Roseanne axed over racist tweet, TEN pulls episodes
Updated: US network reacts after racist tweet by star and producer Roseanne Barr.
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In what must be a television first, the US network ABC has cancelled its Roseanne revival following a racist tweet by star Roseane Barr.
Barr attacked Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, in a since-deleted tweet in which she said “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” Barr subsequently apologised: “I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste.”
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said today.
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger also weighed in on the decision to cancel Roseanne: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing,” he tweeted.
Showrunner Bruce Helford added in a statement of his own: “On behalf of all the writers and producers, we worked incredibly hard to create an amazing show. I was personally horrified and saddened by the comments and in no way do they reflect the values of the people who worked so hard to make this the iconic show that it is.”
Channel TEN confirmed this morning the series was being pulled, effective immediately.
Updated:
Rerun episodes have been pulled from Hulu, Paramount Network, TV Land, and CMT.
In the wake of the backlash, Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer said she would not be returning to the second season
Following the cancellation, executive producer Tome Werner issued a statement saying, “I support ABC’s decision to cancel the show in the wake of Roseanne Barr’s most recent reprehensible tweets. Our goal was to promote constructive discussion about the issues that divide us. It represented the work of hundreds of talented people. I hope the good work done is not totally eclipsed by these abhorrent and offensive comments, and that Roseanne seeks the help she so clearly needs.”
Series co-star and executive producer Sara Gilbert then condemned Barr’s comments, saying, “Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least. This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love — one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.”
Roseanne Barr has quit Twitter.
Further update:
Barr has returned to Twitter to say: “Don’t feel sorry for me, guys!!-I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people, and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet. I will be on Joe Rogan’s podcast friday” adding “losing my show is 0 compared 2 being labelled a racist over one tweet-that I regret even more”
Foxtel has dropped Roseanne episodes due today and tomorrow. After that their license had expired anyway.
Loading ...Source: Hollywood Reporter, Variety
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104 Responses
I was really enjoying Roseanne, i didn’t watch it when it is on all those years ago, but really enjoyed it.
With 10 pulling it from screens, where can I watch the rest of the season. We were 4 eps behind.
I am sure Foxtel will start airing the remaining episodes. The love roseanne over there.
Don’t even think it can be saved…many cast and writers already saying they were not coming back…and Roseanne’s management dropped her like a hotcake.
Such a stupid decision, considering what other people have gotten away with in the past.
The fact that mistakes have been made in the past, “letting people get away with things” does not mean we are obliged to make the same mistake forever.
Have you ever noticed how the RWNJ comments don’t start up until the Alan Jones – Ray Hadley block is almost over?
+1
She tweeted that David Hogg, a Parkland shooting survivor, was a nazi. She tweeted that George Soros, a holocaust survivor, was a nazi. She tweeted that Hillary Clinton was a pedophile operating a child trafficking ring from a pizza shop. She told viewers on Jimmy Fallon to ‘ …off’ if they didn’t like trump. And now she called a black woman an ‘ape’ and quickly deleted her tweet when Wanda Sykes, Sarah Gilbert and the ABC bosses saw it. I don’t think they made a stupid decision. They thought she would tone down her abhorrrent behaviour but she refused to. Feel sorry for the cast and crew who are all unemployed while she goes to work on Fox News. You can bet you she is probably being interviewed by Sean Hannity right now.
Congratulations to ABC on taking such a strong stand that will cost them big time. It was almost inevitable that Roseanne would shoot herself in the foot eventually. Some people never learn – which could also be the definition of a Trump supporter!
This is the same ABC that allowed a View panellist to state Christians are mentally ill.
I guess selective outrage is the fashion these days.
How far does action like this extend? All Harvey Weinstein movies banned? Kevin Spacey free zones? Cosby? Not sure about removing all trace of her series resultant from one tweet
100% agree
What a bloody disgraceful decision.
Political correctness gone mad.
You don’t think that comparing a person of a different race to an ape should be discouraged?
I’ve heard a lot worse,than being called an Ape.
I get called an Ape from time to time, it’s only words, let it go over your head and move on.
So you believe in no consequences to mass public (700000 twitter followers) racism. An interesting way to keep the peace in a multi racial society.
Difference is one Public Figure representing a product with worldwide appeal, makes an unwarranted racial remark about another Public Figure in a publicly accessible area. Not good.
People love to blow things out of proportion these days!
Red haired people are referred to as Orangutans all the time. This seems to to be acceptable.
I’ve copped the ‘ranga comment all the time…whatever
No loss for me as the show had zero appeal. What a stupid horrible tweet and why? It’s not about anyone currently in power. Totally idiotic and the hit is taken by her coworkers.
