barr Responds to The Conners Concluding After Seven Seasons
Roseanne Barr was completely unaware that The Conners would conclude after seven seasons, according to her son, Jake Pentland.
“We ignore cheap imitations. We support the genuine articles,” Pentland shared with Us Weekly on Thursday, April 24. “We focus on issues that are important to the American public.”
Petland, 47, had earlier informed TMZ on Thursday that Barr, 72, and their family didn’t watch a single episode of the spinoff since his mother was dismissed from the show. He mentioned they were unaware that the series had just finished for good.
Despite the critique, Petland emphasized that Barr and her family were pleased the cast and crew of The Conners had the opportunity to work for seven seasons and acknowledged that portion of her career has come to a definitive end.
In 2018, ABC relaunched the sitcom Roseanne, which originally aired from 1988 to 1997. Barr starred alongside John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Michael Fishman, and Lecy Goranson. The revival was granted a second season, shortly after Barr drew attention for her controversial remarks on social media.
However, Roseanne was subsequently canceled, leading ABC to rebrand the series as The Conners and continue with the remaining cast. Barr’s character was eliminated, and the sitcom navigated the family’s grief over the loss of their matriarch due to a tragic overdose.
“While we wish all the best for the cast and crew of The Conners, who are completely dedicated to their craft and were beloved colleagues of Roseanne, we regret that ABC decided to terminate Roseanne by killing off Roseanne Conner’s character,” Barr and her rabbi, Shmuley Boteach, stated to Us after the premiere in 2018. “The manner of the character’s demise through an opioid overdose added an unwarranted grim tone to an otherwise cheerful family series.”
Barr later expressed that after her dismissal from the show, she felt too hurt to continue watching the sitcom.
“I simply can’t handle it, so I don’t watch it,” Barr confided to The Los Angeles Times in February 2023. “When they killed off my character, it felt like a message to me, knowing my mental health struggles, that they wanted me to end my life.”
Even with Barr’s departure, The Conners enjoyed a successful seven-season run. The series finale revealed that The Conners received a $700 settlement after suing the pharmaceutical company responsible for Roseanne’s passing.
Additionally, the show celebrated the family’s legacy. Although Barr was frequently referenced in the final season, no clips featuring her were included in the episode. Executive producers Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, and Bruce Rasmussen explained their decision not to use archival footage.
“It was due to contractual obligations,” Caplan told Deadline on Wednesday, April 23, as Helford added, “She was very gracious in allowing us to continue the show because of the agreements in place.”
