An actress and producer who has been core to the TV industry for the entirety of her adulthood and then some, Sara Gilbert will soon say a potentially permanent farewell to the character of Darlene Conner as ABC’s The Conners joins all the other shows ending in 2025. She doesn’t appear to have “return to another classic sitcom” on her to-do list, but coincidentally enough, she did address how interested she might be in reprising her Big Bang Theory-verse role of Leslie Winkle.

In 2007, right around a decade after Roseanne wrapped up its bonkers ninth season, and three years before she started The Talk, Gilbert was invited by former Roseanne writer and TBBT co-creator Chuck Lorre to reunite with her former TV boyfriend Johnny Galecki for the then-new CBS sitcom. She first arrived in the second episode of the show, and returned a number of times over the years, with Leslie’s final appearance happening in Season 9 for Episode 200, along with Adam West and Stephen Hawking.

Sara Gilbert stopped by The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast and talked to host Jessica Radliff about working with Galecki and Lorre again, and shared her specific memories tied to the sitcom’s third episode, "The Fuzzy Boots Corollary” and its filthy double-entendre dialogue. When asked if fans could ever hope to see Leslie on the small screen again, and whether or not she’d wanted to return more in the early days, Gilbert said:

It wasn't her call to make, in regards to how often she was meant to return as Leslie. As a strong-willed and brainy female character on par with the male leads, Vickie was a formidable force to reckon with, later shifting her bedroom interests from Leonard to Howard. But apparently her flash-in-the-pan personality wasn't the easiest to draw out and expand from week to week. As she explained:

One always has to wonder. how many grains of salt should be taken with a gung-ho response like those above. Like, if someone walked in and interrupted the podcast interview by offering Sara Gilbert a recurring role on Max's Big Bang spinoff, would she actually take it? Or would she only be interested in appearing on a far smaller scale?

The new offshoot, titled Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, features Kevin Sussman returning for the titular role, with a trio of co-stars in John David Bowie, Lauren Lapkus and Brian Posehn as Barry, Denise and Burt, respectively. So far, no details have surfaced by way of potential guest stars, but I can't imagine this show existing without direct ties to TBBT proper.

While The Conners’ cast hasn’t necessarily been at the center of myriad casting notices as of late, the same can’t be said for The Big Bang Theory’s elite. Kaley Cuoco’s Peacock show was just canceled, although she has another new show in the works, AND she reunited with Johnny Galecki for a fun new commercial. Mayim Bialik and Simon Helberg will both be guest star veterans of Melissa Rauch’s Night Court by the time its current season will have wrapped.

And as far as their own potential interest in returning for the spinoff is concerned, Mayim Bialik is down for it, and Cuoco has sounded interested as well, though Jim Parsons might need some further convincing.

All good things must come to an end, and The Conners is perhaps the most noteworthy TV series set to end in 2025, considering the titular family’s extended pop culture legacy. But that doesn’t mean showrunner Bruce Helford & Co. set them up for a fairy tale conclusion, and the latest casting reveal sounds like it could spark some drama in at least one Lanford home.

Having already revealed that Young Sheldon’s Zoe Perry will join Season 7 for an arc that pairs her up with real-life mom Laurie Metcalf, The Conners has now offered up the exciting news that Robot Chicken co-creator and comedy star Seth Green will bring his talents to the broadcast sitcom in a recurring capacity. But before anybody starts wondering whether his character will nerd out with Jay R. Ferguson’s Ben over T-shirts for Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy (in which Green voiced Howard the Duck), let’s discuss who he’ll be playing.

The first red flag, according to Deadline’s description, comes in the form of the character’s name, as Seth Green will be playing a literal Chad when he joins The Conners. He apparently befriends Darlene while at the Lobo, which seems like it might be another indicator of messiness, unless he’s just hanging around in there for the atmosphere or something.

But here’s the kicker: Chad is in the midst of a legal separation from his wife, which presumably explains his bar presence, and he and Darlene connect over their dark and sardonic senses of humor, and start to confide in each other more and more. But it sounds like their rapidly evolving friendship could send the wrong kind of sparks flying with others who may not want Darlene to meet her sarcasm equal.

Granted, the description doesn’t call out Ben for being a jealous lump, but I can certainly see how that would be the case. It somehow seems even more likely when trying to picture Ferguson’s tall and stocky body next to the shorter and leaner Green, since Ben would likely have zero trouble putting Chad on his ass.

If fans were only getting one episode with Seth Green’s Chad, all of my blathering might be for naught, but he’ll actually be showing up for half of the final season’s installment. Which only amounts to three out of six — with all available to stream with a Hulu subscription — but that’s definitely still enough time to whittle out a meaningful character arc. So who knows? He best not try to mess with Becky and Tyler’s happy relationship, though.

As someone who has always lovingly championed drama between Darlene and Ben — I’ve held out so much hope for Ben and David to straight-up wrestle each other — I can’t wait to see how the always affable and charming Green will get utilized here. I don’t actually think Darlene and Ben will hit a legitimate rough patch because of this, and I don’t even really want it, but I do love a good shake-up.

Here's what fans can look forward to when the season premiere arrives, and one has to wonder if Darlene's celebrating is what sets her up to cross paths with Chad.

I can’t imagine that Chad will actually cause any permanent changes to any married couples’ statuses within The Conners, but I’ll be sitting front and center to see what kind of awkward situations he does cause. Co-star Emma Kenney did say the series finale leaves some open-ended questions for the future, so maybe we can look forward to a Chad-centered spinoff in the future? [Cue Roseanne Conner’s opening titles laughter.]

Be sure to tune into The Conners six-episode final-season celebration when the premiere episode lands on ABC on Wednesday, March 26, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Daytime TV’s biggest shakeups in recent years were largely tied to the drama surrounding The Wendy Williams Show, which wrapped its 13-year run in 2022 in light of the host’s personal health issues. Now, CBS’ The Talk is in the middle of a bevy of speculation over whether or not the long-running chat show is in danger of joining all the other shows canceled in 2024, with some fans convinced the end is nigh. And while some viewers don’t seem too pleased, quite a few are calling the situation ironic, given the way The Talk came into existence. 

Why Do Fans Think The Talk Might Be Canceled Soon?

Thankfully, there doesn’t appear to be any major behind-the-scenes drama between Jerry O’Connell, Sheryl Underwood or any of The Talk’s lineup of hosts, but that’s obviously not the only reason why TV shows get axed. In this case, the rumors are tied to CBS recently unveiling its partnership with the NAACP and P&G Studios for the development of a new soap opera currently titled The Gates. 

The new project, according to Deadline, is set to center on a wealthy Black family living it up within an affluence-showcasing gated community. It’s the creation of the Daytime Emmy-winning writer Michele Val Jean, who has so far penned literally thousands of soap opera episodes for such iconic series as General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful. 

Now, if The Talk was doing boffo numbers and crushing the competition with daily ease, this might be a different conversation. But in terms of where CBS' daytime offerings currently stand: The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful are #1 and #2 in daytime TV, respectively, with Y&R getting a four-season renewal in February. Beyond those, we're talking Let's Make a Deal and The Price Is Right, which are both still putting up solid numbers, and are morning institutions at this point. So unless someone adds a wholly new hour of time to daytime, The Talk seems to be the most expendable program.

Should The Gates actually move forward, it’ll be the first new soap in quite a while, with networks far more likely to cancel such stalwart projects these days. At this point, only three are still airing on broadcast TV, while Days of Our Lives is streaming with a Peacock subscription. So should it happen, it could inspire others to go down the same creative path, leading to a new boom in small-screen suds.

Why Do Fans Think The Talk's Cancellation Would Be A "Karma" Situation?

The Talk first came into existence back in 2009 as a general pitch from Roseanne vet and future The Conners lead Sara Gilbert. This was right around the time when CBS canceled the beloved soap opera As the World Turns specifically with the intent of replacing it with something less dramatic and more breezy. Nearly 15 years later, it's still quite obviously a sore subject for certain sectors of the audience that haven't let that transgression slide.

While there are certainly some takes that call out Sharon Osbourne's ousting or Amanda Kloots' hiring (or several other reasons) as proof of why The Talk deserves to end soon, As the World Turns was a constant reference point for those aiming to point out the irony of TV cycles. Here's a smattering of those comments:

• Wouldn't it be ironic if they cancel The Talk for the Gates after ATWT was canceled because of The Talk - @Elizacanfield
• Many people think CBS is looking at axing The Talk. So, here's the irony. ATWT canceled & "replaced" by The Talk & it may be canceled & replaced by what's that you say? A new soap!!! - @shallotpeel
• Well if #TheGates does happen (and I hope it does) #TheTalk is definitely the one that can go especially after @CBS did #AsTheWorldTurns wrong. - @k50cullen
• What goes around comes around. As much as I like the talk, Now. In order to be on, they replaced ATWT. So only fitting, They would be replaced by a soap and I'm ok with that. - @WDM50
• I watched ATWT for over 30 years starting in the early eighties, l literally got sick to my stomach when they cancelled it, l did watch a few episodes of the Talk, but that was it - @AmandaBalaguer

To be fair, though, there was this one guy who amusedly stood on the opposite end of Opinion Street from many of the others sharing their thoughts on social media.

