Roseanne Barr’s Bold Return: New Comedy Series Fuses ‘Roseanne’ & ‘The Sopranos’ With Guns, Bible, and Controversy

Roseanne Barr was fired by Disney (which owns ABC) in 2018 after she posted a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former advisor to President Obama. In the tweet, Barr compared Jarrett to an ape, which sparked widespread backlash.
The controversy quickly led to a public outcry, and ABC canceled her hit sitcom ‘Roseanne’ just hours later. Barr apologized for the tweet, but the damage had been done, and the network decided to sever ties with her.
The firing was a significant moment, as ‘Roseanne’ had been one of ABC’s highest-rated shows at the time, and the decision to cancel it was both a financial and cultural statement from the network. After the cancellation, ABC launched a spinoff show called ‘The Conners,’ which continued without Barr’s character.
Now it seems that she is ready for a comeback as Barr revealed that she co-wrote a new comedy series with Allan Stephan, which she plans to market soon. The series, starring Barr, will have 4 to 6 episodes, following the U.K. comedy format.
She described it as a blend of ‘The Roseanne’ Show and ‘The Sopranos,’ focusing on a small-town Alabama farmer who “saves the United States from drug gangs and China” while engaging in illegal activities like growing cannabis and magic mushrooms.
Barr described the new series as having “very offensive ideas and a lot of swearing.” She explained that it reflects her life on a farm in Hawaii, where she lives with her daughter, her husband, and their six children, along with goats running through their house. Barr added, “They save America with guns, the Bible, petty crime and alcoholism,” likening the tone to a “Coen brothers thing.”
There’s a scene where I have to strap myself into a corset. My granddaughter helps me, and then I go into town to flirt with all the shopkeepers that are just grotesque people. It’s just kind of a cartoony kind of thing.
She also revealed she dropped by her agents at ICM following the tweet, and shared that her new project will soon be pitched in Hollywood, though she didn’t specify who’s selling it. She added, “If Hollywood doesn’t buy it, then I’m just gonna make it myself,” and questioned, “Does anybody in [Hollywood] like America or the people who watch TV?” She believes that TV audiences would appreciate a show where “working-class people win against the enemies of America.”
Hollywood has made itself irrelevant to the American people. If they want to survive, they should work with the new president. American people elected him in an overwhelming victory. They should get back in touch with [them] and make some money, which I don’t know if they do or not ’cause they’ve proven to be ideologues rather than [business people]. What shocks me is the fact that they prefer to lose money and then explain that to the shareholders who apparently have no problem with that.
The actress is currently hosting ‘The Roseanne Barr Podcast’ and appearing on shows like ‘Club Random With Bill Maher,’ when she was asked if she’d consider returning to ABC. She firmly replied, “Fuck no.” When discussing other Hollywood opportunities, Barr expressed indifference, saying, “I don’t give a fuck either way.” She added that she’d like to be “paid handsomely” for revitalizing another network but doubted they could avoid interfering with her work.
If no network steps up, she plans to go independent and post it on her own website. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!