When Roseanne returned to TV for its headline-swamping revival season, it wasn't star Roseanne Barr herself who was responsible for spearheading things, but rather her TV offspring Sara Gilbert. As such, the sitcom's recent cancellation at ABC over Barr's controversial Twitter posts had to be especially hard for Gilbert to wrap her head around, considering the revival's initial success had blown away previous expectations. The actress and producer addressed her feelings about Roseanne's sudden change of fate during The Talk, saying this:
I would like to say this has been a very difficult week. A lot of people have been hurt by this. I am proud of the show we made. The show has always been about diversity, love and inclusion. And it's sad to see it end in this way. I'm sad for the people who lost their jobs in the process, however I do stand behind the decision that ABC has made.
Understandably, Sara Gilbert was thrown for a loop by everything that happened with Roseanne in the last week. In one moment, the sky was the limit for Season 2, with many more plotlines and character returns planned. Gilbert, who had just recently spoken about Roseanne's Emmy chances for next year, was humble in her reaction, choosing not to focus on her own feelings, but sharing sympathy for all the other cast and crew members dealing with the sudden lack of steady jobs at ABC for the summer and fall. (Which includes comedian and show writer Wanda Sykes, who promptly resigned from the show even before ABC execs decided to pull the plug.) A TV show is never just about one person, even if only one person is referred to in the title.
For all the somberness and discouraging feelings going around, Sara Gilbert did make it clear that she does not have any direct issues with ABC for its decision to cancel Roseanne over its leading lady's allegedly Ambien-fueled social media tear. Gilbert has stood by the show's (arguably) inclusive stance since the beginning, and like ABC execs, had largely remained cordial and non-combative concerning Barr's political views and her social media habits. But the waves made by Barr's comments about Barack Obama's former aide Valerie Jarrett were too choppy to be brushed away, leading to one of the most talked-about TV cancellations in recent times.
Beyond her consistent professionalism, another big reason that Sara Gilbert might be subdued in her cancellation reactions involves ABC potentially setting the actress up for a spinoff series, possibly centered on Darlene Conner. That would be a pretty sensible decision, considering Gilbert's efforts in bringing Roseanne back to dominance, and fans were often more excited to learn about Darlene and David's situation than they were about Roseanne and Dan's problems. Plus, a spinoff series could allow for beloved stars like Laurie Metcalf and John Goodman to still appear, assuming they would agree to, that is.
At this point, we're still waiting to hear what ABC will decide to do with any Roseanne spinoffs and the like, so be sure to tune into The Talk every weekday morning to see if Sara Gilbert has more to say about her former primetime home. And then head to our summer premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows on the way.
