Three ways to take 'Roseanne' forward without Roseanne Barr
If you have not been living under a rock this week, then you probably know that Roseanne Barr dug her own grave by tweeting a racist rant about Valerie Jarrett, a former aide of the Obama administration.
ABC spared no time to let her know that they do not stand for the values she espoused and anyone who did had no business working for the network.
In a matter of hours Roseanne was out of a job, and unfortunately were also those who worked on the show 'Roseanne.'
From writers to producers to actors, many talented and more importantly innocent people had to pay for the foolishness of one person, especially after nearly every one of them denounced Roseanne's statements.
However, we have learned that a new show – a spin-off of 'Roseanne,' if you will - featuring all our favorites sans Roseanne, is in the making. In fact, the cast members reportedly even attended an emergency meeting to iron out the logistics of it.
We are definitely excited by the prospect of seeing talented actors such as John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and Sarah Chalke back on our TV screens.
Many die-hard fans of the show, however, seem to think that a show without Roseanne is a show not worth watching.
We want to prove otherwise. So, as a precursor to the potentially spectacular show that is coming our way, here are directions 'Roseanne' spin-off could go in.
Darlene
The revival show began with Darlene, played by the brilliant Sara Gilbert, moving back in with her parents after separating from David (portrayed by 'The Big Bang Theory' star Johnny Galecki). ABC could very well call the show 'Darlene' and detal the problems faced by the Connor-Healy family rather than the Connor family.
This storyline would even allow for David to be a constant on the show, rather than a one-off treat for the audience. You know even though David and Darlene have a dysfunctional relationship, you can't get enough of them.
If not, Darlene raising her two children as a single mother would make for a compelling story line too. In the close-knit family, she is definitely going to find allies in her father, her aunt and siblings.
Jackie
ABC could just give in and finally make a show about the most beloved character on 'Roseanne' - Jackie, played by Laurie Metcalf.
This is a woman who has time and again proved to be intelligent, kind and highly sensitive, yet she has always lived in the shadow of her sister – with even her name being changed as per the convenience of her sister.
With this potential new show, we may finally get to see her shine.
Aside: Jackie's real name is actually Marjorie and that the family started calling her Jackie because three-year-old Roseanne could not pronounce the word and instead started calling her baby sister "my Jackie."
This would also allow ABC to explore the storyline of Jackie being a lesbian. In season 9 finale, it was revealed that Jackie had come out as a lesbian and Roseanne knew it, but she somehow pictured her sister with a man. However, in the revival season of 'Roseanne,' this bit of information was ret-conned out of existence.
A new slate would allow for the show to explore Jackie's sexuality and for the people in her drab mid-state exurb of Lanford, Illinois to treat it as the new norm. You ought to agree the academy nominee would do justice to the role and the show.
The Conners
If all else fails, the show could just focus on the grandchildren of the family. We're pretty sure teenager Harris and cross-dressing Mark could amp up equal amounts of drama and comedy in the household.
Harris is already resentful towards her mother for making her shift to a drab, old town, and has shown all the signs of being a troubled and rebelling teenager. The possible plot is rich with possibilities on that front.
Mark, on the other hand, is the optimistic and wide-eyed son of Darlene, who is proud about his uniqueness. The number of social issues that can be addressed – albeit, with a dash of humor - based on this storyline is infinite, especially considering the setting of 'Roseanne.'
While these are our front-runners, we still have a whole lot of ideas to make a 'Roseanne's' spin-off work. How about a show focusing on John Goodman's Dan, for example. They could kill the character of Roseanne off and show how he is coping with the loss of a wife and living with a horde of children and grandchildren.
Even better? Give justice to the Al-Harazis. Yes, the very Muslim family that Roseanne was extremely racist towards. In fact, she downright hated them until they gave her their WI-FI password.
We could have an entire show about them, with the Connors as the annoying family next door. Okay, may be that is too much of a stretch.
The point is, the brilliant people that worked on 'Roseanne' - on and off screen – deserve to continue working – and ABC needs to give them the platform to do so.