• Lol I'm in the reverse position. Never seen ATWT or GL. Only started watching the timeslot when the talk came in. - @ByrdMan2128

For now, CBS has yet to make any specific announcements about whether or not The Talk will remain part of the 2024 TV season. So fans can continue to watch every weekday afternoon.

The Conners fans have seen Sara Gilbert’s Darlene take quite a few unique and potentially non-ideal approaches to motherhood with her two kids, and both have managed to grow into functioning adults. (Mark ever so slightly more so than Harris, it’s safe to say.) She’s not changing that skill set up anytime soon, either, as evidenced by Season 6’s fifth episode, “When Sisters Collide and The Return of the Grifters,” in which the oft-struggling Darlene and Ben attempt to show off their intelligence for a college trivia night, at the expense of taking Mark down in front of his friends. 

In our exclusive clip from The Conners seen below, Darlene wastes no time in aiming directly for Mark’s jugular ahead of trivia night commencing. Well, maybe not for the jugular, as this involves a much sweeter crimson concoction than anything blood-related. Check it out!

In more mature times, Darlene has helped Mark with some huge issues, such as his temporary fixation with ADHD medication, which Ames McNamara talked to CinemaBlend about at the time. Or when she and Ben pulled off that impromptu mini-graduation for the Season 5 finale to make up for David’s absence as a father seeing his kid land the honor of valedictorian. Where does “ordering Shirley Temples as a means of age superiority and intimidation” rank on the list of Top Mom Achievements? I mean, not extremely high. 

But it’s funny, and sometimes being a parent is about more than just doing the right thing. And dunking on one’s offspring with non-alcoholic beverages is almost definitely a huge and healthy part of the nurturing process. It’s gotta be in a few parenting books somewhere.

The ep “When Sisters Collide and The Return of the Grifters” — featuring the return of Roseanne co-star Natalie West as Crystal — points out that Darlene “crashes” the college trivia event to prove she’s got brains, but there are probably other, wiser avenues to provide such proof. Such as…watching trivia game shows with one’s kids. 

Which gives us the segue into this also-exclusive tidbit from executive producer and writer Dave Caplan, who responded via email to my inquiry about how the trivia night festivities compare to Jackie’s Jeopardy! experience. In his words:

Showrunner Bruce Helford told CinemaBlend when that episode aired that the original plan was to get Alex Trebek on the show, which wasn’t able to happen due to the iconic host’s death. But while that hosting change-up might have had a more positive effect on Jackie’s Jeopardy! journey, I’m not sure what change would have been necessary to convince Darlene not to spend her hard-earned money on a round of antagonistic Shirley Temples.

The Conners will soon celebrate its 100th episode, an honor that Sara Gilbert highlighted during filming, so don’t miss out on the fun when it airs in April or May. The sitcom airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m., and is available to stream the next day with a Hulu subscription. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see all the other new and returning shows that are on the way.

Though its Season 6 premiere was delayed until the new year due to all things strike-related in 2023, The Conners has already packed a bunch of fun moments into the eps that have aired so far, with more on the way. Will any of that fun involve Roseanne vet and past guest star Johnny Galecki as Darlene’s ne’er-do-wonderful ex David? We probably shouldn’t be too optimistic, but co-stars Sara Gilbert and Jay R. Ferguson kept such hopes alive when they talked to CinemaBlend to promote the current season, so there’s no harm in staying Lanford-positive about it, which equals out to around 60% of normal positivity.

Darlene and Ben have gone through a pretty specific wringer in the realm of sitcom relationships, but made it beyond the muckety muck to reach their current state of pleasantness. Some of that muck involved David missing Mark’s graduation in the Season 5 finale, a situation that helped strengthen the teen’s bond with Ben. It was a smart way to involve the absentee father without relying on Galecki’s presence, since the Big Bang Theory vet has taken a step back from Hollywood to focus on his growing family and stellar home.

When I asked Gilbert and Ferguson if they thought the finale’s storyline was crafted to try and curb fans asking if and when Johnny Galecki would return. As it turns out, it didn’t stop Gilbert herself from hoping it happens. In her words:

Of course, wanting someting is different from a thing actually happening, and the Christmas Vacation co-star to return to The Conners, and Jay R. Ferguson pointed out the first hurdle in the way of David's face popping up on our screens again.

• Jay R. Ferguson: We can't drag him out of the woods of Tennessee, so...

• Sara Gilbert: Yeah, he's pretty happy right now.

Not that there aren't plenty of things to be happy about for The Conners cast and crew without David around to possibly throw a wrench in the spokes. The series celebrated its 100th episode in Feb. 2024, becoming the relatively rare TV spinoff to follow its predecessor in reaching that impressive benchmark.

Even though it seems like everything would be somewhat okay and calm if David did decide to show his face around there again, and he'd probably have to get directions to their house, I did jokingly ask Jay R. Ferguson if he thought Ben might go alpha and challenge David to a steel-cage match if he popped up again. He chuckled and told me:

Mwahaha! Even though the actor doesn't foresee any major issues in that way, no one can ever know all the devious machinations that showrunner Bruce Helford could introduce in later episodes. Lanford needs a wrestling ring!

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming the next day via Hulu subscription.

When scripted series return to TV following all the New Year’s Day celebrations, it’ll likely feel like Christmas all over again, with hits such as The Conners and other ABC faves forced to delay new seasons due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. So while Season 6 didn’t get a fall debut, audiences can take comfort in knowing Dan, Darlene, Becky and more will be back on the small screen relatively soon, with the first trailer shining a little light on what’s coming for ABC viewers (and those with Hulu subscriptions). So let’s dive in!

Sean Astin's Return As Becky's New Boyfriend

Easily the biggest takeaway from this first look at The Conners Season 6 is the all-out confirmation that Sean Astin’s Tyler will indeed be back in this family’s inner circle when new episodes arrive. As many fans are aware, the Stranger Things and Goonies vet first appeared as new love interest Tyler back in April ahead of the Season 5 finale, and was introduced as a FedEx pilot who rather quickly hit it off with Lecy Goranson’s Becky.

It wasn’t just Becky that took a liking to Tyler, either, as their potential relationship also sparked some love within the fanbase. A happy and healthy relationship is exactly what Becky has been missing in recent seasons, as each hint of happiness she comes across ends up tainted in some way, occasionally even by her own actions. 

And I’d say Tyler appears to be getting on quite well with the fam-fam in the trailer above, as he’s already been welcomed into the kitchen table poker game. Plus, he’s confident enough to amusingly make threats about liberating Dan from both his money and his first-born. No sign of anything going south there, either, which is perfect. 

When CinemaBlend spoke with The Conners’ executive producers Bruce Helford (showrunner) and Dave Caplan ahead of the Season 5 finale, they were already pretty confident about being able to expand on Tyler and Becky’s future in later episodes, with Helford saying:

Of course, the WGA strike started up soon after that interview took place, which threw wrenches into the works for not just The Conners, but the entire entertainment industry. But while there certainly could have been updates that got in the way of Astin's return, Helford and Caplan apparently worked whatever magic was needed to make the scheduling work. In Tyler we trust. (No, not Tyler Durden, but just in this one instance.)

• RELATED: The Conners' EPs And Star Lecy Goranson Hilariously Had Same Idea For Disney Theme Park Ride Based On The Sitcom
• RELATED: The Conners Bosses On Bringing Those Guardians Of The Galaxy References Into Season 5 Finale
• RELATED: The Conners EPs Talk Dealing With David's Story In Season Finale, Why Johnny Galecki's Absence Worked For Mark And Ben

The Conner Family Looks Too Happy, And I'm Not Comfortable With It

I say this partially in jest, but something feels off about the fact that The Conners' first look at Season 6 is almost entirely smiling faces and studio audience laughter. This sitcom's own sense of logic dictates that if something extremely positive like Sean Astin's Tyler is teased, an opposite-but-equal force of devestation is almost certainly lurking around the corner. 

For the majority of broadcast sitcoms, this wouldn't be so much of an issue, but The Conners has very steadily trudged along with a firm balance between positive-minded plotting and dramatic stings, with plenty of hilarious self-deprecation in the mix. So for ABC to promote Season 6 with a teaser full of laughter, charm and glee? I think we're dealing with a Trojan Horse situation. 

The only moment in the trailer that may legitimately point to a less jubilant moment is when Darlene tells Dan, “I’m scared, Daddy.” But even that bit features laughter in the background, presumably sparked by the use of “Daddy,” so it doesn’t seem like it’s leading into anything too bonkers. 

At this point, it’s entirely possible that Season 6 will be The Conners’ final outing, with John Goodman and co-stars having discussed the show ending with more frequency in the past year or so. Which I think more or less feeds into my light-hearted worries about what’s on the way. There’s no way this show is going to bow out without at least one or two more genuinely heartbreaking plotlines. 

