Who Will Be on ‘The Conners’

The Conners, a spin-off of the sitcom Roseanne, was officially ordered a 10-episode first season for the Fall 2018 television season by ABC on Thursday.

According to TVLine, Sara Gilbert (Darlene), John Goodman (Dan), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie) Michael Fishman (DJ) and Lecy Goranson (Becky) will all be a part of the cast, as well as Roseanne showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Tom Werner.

Some of the cast members from the 2018 revival of Roseanne, including Emma Kenney (Harris), Ames McNamara (Mark) and Jayden Rey (Mary), have not been confirmed for the new series, though it is still possible for them to appear.

There was also no mention of Johnny Galecki’s character David Healy being involved in the show. His character became a staple of the show from Season 4 onward due to his relationship with Gilbert’s Darlene, but only made one appearance in the reboot after it was revealed the two had divorced after the original series ended.

One character who will not be on the news series is Roseanne’s original star, Roseanne Barr. The 65-year-old comedic actress caused the Roseanne revival’s cancellation in May after posting a racist tweet comparing former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to a Planet of the Apes character.

ABC released a statement making it clear that Barr would have no involvement or financial ties to the new show.

“Roseanne Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series,” the network wrote.

Barr herself commented on the spin-off’s announcement in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne,” she wrote. “I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved.”

The new show will address Barr’s character’s (Roseanne Conner) absence, though how they go about doing that has not been revealed. In their official synopsis for the new show, ABC hinted at the Conner family facing a “sudden turn of events.”

“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,” the synopsis read. “Through it all, the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns — with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails.”

Despite not being one of the announced cast members, Galecki was one of the first to celebrate the big announcement. He posted a photo of himself and Gilbert embracing to his Instagram mere minutes after the show’s announcement broke.