‘Roseanne’s Sara Gilbert and Michael Fishman Reportedly on ‘DWTS’ Short List

Roseanne fans disappointed by the sitcom’s cancellation may find solace in the report that both Sara Gilbert and Michael Fishman are on the shortlist for Dancing With the Stars.

A source close to ABC, home to both Roseanne and DWTS, told HollywoodLife that the network wants to make things right with Barr’s co-workers who lost their jobs due to her actions.

“With the fallout of Roseanne many executives at ABC do genuinely feel bad that so many people lost their jobs over her remarks. But, they would like to turn the controversy into a pay day for some cast members that have been affected by the show’s cancellation,” the source said.

“Producers are very interested in getting Michael Fishman and Sara Gilbert to join the next season of Dancing With The Stars. Currently, they are going to let the dust settle a bit, and there is still plenty of time before the next season starts, but Michael and Sara are on the top of their current wish list,” the source added.

Both Gilbert, who played Barr’s on-screen daughter (Darlene Conner), and Fishman, who played Barr’s on-screen son (D.J. Conner), spoke out against Barr’s tweet that compared former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape.

“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,” Gilbert said on Tuesday, just before ABC announced the show’s cancellation.

She continued: “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.”

In his own lengthy statement, Fishman wrote, in part, that he was “devastated” for his fellow cast and crew mates who lost their jobs on the show that he said “strived for inclusiveness, with numbers storylines designed to reflect inclusiveness.”

Barr fired back at both Gilbert and Fishman, telling Fishman that he threw her “under the bus” and simply responding “Wow! unreal” to Gilbert’s statement on Twitter.

While fans are hoping for a Roseanne spinoff featuring John Goodman (Dan Conner) or Laurie Metcalf (Jackie Harris), Entertainment Weekly reports that sources have confirmed executives are meeting to discuss how they could retain a number of the Roseanne actors even after axing the show.

The network is reportedly hesitant to simply continue the show without Barr, as she is credited as a creator of the sitcom and its characters, so she would still benefit financially from a continuation.

The network is reportedly considering keeping the supporting cast around because it has already signed them for a 13-episode second season — for which it and the production company Carsey-Werner are financially responsible. The entertainment publication reports that the network’s best interest may lie in finding a way to milk its money with something that can generate more ad revenue, rather than simply paying cancellation fees.

Depending on what the network comes up with, it’s entirely possible it capitalizes on both the controversy surrounding the situation as well as its dues owed to Gilbert and Fishman by offering them spots on DWTS.

Meanwhile, three Roseanne executive producers, Dave Caplan, Bruce Helford and Bruce Rasmussen, reportedly already have plans in the work for a pilot project with Tom Werner for ABc.

“[They] have a pilot project with Tom Werner for ABC, and we’ll continue working together,” Caplan told The Hollywood Reporter. “I know that Tom really regretted the fact that we had such a wonderful writing staff together — a real rare collection of talent — and I know he’d like to continue using it in some fashion if that were possible.”