ABC is about to move forward with a "Roseanne" reboot without Roseanne Barr, and the announcement could be "imminent," according to a report.
ABC
TMZ said the producer of "Roseanne," Tom Werner, is involved in the discussions with the network, and "his involvement has all but sealed the deal."
There are some small things to finalize, but all systems look like a go. The announcement could come as early as next week.
Interestingly, even though Roseanne won't be a part of the new show, ABC may be contractually bound to pay her a fee for creating the show and participating in it. One the flip side, TMZ speculates, ABC could argue that it's a different show.
The possible announcement comes just days after TMZ reported that production executives were "exploring the possibility of re-branding the show and focusing on the character Darlene instead of Roseanne."
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Sara Gilbert, who plays Darlene, even called her fellow cast members to gauge their interest. John Goodman is reportedly "very interested" in the Sara-specific reboot.
The incredibly popular "Roseanne" show was canceled on May 29 after the show's namesake sent out a racially-charged tweet about former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett that read, "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj."
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Roseanne apologized and said her joke was in "bad taste," but it was too late.
After the cancelation, cast member Sara said that her TV mom's comments were "abhorrent."
"This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we've created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member," she wrote."
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On June 4, Sara spoke about the cancelation on "The Talk."
"In addition to my statement, I would like to say this has been a very difficult week. A lot of people have been hurt by this. I will say I'm proud of the show we made," she continued. "This 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 ABC made."