The easiest guess to make would be that something awful will happen to Estelle Parsons’ Bev, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s during one of Season 5’s most emotional eps. I fully thought she was going to be killed off in the aftermath, but that thankfully didn’t happen. (Yet, anyway.) Otherwise, I’m not quite sure who else could be targeted with bad news in Season 6, and I don’t even want to think about it, lest anything come true.

Fans hoping to see more of the family on the small screen can take comfort in The CW’s recent announcement that it now holds the rights to eps from the first five seasons, and will thus be airing back-to-back Conners repeats starting in January.

The Conners Season 6 will debut on ABC starting on Wednesday, February 7, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Head to our 2024 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows will be arriving soon.

So often, the fates of TV casts and crews are decided by the whims of audience behavior, and that’s only become more clear as streaming’s hold on entertainment grows stronger. Thankfully, not all shows deal with such precipices, with ABC’s The Conners trucking along while still holding strong as one of the network’s top comedies alongside Abbott Elementary. And while there hasn’t been much worry about the Lanford family facing the cancellation axe directly, it sounds like the comedy’s sixth season may be its endgame, with both star John Goodman and showrunner Bruce Helford speaking to that fact in the aftermath of Season 5.

Making the planning process even more difficult at the moment is the ongoing WGA writers strike, which has completely shaken up the TV industry months after it went into effect. We know that ABC already prepared for a lack of Fall TV premieres and is set to hold off on its big scripted shows until the new year. While it’s unclear if that will have any direct effect on how The Conners will continue exploring the titular family’s livelihood, let’s dig into what’s been said about this next year possibly being the final outing.  

What John Goodman Has Said

Despite previously considering a step back from working so much, John Goodman has been crushing the double-series life in recent years, bouncing between The Conners’ lo-fi dysfunction and the far higher-profile chaos at the heart of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones. But while the televangelist comedy’s future isn’t up for discussion at the moment, Goodman did address the idea that Dan Conner & Co. may only be around for another year, while also pointing out that ABC already defied expectations by renewing the show as many times as it already has. Here’s how he put it to France 24: 

Goodman sounds like he might be of two minds on the idea, in that he might be perfectly fine with saying goodbye to the TV set he’s called home for more than 15 (non-continuous) years, but also wouldn’t fight against the idea of keeping The Conners going until the last possible moment. We probably shouldn’t expect to see him reuniting with Roseanne Barr during the show’s swan song, but that would be one of the biggest TV moments of the century if it happened.

What The Showrunner Has Said

For all that John Goodman has and can say about The Conners possibly wrapping up, it’s technically not his area of expertise to speak to the creative and production side of things. That falls more on showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan, who have been steering the ship throughout all the seasons that have aired to date, as well as co-star and fellow EP Sara Gilbert. When things hit the point where Gilbert isn’t interested anymore, that’s when everyone will hang it up, and Helford hinted at that being a likelihood going forward, telling this to TVLine around the time when Season 5 was wrapping up: 

When it comes to ongoing goals for the show's creative team, Bruce Helford previously talked to CinemaBlend about the desire to bring Stranger Things and The Goonies vet Sean Astin back on the show as Becky’s latest love interest for the long haul, even if that only ends up being a single season. Becky deserves it more than fans do, but fans also deserve seeing these characters reaching points of extended glee. As well, Lecy Goranson talked with us about the guest stars she'd love to see join the show before it all wraps up, so here's hoping the powers that be can make more magic happen once the strike is over.

Fans can rewatch the fifth season of The Conners in its entirety with a Hulu subscription while waiting to see if and when Season 6 will indeed be the final batch of eps for this multigenerational clan. 

The Conners recently received good news from ABC, with the announcement of a sixth season to come this fall (though probably later than usual). However, as fans celebrate the renewal news, it might be easy to forget that five years ago the spinoff was born after controversial comments from Rosanne Barr caused the cancellation of her eponymous sitcom. Barr certainly hasn’t forgotten that, and she spoke out again recently, putting the blame on her former co-star Sara Gilbert, saying that The Conners star “stabbed me in the back.”

Roseanne Barr has seemingly always seen Sara Gilbert as the reason the Roseanne revival came to end, after the Darlene portrayer denounced Barr’s racist tweet about former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, with Barr even comparing Gilbert to Hanibal Lector. The former queen of primetime repeated similar sentiments on The Megyn Kelly Show’s YouTube channel in a conversation about cancel culture, in which Barr said: 

Not only does Roseanne Barr feel that Sara Gilbert speaking out on Twitter led to her show’s cancellation, but she was clearly hurt by her former co-star’s discussions of the issue on the CBS daytime talk show. 

However, the Roseanne star was known at the time for tweeting her strong opinions, and ABC had reportedly already contacted her on multiple occasions about her Twitter rage. The racist comment toward Valerie Jarrett proved to be the nail in the sitcom’s coffin, and for that of her character.

When The Conners premiered in 2018 sans-Roseanne Barr, it was revealed that the Conner matriarch had died of an opioid overdose. The actress spoke about her distaste for that decision at the time, and she divulged to Megyn Kelly that she took the message personally, saying it wasn’t just her TV character who died, but her personal character as well. She explained: 

Thankfully, it didn’t come to that, and Roseanne Barr admitted that she thinks she’s better off without her former co-stars in her life now. You can see their conversation below: 

While the comedian hasn’t appeared on television since her fall from grace, she did record a standup special, Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!, in which she namechecked Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K. in regard to their own controversies.

As for The Conners, the ongoing WGA writers strike has things up in the air in regards to its Season 6 premiere date, but keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule to see all of the upcoming premieres. 

As it often goes for everyone’s favorite middle class warriors, the Conner family has dealt with heavy issues in many of the episodes that have aired thus far in 2023, from Dan’s suffering empty-nest fears to Becky falling back on her addictive habits to Harris’s two-episode pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. This is a family that deserves an escape — perhaps set to the driving, frolic-inspiring tones of…Mark’s contrabassoon — and it sounds like at least one of them will make an attempt in Episode 517, “Road Trip and Guilt Trip,” with Darlene venturing out of town and leaving Becky and Ben with a load of responsibilities to deal with. But as it’s made clear in the exclusive new clip below, Darlene won’t be heading to Chuck E. Cheese for her relaxation needs. 

Okay, so I doubt Darlene would be opting in on playing redemption games at any fine Chuck E. Cheese establishments while out on a solo excursion, but there are no guarantees where the Conners are involved. Because in the clip below, featuring Darlene’s attempt to get some hangtime in with Harris, it’s made clear that Sara Gilbert’s playful-lite character was in one of the locations perhaps more recently than expected.

For those who didn’t get to watch, Emma Kenney’s Harris mentions Darlene being banned from Chuck E. Cheese, which warrants the explanation:

On behalf of many parents around the country who would love to wallop the high-voiced mouse, I give Darlene a bunch of blue ribbons, and she gets to keep as many as she can grab while inside the Ticket Blaster. Now, was Darlene’s situation likely due to the actual person inside the costume being a turd, and didn't just serve as a blanketed swing at the franchise as a whole? Probably. I guess how widespread the ban is depends on how "slightly physical" things got. The fact that she's calling him Mr. Cheese doesn't sit well with me in any case.

The clip seems to be setting up the idea that Harris is now hanging out with Becky more than Darlene might be comfortable with, especially if Becky's cleaning ideas are all as brilliant+ as foot-scrubbing. Which may be why Darlene ends up leaving a bunch of notes and tasks for Ben and Becky to deal with while on her road trip. And I'll just blindly trust that Ben did something to deserve it. 

Perhaps while out on her trip, Darlene would be more interested in taking on another kind of game-ified experience more to her dark interests, such as the IT escape room that just opened in Las Vegas, or perhaps a crossover between The Conners universe over with that of Nicolas Cage’s horror-comedy Willy’s Wonderland. Which, yeah, I’ll admit started off as a dumb joke, but now I can’t think of anything I’d like to see more than Darlene and Nicolas Cage teaming up to take down sassy costumed mascots.

For now, though, I’ll live with the reality that The Conners brings to ABC every Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes available to stream the next day with a Hulu subscription.

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the latest episode of The Conners, so be warned!

The Conners’ first post-Valentine’s Day episode certainly wasn’t interested in any post-romantic glowing, with Darlene struggle-adjusting her way through job interviews while Becky took a legally questionable crash course in Workman’s Comp fraud with the goal of wanting to be a more present mother for Beverly Rose. But there were certainly some sweet guest stars popping up as instant finalists for Lanford’s Best Smiles — an unofficial contest (for now) — Mom’s Jaime Pressly and 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer, who helped make for a fun week of filming, even if their characters put Darlene down the awkward road to self-realizations about how others perceive her.

Showrunner and executive producer Bruce Halford and fellow EP Dave Caplan shared some insights with CinemaBlend via email about Episode 514, “Adding Insult to Injury,” and I think it’ll surprise no one to learn that McBrayer and Pressly were pure delights. 

