ABC Execs Tell Roseanne To Stop Supporting Trump, Didn’t Expect Her Response
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No one is going to push Roseanne Barr around, not even the ABC executives who are dismayed with the pro-Trump stance that the star and her character have taken. These executives promised to make some changes, but they were not prepared for Roseanne to come firing back with both barrels.
Now that Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing” is coming back to television this fall, after being shuttered by ABC, “Roseanne” will be one of only two shows that feature a main character that supports the president. But ABC executives, the same executives that gave Allen’s show the boot, said that they were going to make changes to the show and tone back the politics.
“The decisions that we made last year in terms of canceling ‘Last Man Standing’ were made with the best information that we had at the time,” ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a conference call before the network’s upfront presentation, according to TheWrap.
“I think that one of the things that was fresh for us with ‘Roseanne’ on the air is that it is focusing on a family that is in a different economic status than some of the other family comedies that are on the air,” Dungey said, before adding that the goal of the network is to be “as diverse and as inclusive as possible … across all metrics.” Yeah, provided that the diversity does not include any characters that don’t toe the liberal line.
“I think that they’re going to stay on the path that they were on toward the end of last season, which is away from politics and toward family,” Dungey said. Is Dungey also asking “Black-ish” to get off of the path of politics? It is unlikely because “Black-ish” routinely takes shots at President Donald Trump and Republicans.
Dungey apparently did not check in with Roseanne. The star had something to say about it on Tuesday when she reassured the fans of her show that her pro-Trump character, and the politics on the show, are going nowhere.
“Don’t worry, #Roseanne show fans-next season will be even braver/funnier/timely than this season, despite what anyone mistakenly says,” Barr wrote on Twitter.
Fans of the show were thrilled to see her stand up to Dungey and those who want to silence her.
“Phew! It’s your show and if you decide on a different direction, fine – but someone else deciding for you didn’t sit well,” one fan wrote.
“ABC is trying to stifle your creativity. Stand strong,” Dana Matthew Worley said.
“I’m glad to hear that! That is why so many people like and gravitate towards you. You stand strong on what you believe and you don’t let anyone try to change your creative direction!!” Nicole Nesbitt wrote.
“I love the political issues you address in your show! Most network shows are afraid to do that. Opioid crisis and the crap that is health care. Love your voice Roseanne!” Charly Cain said.
“Thank God you have the balls to stick up for the POTUS – sick of these waxy celebrities making statements probably written for them,” another fan wrote.
Did ABC not know who they were getting when they brought back Roseanne? She has never been one to run and hide from controversy. In fact, she is usually running towards it. No suit in an office in New York City or Los Angeles is going to tell her what to do or what topics to cover on her show.
ABC shelved “Last Man Standing” and gave a ton of excuses to explain why they canned a top-rated show. Those excuses didn’t trick anyone with the ability to think. We knew that they did it because the show was pro-Republican. But the “Roseanne” reboot is such a juggernaut that there would be no way to excuse canceling it. The only chance they had was to change what topics they allowed the show to cover — a restriction they put on no other show. Fortunately, Roseanne Barr told them where to stick it.