Roseanne's anger at her sitcom character's death

Roseanne Barr has protested about the way her character has been written out of her own sitcom history.

Her self-titled comedy series was axed in May after the comedian was branded racist for comparing former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett to an ape. She later blamed the sleep drug Ambien for her outbust.

But the rest of the cast returned in a spin-off show on US TV last night, The Conners, which picked up with the sitcom family three weeks after the death of its matriarch.

Her character was killed by an accidental opioid overdose.

In a statement, penned with her rabbi, Shmuley Boteach, Barr said that the storyline gave ‘an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show’.

And they criticised the ABC network for being ‘unwilling to look past a regrettable mistake,’ which Barr had apologised for. ‘thereby denying the twin American values of both repentance and forgiveness’.

Barr was slightly more direct on Twitter,, posting in capitals: 'I AIN'T DEAD, BITCHES!!!!’

Viewers were divided, with some branding the storyline as ‘morbid’, but others praising the way the show tackled contemporary issues with humour.

Here is the full statement posted on Rabbi Boteach’s Facebook page:

While we wish the very best for the cast and production crew of The Conners, all of whom are deeply dedicated to their craft and were Roseanne’s cherished colleagues, we regret that ABC chose to cancel Roseanne by killing off the Roseanne Conner character. That it was done through an opioid overdose lent an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show.

This was a choice the network did not have to make. Roseanne was the only show on television that directly addressed the deep divisions threatening the very fabric of our society. Specifically, the show promoted the message that love and respect for one another’s personhood should transcend differences in background and ideological discord. 

The show brought together characters of different political persuasions and ethnic backgrounds in one, unified family, a rarity in modern American entertainment. Above all else, the show celebrated a strong, matriarchal woman in a leading role, something we need more of in our country.

Through humor and a universally relatable main character, the show represented a weekly teaching moment for our nation. Yet it is often following an inexcusable — but not unforgivable — mistake that we can discover the most important lesson of all: Forgiveness. 

After repeated and heartfelt apologies, the network was unwilling to look past a regrettable mistake, thereby denying the twin American values of both repentance and forgiveness. In a hyper-partisan climate, people will sometimes make the mistake of speaking with words that do not truly reflect who they are. However, it is the power of forgiveness that defines our humanity.

Our society needs to heal on many levels. What better way for healing than a shared moment, once a week, where we could have all enjoyed a compelling storyline featuring a witty character – a woman – who America connected with, not in spite of her flaws, but because of them. 

The cancellation of Roseanne is an opportunity squandered due in equal parts to fear, hubris, and a refusal to forgive.

Published: 17 Oct 2018