The Conners Welcomed Jaime Pressly And Jack McBrayer To Lanford

Some of The Conners’ best guest stars come when the actors are given material that goes against audience expectations, such as casting rock legend Joe Walsh as Aldo’s one of a kind dad in Season 3. That wasn’t exactly the case with Jaime Pressly and Jack McBrayer, who both got to flash their pearly whites while portraying genial characters. But both scenes did hinge on the diea of Darlenes' snarkiness managing to sour two of the more beaming personalities that have peopped up in Lanford. (I think any random people on the street, when asked to picture the current manager of a family-owned candy factory, would picture McBrayer at least 50% of the time, and maybe that's not a good thing?)

When asked about bringing those two in particular to the midwestern world of Lanford, here’s what Dave Caplan and Bruce Helford had to say about landing the Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show star and the Not Another Teen Movie vet.

• Dave Caplan: We've done interview scenes before with Sara and they've always provided a really nice showcase for a co-star.  Jaime and Jack were two names we've had on our list for a while and when the opportunity arose we thought we'd go for it.
• Bruce Helford: We love Jack and Jaime and when we knew we’d have multiple interviews, we just took a shot and we got lucky. They’re always so busy. There’s so many regular characters on our show, it isn’t often that we have a few spots open for guest stars. It was pretty much actors’ paradise that week.

The Conners recently gave the world William H. Macy’s latest killer mustache as one of Roseanne's former boyfriends, but while he was mostly used in group scenes, "Adding Insult to Injury" utilized both of its guest stars for one-on-one scenes opposite Sara Gilbert. As it usually goes with the show's interview scenes with Darlene, the performances were at the forefront, so it's easy to imagine those scenes being fun to see come togther on the day. 

That said, Jack McBrayer's Mr. Futterman did make a second appearance during the episode's final scene to have a quick battle of polite personalities with Nat Faxon's Neville. I noted to the EPs how amazed I was to see that the episode managed to grant my wish, made just minutes prior, for Faxon and McBrayer to share the screen together to see if they could cause a black hole of niceness to form in the universe. (Which might very well have happened had the latter not hilariously called Jackie a bitch.) Here's what Caplan and Helford said about that scene, while also touching on the possbility of Jaime Pressly's character potentially showing up at the Lunch Box one day:

• Dave Caplan: Yeah, I think that was all Bruce's idea. They just seem like they had such complementary personalities. We knew we wanted to do a Chip and Dale sort of thing. . . . We'd love to have Jaime back if it worked out.
• Bruce Helford: We’d love to have Jaime back any time, so yeah, a visit to the Lunch Box would be totally her kind of place. As you saw in the tag, Jack found his way there because we really wanted him and Laurie and Nat to have some kind of scene together. Comedy magicians. We had the same wish as you :) 

As much as I thought Jane Curtain as Katey Sagal's fictional mom might be the match most made in heaven, Nat Faxon and Jack McBrayer's pie anti-argument might seal the deal. 

Darlene Realized People Don't View Her Snark The Way She Does

After derailing both of her early-episode job interviews by (perhaps justifiably) pointing out what she perceived to be problems with how her potential bosses conducted themselves during the interview. A bold approach, certainly, but one that obviously came up short by way of landing her an actual job. Which led to her having a hilarious, though purposeful, chat with Dan and Harris about in which they directly adressed how her surly attitude works against her in such situations. When I asked about the idea behind Darlene going this far in life without being aware of such things, Bruce Helford noted that she is aware of certain ways she comes off as negative, just not necessarily all of them. In his words:

By all means, I'm sure we can all think of someone from our lives who has remained oblivious to their most damaging instincts. The Darlene in our lives, as it were. Or weren't. Though her points may not have been objectively wrong, she just voiced them in the worst kind of context. And Dave Caplan pointed out that this isn't a trait that's limited to the worst of us. 

In the end, Darlene probably didn't learn any hard lessons, and I don't think that Dan and Harris' advice to fake one's way into success is on the money, either. Everything in moderation, be it snark sharing, beer swilling, weed toking, or candy eating. I don't know how to overdo something with tires, so I can't bring Jaime Pressly's character into this analogy.

The Conners delivers new episodes every Wednesday night on ABC at 8:00 p.m., and fans can find them streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription. There are still quite a few episodes left in the season for even more guest stars to drop in on the sitcom clan, so stay tuned for more updates!

The guest star gods have been quite kind to The Conners thus far in Season 5 — that’s how TV casting works, right? — with the arguable highlight being the double dose of Shameless vet William H. Macy appearing in the same episode as throwback Roseanne vet Eric Allen Kramer. (No disrespect to the spectacular Jane Curtin as Louise and Neville’s mom, of course.) Fans can expect another excellent cameo pair-up, too, as My Name Is Earl vet and Mom fave Jaime Pressly and 30 Rock’s ever-smiling Jack McBrayer are popping into Lanford as hurdles for Darlene to leap over on her quest to find a new job.

Thankfully, nobody will be waiting very long to see Pressly and McBrayer's latest network TV efforts, as they’re guest-starring in tonight’s episode, titled “Adding Insult To Injury.” Let’s take a look at what to expect from each of this comedy stars’ debuts on The Conners, as well as our first look pics and clips for each!

Jaime Pressly

While we’ll have to wait and see what Jaime Pressly’s character will be named upon her Conners debut, we do know that she’s playing a business owner in town that has an opening that Darlene is attempting to fill. Context clues from the image above, as well as the clip below, make it easy to glean that the Joe Dirt vet runs a tire company, which doesn’t exactly sound like a perfect fit for the…non-tire-enthusiast that is Darlene.

Now hit play to see Jaime Pressly using one of the most groan-worthy management-speak euphamisms, and how Darlene reacted in kind. 

Something tells me Darlene isn't going to land this gig. Which is probably fine, since she's probably get...tired of it...pretty quickly. 

Jack McBrayer

A similar narrative path is in place for Jack McBrayer, who shared the screen with another sticom icon already this year on Call Me Kat. Although this guest spot seems to be a bit more bittersweet, in that The Conners manages to successfully offer up a McBrayer character whose beaming smile is eventually upended by his distaste for Darlene's personality. Which is kind of like comedy blasphemy, even if she doesn't know it.

Check out McBrayer's small-town quasi-Willy Wonka in the clip below!

Now that you know the kind of fun Darlene will be having on her job hunt, don't forget to tune into The Conners tonight on ABC to see Jaime Pressly and Jack McBrayer in what'll hopefully be the first of several appearances as time goes by. Actually, if there's a petition to sign for a spinoff entirely centering on Jack McBrayer as the owner of a candy company, I will start canvassing neighborhoods.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the Season 5 premiere of The Conners, so be warned!

As The Conners returned to ABC for its fifth season, it re-introduced viewers its latest pair of newlywed couples: Darlene & Ben and Jackie & Neville, with the latter duo clearly not suffering from a lack of libidinous energy. The premiere also laid out the new living situation going forward, with Becky and Beverly Rose moving in with most of Darlene’s crew. It was a relatively calamity-free installment, save for Mark’s second experience with mind-altering substances, so does that mean these characters should get accustomed to such brighter pastures?

When CinemaBlend’s Sarah El-Mahmoud spoke with Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson ahead of “Double Honeymoon and Seeing Double,” she asked about what fans can expect to see from Darlene and Becky early on in Season 5, and it actually does sound like everything everything is on the up and up for both of the Conner daughters. Which only serves to sow suspicion in my mind, but let’s keep things optimistic for now. 

Sara Gilbert On Darlene And Ben's New Home And Early Marriage

When asked about how Darlene and Ben’s new home will compare to the iconic TV landmark that is the Conner family home, Sara Gilbert shared that things will be comparatively modest, and that fans shouldn’t expect anybody to start avoiding the main abode. In her words:

Dan shared some automatic gripes whenever Harris voiced her wishes to stick around the main house instead of hopping into the new one with the rest of her fam, as he thought he was finally granting Louise her wish for peace, quiet, and privacy when at home. So for his sake, I’m hoping when Gilbert says Darlene & Co. will be spending “a lot” of time there, that refers to the points when Katey Sagal’s character is on the road playing gigs. (Where, perhaps ironically, it’s much better to have a packed house.)

Considering Ben and Darlene’s relationship has gone from wildly tempestuous to slightly less tempestuous over the past few years, we asked Sara Gilbert how positive-minded and/or impulsive they’ll remain in the first chapter of their lives as a married couple. And while things obviously won’t be perfect, she doesn’t hint at anything volcanic on the horizon, saying:

But the phrase “calm before the storm” exists for a reason, and on a show like The Conners, a streak of non-devastating vibes is a good indicator that the other shoe is going to drop pretty hard at some point. Which isn’t to say viewers should expect Darlene and Ben’s marriage to go belly-up or anything, but the creative team knows how to make things tragic without necessarily crushing the characters themselves. 

