Former 'Roseanne' producer says the real victims of the cancellation were the cast and crew
Not many can argue with the sudden cancelation of ABC's 'Roseanne' after leading actor Roseanne Barr tweeted racist remarks against former Obama administration official Valerie Jarett. The cancellation, however, has undoubtedly left a talented cast and crew hanging out to dry.
The show's executive producer Whitney Cummings is the latest to come out to express her disappointment at Barr's behavior. Cummings spoke to TMZ about the show's axing and was reportedly so angry with Barr and about the recent events that she could barely find the right words to convey her feelings.
The comedian and actress — known for creating CBS sitcom '2 Broke Girls' and creating and acting in NBC sitcom 'Whitney' — worked as a producer and head writer for the revival of 'Roseanne' but, in fact, departed the show before its unfortunate cancellation.
It's possible that she saw the events of last month coming but, like many others, she has come out to say she feels the worst for the hardworking cast and crew. She told the tabloid that she understood the network's impassioned efforts to reboot it once again but that she felt conflicted about it.
When asked how she would move forward with the show and how she felt about the reboot, she said: "I quit months ago, so I don't know," laughing and shaking her head when she was asked whether she had "seen the writing on the wall."
"Everyone is so desperate to preserve the legacy of a show that touched so many people. There are also such incredible actors on the show that may try to come back and so many writers who are trying to stop the bleeding and preserve all the damage that has been done," she said in response to whether there was any way to save the show.
She also said her 'heart was broken about it' and that she really 'didn't have words at the moment' but that it was possible they could salvage the show's legacy in some way. She, however, admitted that she felt doing so was a bad move and rejected the possibility of her ever returning because she had 'too many gray hairs on her head from the experience,' adding that she was working on her own shows and standup pieces and 'trying to heal from it all.'
Cummings was also asked if she could go back and 'kill off' Barr's character, but she said she didn't even want to think about the actress. "I can't think of any funny ways to kill Roseanne but I don't even want to think about it. Killing her would mean I have to think about her and I don't even want to do that right now. I'm too pissed off," she said.