For those of you who don’t know, Roseanne was a popular sitcom that thrived in the ’90s with its infamous lead star, Roseanne Barr. ABC decided to give it a fun spin in 2018, following its earlier commercialism and ratings that gave the network a huge boost. The revival show was, however canceled, with Roseanne’s death being scripted in the series. The quintessential question that once bugged the internet was: did Roseanne die in real life?
If you’ve ever wracked your brain wondering why ABC suddenly decided to axe Roseanne from the series (which quite literally had her name on it), you’re in the right place. We explore what brought Roseanne’s impromptu demise in the show and her popularity in real life.
What is “Roseanne”, the show, and why was it revived?
Roseanne was an immensely renowned American sitcom, airing on the ABC network from 1988 to 1997. With the likes of Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, and Sara Gilbert, the show garnered raving reviews and ratings from fans and critics alike. In 2002, TV Guide listed the show in its “50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time”.
In 2017, ABC decided to surprise the fans with a Roseanne Revival. The show premiered on March 27th, 2018, in the 10th season, with the original cast intact. It soon gained 27.26 million viewers! ABC wanted to ride on the continued success of the show, which prompted it to announce the 11th season soon after.
So, what’s all the fuss about Roseanne “being dead”?
2018 was the time of the USA Presidential campaign, with Roseanne Barr being a staunch Donald Trump supporter. She was known for being racist, but the water went over the pot when she made a racist
Comment likening former senior advisor to Obama, Valerie Jarett to “Planet of the Apes”, in May of the same year. While Barr justified her stance stating it was a “bad joke”, ABC was quick to call out the “abhorrent, repugnant” remarks of Roseanne Barr, even stating that it was against their values. The network canceled the show, instead deciding to script and air a spin-off starring the Conner family from the original show Roseanne. ABC went ahead with this new show, titled “The Conners,” with a premiere on October 2018.
Modifying the storyline from the 10th season of the show, the writers on The Conners decided to kill the character Roseanne citing an opioid overdose. She was earlier shown to be addicted to painkillers, which gave the writers ample leeway to craft an exit for Roseanne Barr.
How did Roseanne Barr, the actor, respond?
Following the premiere and in her expression of her distaste towards the network, Roseanne Barr tweeted, in all-caps:
“I AIN’T DEAD, B*TCHES”
Perhaps, this was her final attempt to show her disappointment with the show or to salvage her lost reputation. But, whatever the intention, it sure did confuse the fans about her actual presence in the real world.
Furthermore, in her official statement, released together with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, her resentment of the show was clearly made known. It stated that the death of Roseanne Conner, brought forth by an opioid overdose,” lent an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show”. The statement, while expressing disappointment with the decision, still wished the best for the show, which had people “deeply dedicated to their craft and were Roseanne’s cherished colleagues”.
What is Roseanne up to now?
Earlier this year, Roseanne Barr confirmed a comeback comedy special for the year 2023. The special is slated to be a one-hour gig titled “A Roseanne Comedy Special”. It will be aired on the Fox Network. Expressing his excitement, Jason Klarman, president of Fox Nation, confirmed the news by stating:
“We are thrilled to add her comedy special exclusively to the Fox Nation catalog.”
The decision comes in light of Fox Nation deciding to take an avid interest in the direction of lifestyle programming, evident with its association with other celebrities such as Kevin Costner and Piers Morgan. Fox also promises that the show starring Barr would “feature Ms. Barr’s signature comedic take on a variety of topics, with no subject off limits.”
Seems like Roseanne did not die. And, she’ll be back for good pretty soon.