The Conners’ showrunner Bruce Helford previously confirmed Season 5 wouldn’t focus on home renovations or anything of that nature before having the characters settle into their respective homes. So one can assume that we won’t have to worry about Darlene falling through any more ceilings, leading to further spontaneous life changes for her and Ben, nor any major fights about how the house should look. Just normal married-people fights. 

Lecy Goranson On Becky's Early Season 5 Journey

Becky was the only adult character on the show who didn’t go through some kind of personal marital issues in Season 4, if we’re counting D.J.’s marriage being impacted by AWOL Geena again following her return in Season 3’s finale. Which isn’t to say Lecy Goranson’s character didn’t have her own struggles to cope with, but more than ever before, Becky’s life is on an upswing for the time being. When asked what the character’s situation is during Season 5’s early episodes, here’s what the actress said: 

I think we can all expect to see some ups and downs when it comes to Darlene and Becky living under a different roof together, especially if Darlene is the one who gets to make the rules. (Suck it, Ben.) After watching the newly married couple get so stressed out over hearing Jackie and Neville having sex in the same cabin, I can't wait to see how they react whenever Becky brings someone home for naughty-time.

One of Becky’s ongoing character anchors is her past with alcohol abuse, and her current path of sobriety. As it often goes in these cases, she’s stumbled along the way, but Lecy Goranson doesn’t seem to think Becky will be tripping up soon, even with a big life change such as moving, and instead makes it sound like she’s using the dark times to inspire a brighter future.

Of course, when I talked to showrunner Bruce Helford last season around the time the finale aired, he hinted that Becky’s drifting nature would lead to complications. Though I suppose complications don’t necessarily imply outright disasters. It’s hard to shake the ominous feelings about what’s coming soon for the Conner family, but I’m happy to wallow in their tentative joy while it lasts. 

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes available to stream the next day with a Hulu subscription. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched The Conners Season 4 finale, so be warned!

Closing out a TV season can be far trickier than filling out the middle, with a need to wrap up storylines in pleasing ways that are meant to pay it forward in a future season (not so much the case for the crop of recently cancelled shows). A sitcom like ABC’s The Conners ostensibly has it easier than twist-driven dramas in that respect, with something of a status quo to return to for the characters. But with its Season 4 capper, The Conners introduced some potentially permanent changes to many of its characters’ lives going into the fifth season premiering later this year (in a different time slot).

With its penultimate episode setting up a trio of family weddings for two generations of Conners and a Harris, The Conners didn’t get to fully deliver on that front, thanks to men being presumptuous, with Darlene and Ben tying the knot alongside Jackie and Neville, while Harris and Aldo put a halt to their nuptials. CinemaBlend talked with showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan about the different ways things played out for Darlene and her daughter’s relationships, as seen above, and they shared a fun detail for what fans can expect to see in Season 5. 

 Darlene And Ben Successfully Got Married

Wedding episodes have long been a television staple, and The Conners previously delivered a rain-soaked ceremony earlier in Season 4 when Dan and Louise got married. When I asked Bruce Helford and Dave Caplan about landing on the idea to circle back around to weddings for the finale, here’s how Helford replied:

Which is to say, viewers can get used to Laurie Metcalf’s Jackie feeling more self-assured in her relationship with Neville now that they’re married, but I don’t think anyone should expect her to suddenly not be neurotic in every other way still. Never say never, I guess, even when it’s tattooed around your finger. (Seriously, how did Jackie not murder Aldo for that?)

According to Dave Caplan, the finale was the natural conclusion for where this season was already going with the characters. In his words:

Considering Darlene and Ben spent much of the fourth season being confrontationally pissy with one another (in largely amusing ways), fans might not have suspected their storyline would be telling the writers to bring them back together, but that’s indeed what happened after Darlene took her roof-breaking tumble a few episodes prior. When I asked the showrunner and EP if that speedy choice was partly set up to avoid spending another mini-arc on rekindling things, here’s how Bruce Helford answered:

Had Darlene and Ben spent the season flat-out ignoring each other following their doom-laden split, it wouldn’t have been as fun or as natural to see them eventually reach a point where they were married in front of an opera-singing clown. (Big props to the always magnificent Puddles as a guest star.) Dave Caplan also pointed out ways that their deeper emotional bonds remained intact even as their surface personalities clashed, saying: 

I guess they now have the rest of their lives to figure that one out, which should be slightly easier once they move into their own house. That will no doubt come with its own line of obstacles, but I digress. For now, we can still celebrate...at least for this couple.

Harris And Aldo Weren't So Successful With The Marriage Thing

Minus some lapses in good judgment every so often, Emma Kenney's Harris Conner has proven herself to be a dedicated significant other for Aldo and his kids, despite how often it put her out to do so. (She's definitely more like her father David and her brother Mark in that respect.) But even Harris has her limits, and Aldo found out the hard way what happens when someone attempts to breach one of those boundaries, a relationship sin he committed by blindly assuming a woman half his age would be perfectly fine with bearing his children simply because he himself is getting older. And so no marital bliss for these two, at least not yet.

It's probably best that she went through a relationship as uniquely tumultuous as this one so early in life, so that she has that as a litmus test to base other prospective mates against. But that's even assuming that Harris and Aldo are 100% split up for good, which may not be the case. 

Showrunner Bruce Helford revealed that Aldo will return in Season 5, and had nothing but good things to say about actor Tony Cavalero. Helford also revealed that Dan won't be going through complete empty nest syndrome when Darlene and Becky move out. In his words:

That presents its own interesting array of scenarios that could play out in the new season. Will Harris take over Darlene's old room and find herself becoming more and more like her mom? Will Aldo and his father Jesse, brilliantly portrayed by Joe Walsh, be hanging out at the house more with Dan, without others around as much? How long before Louise drops ultimatums on Dan and Harris? Somebody needs to start keeping Louise content.

For now, The Conners is over and done with on ABC (though episodes are available to stream for those with Hulu subscriptions), but fans can look forward to Season 5 starting up at some point in late September. Until then, there are lots of other options in the 2022 TV schedule to get hooked on.

Spoilers below for The Conners’ latest episode, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

The Conners pulled a fast one on viewers with its antepenultimate Season 4 installment, making us all pay attention to Christopher Lloyd’s guest-starring return as Lou, only to have Ben and Darlene leap into a serious relationship at a moment’s notice. (Well, okay, Darlene fell through a roof and went to the hospital, so it took slightly longer than a moment.) The episode “Three Ring Circus” gave fans a peek at how things panned out for the new-old couple post-hospital, while also providing some key relationship upgrades for Jackie and Neville, as well as for Harris and Aldo. The season finale is clearly heading for an episode full of wedding bells, but you just know at least one of those bells is going to crack in half, considering this family’s track record with weddings.

In lieu of an article that solely hypes up how much I love Joe Walsh’s Jesse, and why that character should get used in tons of other TV shows out there, it’s probably more relevant to talk about how The Conners ramped things up for its three biggest as-yet-unmarried couples. Let's start things off with the couple that landed the first official proposal.

Jackie And Neville: Way Too Happily Engaged

Despite displaying some massive (and injury-causing) jealousy issues earlier this season over Neville's ex and the mother of his child, Jackie has been more level-headed than not in more recent weeks, at least when it specifically comes to her relationship with Nat Faxon’s vet. (Lord knows Jackie is at full-tilt 24/7 in any other capacity.) And true to her standard manically frantic fashion, she ended up taking the wind out of Neville’s proposal sails by never letting him actually pop the question, and instead repeatedly interrupted him with rousing positivity. Laurie Metcalf’s energy was truly at “high school football team winning a state championship” levels during that opening scene, and who wouldn’t want to marry someone like that?

Other than Dan and Louise, whose early marital problems have been highlighted every now and then, Jackie and Neville are as strong a coupling as The Conners delivers, so one can only hope that they make it through the three-pronged wedding with the current remnants of their combined sanity. Except that probably won’t happen at all, since this episode’s final scene featured Neville talking to Dan about inviting Jackie’s mom Bev to the wedding, despite knowing that setting up such a foolish act would spit directly into the face of Jackie’s wishes to NOT have her mother there. Granted, The Conners fans are due another guest spot from Roseanne vet Estelle Parsons, but not at the risk of Jackie going full ham on Neville in front of loved ones, particularly if she gets her wish of "wearing" a dress of nectar-stuck butterflies.

Now let’s jump to arguably the least stable partnership, and the one that had the most people attempting to thwart it during the episode.

Aldo And Harris: Sort Of Happily Engaged

This proposal seemed doomed from the start, and I’m admittedly not so sure whether I mean the start of “Three Ring Circus” or the start of Aldo and Harris’ relationship itself. There’s clearly a spark between them — “‘til death do us spark” — but any courtship that involves someone going homeless for a while seems slightly less than perfect. And it’s no big secret, either, with Becky, Louise and even Jesse each taking a shot at talking the couple out of going through with it. Becky had the strongest argument, as she referenced also being 17 when she entered her cautionary-tale marriage with Mark, which was at the center of one of Season 3’s most emotional installments. Slightless less convincing was Louise’s suggestion that Harris enjoy a buffet of dudes before settling down later in life. But all one really needs as proof is the notion that Aldo's proposal was initially based almost entirely on impulse, and then enhanced by someone else footing the bill.