Same here.
Have never watched even one episode, past or present. So no great loss.
Always found Rosanne annoying and massively obnoxious.
But I do think it’s a bit over the top to immediately pull the show. Yeah, her tweet was unforgivable but so unfair on the rest of the cast and crew.
Wow – the mind numbs at how stupid this woman is and how much destruction she has caused with the cast and crew who brought her back. All that said, I’m glad too see the back of her painfully unfunny show once and for all.
Will they get rid of the old episodes of Roseanne over on Eleven (7pm weeknights) too? Or just the new episodes?
Both.
What a shock that a white supremacist acts like a white supremacist.
ABC knew what they were getting and signed her on anyway. The production staff knew what they were getting into.
I welcome a future where white supremacists aren’t given the time of day to spout off nonsense.
Tutty-bye
ABC should renew The Middle for season 10 & 11 if the cast are still available, it was the most underrated show, but the best.
Personally I feel like The Middle, while being hilarious and touching, has run its course. I would love them to pick up Happy Endings or Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 though
Hear hear! Those 2 shows easily had a few more seasons in them, they were great and quite different to what else is on offer, I actually just finished a rewatch of the Don’t Trust the B series.
with this show being ratings gold another network will snap it up
Not a hope.
Hi David, curious why you think this?
Sure, as the updated story indicates, even cast and crew are not supportive. So in addition to being a toxic brand for network & advertisers you now have a creative problem.
Yeah but this is Hollow Hollywood so I would expect the right amount of money and they would all be on their knees LMAO
To echo what others have said, bad news for the production crew, ABC US and Ten but ultimately the right decision. I really feel sorry for Ten though as they were having relative success with it and will now likely have to resort back to Law and Order SVU or Jamie Oliver repeats to fill the gap that is left (and we all know that will get next to no viewers). But I guess doing what is right sometimes comes at a cost.
What are Ten replacing this with?
Will advise later.
I can see why Ten have chosen to pull the remaining episodes from airing on their channel. However, I have to admit I’d still be interested in viewing the remaining episodes that were made and aired in the US. Do you think Ten would consider adding them to Tenplay at least so that they could still be viewed?
No that would be hypocritical.
Why did TEN take so long to air these?
Now is folk that were enjoying the reboot won’t be able to watch the remaining episodes.
Again, Australian TV is the worst.
Great. Now they just need to cancel the President of the United States for his racist tweets.
If only it was that easy!
According to other chat on ABC News there was more to the tweet…
I agree …so sad for everyone who has instantly been thrown out of work.
To take a page out of Community and their Season 4 debacle, this season will now be considered as the ‘Gas leak’ year.
Unprecedented!
Hundreds if not thousands of people out of work because of one persons stuff up.
Unfortunate, but had to be done.
I feel for all those innocent parties out of a job.
Well, what a surprise [not]! Nasty loudmouth racist conspiracy loon turned out to be a nasty loudmouth racist conspiracy loon after all…
Claiming it was a joke people just didn’t get shows that, despite years of saying she doesn’t care what people think, she doesn’t even have the courage of her own convictions. Real edgelord stuff, that.
Dr. Huxtable, Rosie Connor… Who’d have thought that Al & Peg Bundy would turn out to have been the real decent TV parents all along?!
Such a shame, I was enjoying the return of Rosanne. All those people losing work because of what one person said.
Well done TEN, I wan’t sure you had it in you.
I will be stunned if such a popular show isn’t picked up by someone it the US.
@seantheaussie no one will pick up Roseanne, ir is dead in the water. As far as most of the studios are concerned, Roseanne Barr has a big mouth, and on this occasion is has led to her and her show being axed. Won’t be anymore revivals etc .
Have you heard about what gets said on Fox News in the US? There are channels willing to accept this for profit.
Reports of Fox and Netflix picking it up…Fake News
It was not news at all. It was a statement that there are profitable television companies in the US that cater to the medium to far right.
I certainly couldn’t see netflix picking it up.
I’m not surprised that she got herself into trouble. Again. I remember the controversy and upheavals in her original series timeline. I am surprised that the entire series is cancelled. Sack her, absolutely. Sure it wouldn’t be much of a show without her, but this is Hollywood. I’m sure they can do something creative with her removal. It’s been done before. She really has no idea about vilification and racism. And its consequences.
I feel bad for Sara Gilbert and everyone who worked so hard to get this going again, bringing everyone together and securing a second season only to have it all taken away by a thoughtless actor.