A Roseanne spin-off has all but been confirmed after the show’s former lead, comedienne Roseanne Barr, agreed to waive her rights to the characters that she helped create.
The sitcom, that aired on Network Ten in Australia, was sensationally axed last month after Barr sent a racist tweet aimed at former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett that likened her to an ape.
A Barr-free version of the show was soon touted as a possible replacement to save the jobs of the actors and crew.
However, the sticking point was that Barr, despite her axing, would still benefit financially from any spin-off as she owned much of the rights to the original.
However, Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Barr has now agreed to “walk away” from the characters she helped create and a new version of the show is set to air with a focus on the character of Darlene (played by Sara Gilbert who is also one of the show’s producers.)
A spin-off also makes financial sense for the show’s owners, the ABC. It’s been left with a $US7 million wages bill for cast and crew following the original’s axing.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Barr has agreed in principal to waive her rights, however, producers are wary of her “volatile disposition”.
Originally, Barr apologised for her offending tweet, however, last week suggested the kerfuffle had all been one big misunderstanding.
“Rod Sterling wrote Planet of the Apes. It was about anti-semitism. That is what my tweet referred to – the anti-semitism of the Iran deal. Low IQ people can think whatever they want,” she tweeted.