But you know the old saying: you can’t come between an orange-and-black-caped man and the tiger he invited to his wedding. So Aldo was still gung-ho for the paid-for nuptials in the end, while Harris was left slightly less enthused about it. Though not because of what anyone outside of their relationship had to say about it, but rather Aldo himself. Harris was not altogether pleased to hear about Aldo’s post-wedding attempts to have children together, especially since he’d come to that foregone conclusion without ever asking for her approval or any input at all. Emma Kenney’s rebellious teen may not be the sharpest knife in the block, but she probably knows better than to become a mother within this bloodline without having one’s life completely figured out first. Not that knowledge is a guarantee that it won’t happen, but still, that might just be enough to have Harris pulling out of the finale’s wedding day festivities.

And now, the little Conners relationship that thinks it can, that thinks it can...

Darlene And Ben: Just The Right Amount Of Happily Engaged

For a large stretch of The Conners' second-to-last Season 4 episode, Ben and Darlene attempted to keep their rekindled romance and ensuing engagement a secret from others, if mostly because Neville and Aldo completely screwed up their announcement plans early on. This plot point was probably the most sitcom-my element of the episode, given how unconvincing both Darlene and Ben were in their adamant denials, but it did lead to one of the funniest lines, as delivered by Katey Sagal.

• Ben: Can’t stand ya. Wouldn’t have ya. Can’t imagine a worse way to spend a day in my life.
• Louise: Oh, there’s a worse way, and we’ll all be there to see it. And then when the tiger drags off one of the guests, we’ll watch it again on the news.
  

It seemed for a second like Darlene and Ben might legitimately pull off running away for a weekend elopement, complete with a reference to smothering someone with a pillow. Alas, Dan became aware of their scheme, and guilted the pair — more Ben than Darlene — into sticking around to consider taking part in the family-filled wedding. In the end, they agreed, and surprisingly enough, "Three Ring Circus" ended without any last-minute record scratches indicating impending problems as it went for the other two couples. I mean, unless Jackie did legitimately crush some of Darlene's vertebrae with her overenthused celebration. 

When CinemaBlend spoke with The Conners star Ames McNamara recently, he did tease the finale as being exciting and dramatic, and implied that Mark would be pleased with the outcome. Considering Mark has been a cheerleader for Ben and Darlene, and considering how many problems they've already faced before breaking up, it may just make perfect sense that they would be the only couple whose wedding experience plays out undeterred by disaster. Wait, what am I even saying? Of course there will be some kind of disaster involved. 

The Conners Season 4 finale will air on ABC on Wednesday, May 18, at 9:00 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming for Hulu subscribers the next day. Check out our list of other big TV finales to see what else is wrapping things up posthaste.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched The Conners' latest episode, so be warned!

After being off for a couple of weeks, The Conners returned to ABC with "Big Negotiations and Broken Expectations," which put its pair of spotlights on some of the more obvious fissures forming in Dan and Louise’s marriage, as well as Darlene’s rare attempt to assert herself with sporadic confidence. For those prone to bouts of worrying, the episode legitimately made it seem as if everything would crumble to dust for the main characters, despite The Conners’ own inherent sitcom logic where everything sort of maybe turns out okay-ish for this family in the end. Credit where credit is due to Katey Sagal, Sara Gilbert, and John Goodman for never missing a beat.

Let’s break down those two story beats by pointing out why Louise proved herself worthy of Queen status in the household, and how Darlene’s stroke of good favor may aid in stopping her dad from continuing to dunk on his own marriage.

Louise Put Her Foot Down To Stop Dan's B.S.

Given the unfortunate injuries Katey Sagal suffered amidst filming, things had to get a little weird for Dan and Louise after their chaotic wedding — which Jackie referenced here by reminding everyone she married them, but not like that. Her return in full earlier in Season 4 came during a pretty dark episode, and since then, she’s been unable to put very many of her wants and needs as priorities, given Dan’s unyielding determination to assist in keeping his family afloat, if only barely, and through ill-advised means. That kind of behavior was obviously the norm when Roseanne was still in the picture, since that was life as she knew it for years on end. But Louise wasn’t about to sit on the back burner forever.

This episode in particular was very reminiscent of AMC’s Kevin Can F*** Himself, in that Dan obliviously bumrushed Louise with disappointments early on, and followed those up with jokey-jokes that did nothing to truly deflect the fact that he just didn’t give enough of a shit about Louise’s needs. Of course, John Goodman wrote a chapter in the Sitcom Husband Textbook, so it’s an infinity mirror of dysfunctional husbanding. But seriously, while I don't have particularly strong feelings about BTO, any spouse who bails on a highly anticipated concert in such a last-minute blasé manner deserves to sleep in a literal doghouse. 

Throughout it all, as barbed as she became, I was super-glued to Louise’s corner in her arguments/conversations with Dan and her funeral home spat with Becky, who did nothing to ease Louise’s frustration by unfurling her “Dependent Daughter of the Year” pennant and waving it like a rabid mascot. I gleefully exaggerate there, to make Louise look better, but her points remained salient throughout. 

Darlene, Becky and D.J. deserve their father's attention and love and efforts when needed, but Louise deserves a bigger piece of that…Dan…pie as well. (Probably a less crumbly metaphor.) Because if he keeps that kind of behavior up, she might just make him sleep with the fishes, presumably inside the bed. If there was a way for Dan to make $5 by agreeing to house fish inside their waterbed, I would 100% expect to find his name scrawled on that contract. Now give this queen her crown!

Darlene Took A Risk And It Paid Off, But Very Nearly Didn't

Not that Louise had exclusive access to Dan’s terrible choices, as his choices for demolition crew members would have been better off settling down for eternity in that funeral home rather than doing anything destructive. So Dan’s money-skimping attempt to help Darlene just stressed her out by making her realize she needed more money to hire other workers, or else she’d never get out of that house. Which then dominoed into her lying to her boss to try and get a raise, and then her and Alexandra Billings’ Robin both lying to upper management to try and strong-arm a pair of raises with the threat of quitting. The fact that Harris was fully into the idea should have set off about 420 warning bells. 

Even though both Darlene and Robin temporarily lost their jobs with such a risky move, which itself opened up a can of honesty worms between them, they were thankfully all the better for it in the end. Robin’s confidence (which wasn’t quite as sturdy as she made it seem) that their bosses would find a way to cull the funds together ended up paying off, and Darlene’s decision to trust her and believe in her own talents worked out. Like, the show could end up revealing next week that their new jobs suck ass and come with all kinds of new responsibilities, but for now, financial victory!

The reason why Louise should be especially happy about this is two-fold. For one, Darlene relied on someone besides Dan and other people in and around the Conners’ house for financial and occupational issues, and it actually worked. Which means she’ll feel better about doing the same thing again in the future. And second, Darlene landing a long-awaited raise means less worry that her new home situation will fall through over funding. So less worry that Louise will have to continue sharing a home with those who demand Dan’s attention the most. Not to mention saving some money themselves. 

Really, everybody wins thanks to Darlene here, including Robin, who almost definitely wouldn't have made such an extravagant move to secure more money by herself. Depending on how things go, Mark's education might take a turn for the better again, and Harris certainly won't mind if Darlene is working more hours and isn't around. So yeah, everybody wins here. Except maybe Ben, but that’s fine, because he's Ben. [Drops a roll of paper towels in lieu of a mic.]

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with the season finale coming on Wednesday, May 18. Check out new episodes the next day with a Hulu subscription and head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see when new and returning shows will hit the small screen in the coming months.

 Spoilers below for the latest episode of The Conners, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Now that the Olympics are finished keeping scripted TV shows on temporary hiatus, The Conners has returned to ABC, and the hit sitcom dropped some moral conundrums on Darlene and Becky in the episode “Sex, Lies and House Hunting.” They’re technically both “relationship” dilemmas, but there are some potentially iffy complications involved in using that word, so we’ll just use some other words. 

Katey Sagal is set to make her long-awaited in-person return to The Conners in the March 2 episode, following a recovery from injuries she suffered upon being struck by a car in October. But before that happens, let’s reflect on the somewhat unexpected ways that Darlene and Becky’s storylines played out in the latest episode.

Becky Is All In On Dating Professor Davis

We might as well get the minorly more icky plotting out of the way first. As it was introduced in the previous episode “Hot for Teacher and Writing a Wrong,” Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder and Veep vet Matt Walsh has joined the Conners-verse as Glen Davis, a seemingly esteemed-enough professor who charmed both Beverly Rose and her mum. The pair are still in the early stages of whatever their situation is in Episode 413, but while I’m all in on Becky going to O-town with whoever she wants (even if it happens at her own father’s wedding), I cannot imagine this pairing faring well for the long haul. 

