The Conners is a new spin-off series on ABC based off the original sitcom Roseanne. The new show displays the struggles that the Conner family faces without the main character, Roseanne.

Roseanne

Roseanne was once one of the most popular family sitcoms on  television, from 1988 to 1997. The show was about a working-class family and the struggles they overcame through comedy. The TV family was Roseanne Conner (mother), Dan Conner (father), Becky and Darlene Conner (daughters), DJ and Jerry Conner (sons), and Jackie Harris (aunt). Roseanne Barr played the iconic role of Roseanne Conner and was an executive producer for the show.

In 2018, ABC decided to reboot the show. Most of the original cast came back with new family members added. Darlene moved back home with her two children, Harris and Mark Healy. DJ got married to, Geena Williams-Conner. The couple then had an biracial daughter named Mary Conner. Becky is now a widow and works as a waitress. Lastly, Jerry Conner was not in the reboot.

Roseanne’s season 10 premiered on March 27, 2018 with a total of 25 million viewers. The show was abruptly cancelled by ABC on May 26, 2018 after Barr posted a racist tweet. Barr’s TV family supported ABC decision to cancel the show.

ABC and fellow cast members decided to create a spin-off, called The Conners. Barr agreed to sign her rights over to ABC, and the rest of the cast and crew created the spin-off. Barr was not allowed to be in the spin-off due to her inappropriate behavior.

Sadly, this is not the first time Barr acted inappropriately. In July of 1990, Barr sang the National Anthem during a doubleheader by the Padres and the Reds. Besides her rendition being jarring, she made faces, spat and grabbed her crotch during the performance. After her performance, ABC still kept Barr on its show for seven more years. According to ET, in 2009, Barr, who is Jewish, posed as Hitler with burnt cookies in in front of an oven for a photo shoot with Heeb magazine, a satirical Jewish culture serial.

The Conners

The Conners premiered on ABC on October 16, 2018.  The season premiere had a total of 10.6 million viewers which is down 35% from when Roseanne re-aired in March according to FoxNews.

The show still is about a working-class family and the struggles the family faces in today society. When the show premiered their second episode, the show lost 25 percent of viewers. The show had 7.7 million viewers for their third episode. Recently, ABC added another episode for The Conners.

In the first episode, the audience discovered that Roseanne Conner had died from an overdose of painkillers. The whole episode focused on how the Conners were grieving the death of Roseanne.

The second episode dealt with the struggles of co-parenting after divorce. This episode focuses on Darlenne and her ex-husband trying to co-parent the best as possible.

Lastly, the third episode was an halloween episode and offered an perspective on cultural appropriation. For halloween, Mark goes as Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist. Mark principal finds the costume has offensive and tells him to change. Darlenne sticks up for Mark and says it’s cultural appreciation. In the end, Mark doesn’t change his halloween costume and goes home.

Review

I admire how The Conners moved forward and continued the show, despite the scandal. Personally, I enjoy watching The Conners for a good laugh. Every single character is different and funny in their own way. Each character personality complaints each other, making the whole family hilarious. In addition, the family jokes are hilarious.

I like how easy this show is to relate to with all the struggles being so realistic. This show portrays a diverse family on TV. Also this is one of the few shows to address problems that are going on today with the character giving the opinion.

I also admire the fact that the original cast had the courage to come back without Barr. The only character that didn’t come back was Jerry Conner. Although it was risky to continue a show without the main character, these actors showed that they still have a lot to say.

On the Other Hand, The Conners is not the same without Barr. It’s weird without Barr because she’s been the star of the show for a long time. The show was even written for her. I look at The Conners as a sequel. Some sequels are very good, but none of them compare to the original.

The Conners is a good show, but it’s reputation has been stained by one person’s actions. ABC made the right call to cancel the show and start the new one. Even though ABC did everything right, every time I watch the show I’m waiting for Roseanne Conner to appear giving her family advice and making jokes.

Currently, the audience doesn’t know if a second season is going to happen.

I recommend watching The Conners for a good laugh. The Conners is a good show to watch if you enjoy watching American family sitcoms. If interested, The Conners airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.