‘The Conners’ Has Gone Into Production And We’ve Got The First Cast Photo And Teaser

When Roseanne returned to ABC last season, it was a sensation right from out of the gate, giving every indication that we would get several more years of the show at the very least. Then, of course, Roseanne Barr posted a tweet deemed racist and the network immediately cancelled the series. That, it seemed, was that. But then the rumblings began that there would be a spin-off without Roseanne, and that show — The Conners — has just gone into production. Hours later, we got our first teaser!

The 15-second clip is definitely meant to build excitement for the show. It simply shows the Conners’ living room and iconic ugly couch, and as it zooms in to the tune of “Anticipation” by Carly Simon, the words “What’s next?” appear on screen, followed by “The Conners” and “premieres Tuesday Oct. 16, 8/7c.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsnq_cbfIR8

Just hours earlier, we got our first cast photo from the set. Pictured in the photo above, from left-to-right, are Sara Gilbert (Darlene Conner and executive producer), Jayden Rey (Mary Conner), Michael Fishman (D.J. Conner), Ames McNamara (Mark Conner-Healy), John Goodman (Dan Conner), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie Harris), Lecy Goranson (Becky Conner), and Emma Kenney (Harris Conner-Healy). 

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

In support of the new show, cast members John, Laurie, Sara, Lecy, and Michael issued a statement of their own: “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.”

According to a recent interview with John, Roseanne had to sign away her rights to the show before anything could happen (no doubt receiving a hefty paycheck for it in the process), and in regards to the show itself, he suggests that the Roseanne character will have died off-screen between shows. However it’s handled, the rest of the cast is obviously game for the new version, and the audience is unquestionably filled with curiosity regarding whether they can pull this off or not.