It’s the second time we’ve seen Becky and Glen together, and despite taking steps to keep their public date as out of the way as possible, they were both instantly recognized by two other college students as soon as they exited a vehicle together. Then, when those students rather candidly explained their worry that Becky was Glen’s unwitting prey, she got overly defensive and sarcastically reflected the suspicion back on them. If Becky is already spreading lies and setting up burnable bridges this early in her relationship with Glen — dammit, I used the no-no word! — then there are only larger hurdles to settle up for in the future. 

One of two outcomes are likely for this duo. In one, they continue to struggle trying to hide their dates and whatnot, putting a strain on everything until they’re eventually caught, with consequences. In the other, one or both of them gets out ahead of any potential public controversies by eliminating their part in the “professor-student” labeling. But I sincerely hope Becky doesn’t throw her education away for this dude already, and for Glen’s sake, I hope he doesn’t throw a pension-locked job away for anyone with Conner as a last name. There could always be a third option, so I’ll just hope to be surprised. 

Darlene Wasn't All In On Buying New House

Meanwhile, Darlene had to do some lying of her own while trying to take a big step forward in her life, though not so much on a romantic level. Rather, she finally started making moves to vacate her childhood bedroom — the entire home, even! — and went out looking for potential options for her and Mark (and Harris, probably) to call home in the near future. And since we’re already sort of comparing Becky and Darlene’s situations, I think it’s saying something that Darlene went hard on the first house we saw her visit that drew a positive response.

In any case, the religious-leaning owners’ preference to sell to a stable couple led to Darlene and Ben posing as a couple whose shared life wasn’t imploded in cringey ways over a failed proposal. That ploy didn’t even secure Darlene the house at first, as another couple put in a far larger offer that was outside any Conners’ price range at $20,000. And that’s when the inevitable happened: Ben, having spent a little time with Darlene that didn’t lead to snide arguments, shared how proud he was of her devotion, and offered to co-sign on the home loan to make sure she was approved.

By all means, that set-up itself is a foundation for another sitcom, and connecting Darlene and Ben together through home-ownership would be an organic and ironic enough way to keep their kinship growing after living together is part of why they split in the first place. But surprisingly, The Conners took a left turn here when Darlene turned down Ben’s offer, recognizing and avoiding all of the unhealthy pitfalls that would come along with her relying on him to make the finances work. 

Now, does that mean she won’t relent and ask for him to do it after finding an even better house in a later episode? Nope. In fact, his offer will probably set some emotions loose in Darlene that leads to something else down the road. But for now, Darlene’s choice is probably the most mature move she’s made in Season 4 so far. I'm sure the next house will have her posing as a magician's assistant to Nick or something, so that should be fun.  

Heaven help everyone if Darlene buys a house in a different school district, forcing Mark to change schools yet again. Though maybe she can just lie about that mailing address to keep him where he is, since she’s good with that kind of thing. (As my parents also were when I was a kid, but shhh.) I'm not sure how to feel about Darlene potentially moving out of The Conners iconic home, although I feel far more cozy about that than I do about Becky and Glen banging under his desk.

With another one-week break coming in the near future, The Conners is seemingly set for a largely uninterrupted stretch going into the end of the season. Be sure and catch new episodes airing Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET. And when not thinking about what kind of people Drunk Jackie would land at a singles mixer — answer: either the best or worst human beings, with no room for the middle — head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way. 

Spoilers below for The Conners Episode 410, so be warned if you haven't yet watched!

 The Conners and its predecessor Roseanne have never been ones to shy away from any particular kind of subject matter, from the sudden deaths of loved ones to any and all stages of romantic relationships to struggles with substance abuse. The latter somewhat surprisingly played into the latest episode, "Spills, Pills and The Midnight Lasagna,” because even though pills were teased in the title, the shock value came from the rule-following Mark being the one getting his first taste of addictive tendencies. Like grandmother and aunt, like grandson and nephew, I suppose.

Ames McNamara spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the episode, which revealed that Mark was taking Logan’s prescription meds for ADHD in order to cope with the stresses of competitive learning at the magnet school he’s attending. Not that he was very good at hiding it from anyone in the family, considering many of the Conners are only too familiar with dependencies of various kinds. And even though his character unexpectedly veering away from the path of drug-free living isn’t a positive thing in and of itself, McNamara was excited to take things in new directions, saying:

When set up alongside Darlene’s frustrations with post-Ben relationships and Harris secretly being without a stable home, Mark relying on medication to try and help achieve his educational goals is weirdly aspirational when viewed through a very specific lens. But of course, it’s hardly the most constructive way to go about doing such things when he’s not currently diagnosed with having ADHD. And even though Mark doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would immediately branch off and become a coke fiend, if largely because nobody in the family could afford it, stranger things have happened. 

Plus, it’s not like Mark can seek out help specifically with his school issues, since it doesn’t seem like anyone else in the family ever hit the Dean’s List like he did. (Or made a lasagna as good as the one he made.) But when I asked about Mark’s pill (and then caffeine) issue connecting back to Roseanne’s death by opioid overdose and Becky’s struggles with sobriety — a point that came up during Darlene’s conversation with Dan — McNamara talked about how the Conner family is actually a good source of support in just such a situation. Also offering a positive update about the character’s future, he said: 

While he doesn’t exactly say that Mark will be paving the road to redemption for all of his days to come, Ames McNamara does make it sound like things will be slightly less stressful for the teen in the rest of Season 4, regardless of whether or not Darlene actually takes him out of the magnet school. 

Speaking of the moment when Darlene made her threats about Mark’s growing romantic relationship with Logan, along with sending him back to public school, that major third act scene featured McNamara's most dramatic performance yet, while still being played for laughs through Sara Gilbert's reactions and Darlene's pragmatic dialogue. And even ended with the relationship-fracturing declaration of “I hate you,” which itself inspired another Roseanne reference. So of course I had to ask McNamara about that hectic scene, which he described as The Conners being The Conners. In his words:

The family that makes it through Dan's terrible Dad jokes together stays together, and nothing is going to split the Conners up for good. I mean, if Mark gets a scholarship to some banging college far outside of Lanford, Illinois, that would probably do the trick, but we're not at that point yet.

The Conners airs new episodes every Wednesday night on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET, but we hopefully won’t need to worry too much about Mark’s life going any further downhill. Unless Ames McNamara is just that good at pulling the wool sofa covering over my eyes. In the meantime, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see when more of your favorite shows will be debuting soon! 

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched The Conners’ midseason premiere, so be warned!

Sure, The Conners appeared to be setting Darlene up for some chaos with its first episode of 2022, with a storyline that involved her most current boyfriend Nick — or “boyf-zen-d” if you want to go that route, and you shouldn’t — and ex-boyfriend Ben (“boyf-ben-d”) attempting to hang out during a Chicago Bears game. But little did we know the winter premiere would seemingly demolish the building relationship, all while possibly knocking down the house of eccentric AF cards that is Jackie and Neville’s courtship.

Let’s take a look at the somewhat shocking and somewhat farcical reveals that went down in the midseason opener, titled “Three Exes, Role-Playing, and a Waterbed,” starting the aftermath of Darlene’s debacle. 

Darlene And Nick Totally Broke Up

First, I'll say that Darlene gets all the credit in the world for wanting to faithfully buy any needed supplies from Olinsky’s Hardware, given that her father works there. But I dare say it was not the smartest move to chance things by going there with Nick even when she thought that Ben wasn't working. I mean, they even addressed the best case scenario being Dan recognizing that they had sex for the first time, which is already not the most common goal. 

And then, once Ben and Nick immediately got all chummy with each other, Darlene should have realized she needed to pull away from such a possibly destructive situation, and yet she allowed the plan to all meet up at the Lunchbox to watch a Bears game. And while none of the actual game was shown, of course, I don't even think the commentary team could have introduced themselves before Darlene and Ben were already deep into loudly and dramatically airing out their grievances. Which wasn't so different for viewers to see, since that's their schtick these days, but it was the first time Nick witnessed that amorphic tension between them. And it was the only time he needed to see it, since he rather quickly took Darlene aside and called it quits. 

To be fair, Nick was totally spot on in realizing that Darlene and Ben's thorny relationship isn't free from lingering emotions, ranging from reluctant adoration to pissiness to grief. And he also gets some brownie points for keeping the future open for them to reconnect after Darlene and Ben find true closure, but then she called him a loser and imploded that. Not that I think it would have happened anyway, since Darlene and Ben are so getting back together one day, even if it still takes a while for them to work past their gut-punch of a breakup. 

After all, he still remembers Darlene's hangover cure, which is code for "I still love you" or some sick shit like that. 

Jackie Is Unhealthily Jealous About Neville's Ex Helen

 Over on the Jackie side of things, Laurie Metcalf delivered another episode full of big performances, though this time they were less about having a good time, and more about working out her issues with jealousy and insecurity. And by “working out,” I basically mean “making worse.” 

