Yes, ABC’s ‘Roseanne’ Revival Will Address the Age of Trump
The cancellation of ABC’s Last Man Standing raised questions of the network’s comfort with Trump-supporting stars, especially as ABC pondered re-calibrating its audience post-election. Reviving Roseanne seemed like a way to gauge that, and network brass now assure “we’re going to be tackling some of the topics that are in the conversation today.”
Speaking at the Banff World Media Festival (via The Hollywood Reporter), ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey couldn’t directly answer if the midseason revival would specifically address Trump, though the outspoken Roseanne Barr would nonetheless recapture some of the working-class voices that have “really been missing on the air.” The revival will also incorporate “three generations,” including Roseanne’s teenage grandchildren, so as to present all sides:
I don’t know whether Roseanne (Barr) will speak about Trump by name. But she’s going to speak very honestly. We’re going to be tackling some of the topics that are in the conversation today. I’ll leave it that. […]
Roseanne is an established show. It’s an established family, it has an established character. Thirty years ago, Roseanne was speaking very openly about her life and her challenges. And it’s a perfect time to have that voice back to talk about the realities now.
Set for midseason, the revival will include Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman and Lecy Goranson, with Goranson’s later-season replacement Sarah Chalke taking on a new role.
The new season is expected to ignore most of the series finale revelations, but watch the teaser below, and stay tuned for more on Roseanne’s midseason return.