Today’s intel is a bit of a mixed bag for fans of The Conners.
After months of cancelation rumors, the long-running Roseanne spinoff has been renewed for a seventh season.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that the show will be coming to an end for good.
And it will do so with a dramatically reduced episode count.
According to a report from Deadline, producers were able to work out a deal with ABC wherein the show will be extended so that it can offer viewers a proper conclusion.
Unfortunately, that conclusion will unfold over just six episodes.
Again, it could’ve been worse, as there were fears that The Conners would be unceremoniously kicked to the curb at the end of its current season.
The situation was so dire that a tag scene was shot for the upcoming season finale that would end the story in a satisfactory way, had ABC decided to pull the plug.
According to producer Brad Helford, series star/executive producer Sarah Gilbert spoke with network execs and requested additional time to send the show off properly with a seventh season.
The show’s fate was so uncertain for so long that it was still undecided when season six wrapped, and the cast shot the finale knowing that it might turn out to be a series finale.
“We’ve got a final episode that may be one or the other. We love it,” Helford told Deadline.
Fortunately, the show received a stay of execution, and the Roseanne saga will now get the ending it deserves.
Yes, The Conners began life as Roseanne back in 1989.
The show returned to its original network amid the reboot mania of a few years ago, and in a turn of events that’s still widely debated among fans, it took on a new title after its original star and co-creator was fired.
The eponymous comedy legend was let go after making racially insensitive comments about former Obama staffer Valerie Jarrett.
Few doubted that ABC had made the right decision by cutting ties with Roseanne, but many felt that the show should end with her tenure.
Instead, her character was killed off via opioid overdose — she had previously been struggling with addiction following a surgery — and the series was rebooted again, this time as The Conners.
Roseanne has since blasted ABC for carrying on her legacy without her in numerous interviews.
So we guess one person will be happy to see The Conners come to a close!
Elsewhere, however, today’s news is garnering mixed reactions.
Fans are happy that the series will receive a proper send-off, but it’s hard not to be saddened by news that one of TV’s most beloved sitcoms will be ending its run after several decades.
Few shows in history have been as impactful as Roseanne, and families like the Conners were not often portrayed on network television before the lovable Lanford bunch paved the way.
What are your thoughts, TV fanatics? Will you miss The Conners? Or is this show ending at the right time? Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