Just as she was attempting to find more private time for her and Neville to make sexy things happen, he dropped the info bomb that his ex Helen was moving back to Lanford, and will be working with him as a vet tech. And while Jackie was (for some reason) expecting Helen’s most prominent feature to be her arm flabs, it turned out to be the lovely Ted Lasso and Better Off Ted vet Andrea Anders. Which did not sit well with Jackie in the slightest. Even though the woman brought wine has a seemingly innocent good gesture! 

If Jackie didn’t make her distrust known only through her verbal clues, she certainly brought it on a physical level during the short-lived basketball game later in the episode when she twisted her ankle. It was a ridiculous move that, even if it was meant to make Helen look worse in Neville’s eyes, just made Jackie look foolish in the long run. 

And even though the episode fell back on a laugh when she lied to Dan about Helen breaking the vase, Jackie was about as upset as she’s ever been on this show when she brought her cane down on that vase. Which was similar to when Darlene angrily smashed that plate in the aftermath of her breakup. And here I thought it would be a good idea for Darlene to use one of her family members’ relationships as inspiration, but this is not the healthiest behavior for anyone to aspire to. 

But hey, at the end of the day, I think we can all agree that Becky’s happiness rules, and it was a treat for this week’s episode to close out on her having a relaxing night to herself via a psychedelic waterbed situation. Even if Louise doesn’t end up loving it, at least it still went to good use in some fashion. Sorry to bring that up after all the negative stuff, but I cannot deny such groovy lights and pillowcases, man. 

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to keep tuning in to see where these characters’ relationships (or lack thereof) will go next. And keep track of all the other big premieres on the way with our 2022 TV premiere schedule!

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched The Conners' latest episode, so be warned!

Here in The Conners Season 4, arguably the biggest conflict happening in Lanford — or at least the parts of Lanford that viewers are privy to — revolves around Darlene and her struggles to get over Ben. Even if she wasn’t into the idea herself, it’s what just about everyone around her is telling her to do anyway. Except for maybe Mark. And so she’s clearly making attempt after attempt to find an outside-the-box solution to her problems by going completely macro with her approach, by way of seeking out a higher power through religion and philosophy. But what should be her true source of guidance has been staring her in the face quite literally all along: it’s her family!

Specifically, Darlene should derive wisdom from the actions (and probably not the advice) of both the generation above her, via her father Dan and Louise, as well as the younger generation, via Harris, if not necessarily Aldo, who fits snugly into the same generation as Darlene herself. And since Becky is having her own issues in trying to figure out whether or not she needs a relationship, and since D.J. is just kind of nowhere to be found a lot of the time, it’s probably best for Darlene to not glean advice from those closest to her in age. Now let’s dig into that idea a little more. 

What Darlene Could Learn From Harris (Okay, And Aldo)

Sure, from the outset, Harris getting into a romantic relationship with the much-older goofball Aldo seems like a doomed-to-fail narrative trick meant to stress Darlene out on top of all of her other problems. However, I’m inclined to now believe that’s not truly the case at all, even if I also don’t necessarily think that Harris and Aldo are destined for their own wedding episode anytime soon. (But oh, man, now I kind of want one, if mainly to see how gnarled and gnarly Aldo’s family tree looks.)

What Darlene needs to do is truly just give into Harris and Aldo’s lovebird-iness at this point, and in a way that’s more genuine and authentic than using Taoism as a springboard for sabotage. Even though they haven’t been dating for that long, Harris is already helping Aldo with his dorkily demonic kids, which are probably the kinds of outcasts that Darlene would have gotten along with at that age. You know who else developed a healthy relationship together despite not being blood relatives? Why, Ben and Mark, of course. (See also: the next Season 4 episode.) 

As well, even beyond the childlike glee on the faces of Emma Kenney and Tony Cavalero during their big scene in this episode, the biggest sign of evidence that Harris and Aldo are serious about things is the eagerness in which they’re willing to move in together. To the point where they just immediately sprang to action once the topic came up. You know who most certainly did not immediately spring to action under similar circumstances? Why, Darlene herself, of course. And that inability to move forward without getting distracted by other problems is one of the biggest reasons why Ben turned down her marriage proposal.  

What Darlene Could Learn From Dan And Louise

While there are no doubt many reasons to avoid following in Dan Conner’s direct footsteps, Darlene could certainly learn a thing or two from Dan’s relationships with both Roseanne and with Louise. Namely when it comes to ways of finding happiness and acceptance in situations that aren’t perfect by any means. Not that Darlene comes anywhere close to resembling a perfectionist, she does have a certain amorphous idealized notion in her head of what a happy relationship should be. And while that can be absolutely healthy in a vacuum, Darlene has a way of blocking out all other paths to happiness and glory. 

Just in this episode — titled “Peter Pan, The Backup Plan, Adventures in Babysitting, and A River Runs Through It” — Darlene could have learned a solid lesson from her father and new step-mother. Due to the storm that almost wrecked their wedding, but didn’t because they’re troopers, the Conner household suffered roof damage that kept the newlyweds from taking a proper honeymoon. (Which probably wouldn’t have been all that extravagant in the first place, but still.) But instead of spending the whole episode complaining about it, Dan become fully invested in Becky’s idea to substitute virtual reality adventures for real-world trips. Not that the VR side of things was handled completely realistically, but it was a sign of Dan’s ability to grip the silver lining for all its worth.

Later, Louise could have bitched Dan out for spending too much time over in VR land, but she instead appeals to his romantic side and says the lack of a honeymoon isn’t a problem so long as they’re together as husband and wife, roof problem be damned. And sure, Darlene obviously wasn’t present for that bedroom scene, so she probably couldn’t have used that exact example as a form of inspiration, but it’s only one example of Louise’s form of “happiness without settling” that she could utilize.

Now, I’m not really here to advocate for which way Darlene should go with a more informed decision for her love life, as I just want her to realize happiness isn't always has hard to find as it looks. And it does sound like she may have a couple of temporary beaus to deal with in the coming weeks. Still, I would be very shocked if the creative team doesn’t bring her and Ben back together before all is said and done. And if that’s the case, then she should come into that equipped with knowledge she’s picked up from watching how her daughter and father handle their own relationships. Unless she just happens to secretly like thriving on misery, because that's okay, too, so long as it's what she wants. 

Find out what will happen in Darlene’s life next when The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET. And don’t forget about all the other upcoming premieres in the 2021 Fall TV schedule to watch while chowing down on leftover Halloween candy.

With Dan and Louise's wedding now a disaster-laden event of the past, The Conners will place some of its focus on Katey Sagal's character moving into the iconic TV household, with some more Roseanne references on the way. But they're not the only characters that will be enjoying romantic tingles on the ABC sitcom, as it appears as if Darlene will also go back on the dating market in a pretty big way. And no, those dates don't necessarily involve Ben, which I'm sure he's going to be completely comfortable with. (Or not at all.)

Many fans of The Conners are likely wondering what will happen next with Darlene and Ben's "Will they again?/Won't they again?" storyline, but it sounds like the creative team will give Sara Gilbert's character more potential suitors as Season 4 goes on. It's obviously unclear whether or not this is all just meant to bring things back around to Jay R. Ferguson's Ben, but here's what showrunner Bruce Helford teased to Entertainment Tonight:

I don't think anyone should count on Brian Austin Green's Jeff counting as one of those relationships, however. While it's certainly possible, it seems clear that the drug-favoring dimbulb was more of a stop-gap friend to help Darlene get over the hump of her old friend's death coinciding with her doomed marriage proposal. Even though they went to the wedding together, that whole scenario likely put her off of seeing him as any kind of boyfriend material. That's what he would deserve for attempting to go to a wedding via scooter through tornado-forming storms. 

At this point, it's not at all clear who else might step up to the plate as far as romantic relationships go for Darlene. The longtime fan in me is always going to root for Johnny Galecki's David, although he messed up enough times to not deserve placement on the list. (Though I'm still keeping him there.) Methinks fans will be hearing more casting news soon. 

Now, some fans may be wondering why the show is going to give Darlene more relationship options after she and Ben shared that moment at the end of the wedding episode. After Mark ripped his mom for allowing her strife with Ben damage others' connections with him, the two exes allowed their defensive sides to crumble for just a moment. They both mentally approached the concept of "getting along for the rest of the family's sake," with Ben copping to still having feelings for Darlene, even if he didn't exactly want to. 

To that end, executive producer Dave Caplan hinted that Darlene and Ben's attempts to keep things calm and sane would be fodder for the future. In his words:

I'm totally foreseeing a bottle episode situation where Darlene and Ben are forced to be in the same room together for an extended period and have to work out their issues instead of just muting them. But however it goes, I'll be watching, and rooting for Darlene. And also rooting for Jason Alexander to return, though not so much as Darlene's boyfriend. Maybe she should look up some of her old high school buddies, since that has worked well for Becky so far.

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with the next new episode airing on October 27. 

Spoilers below for The Conners' first three episodes of Season 4, so be warned!

Despite being a sitcom first and foremost, ABC's The Conners has no lack of legitimately emotional drama flowing through these characters' lives, from financial problems to sobriety strains to relationship struggles. The latter is clearly most present within Darlene and Ben's respective and combined storylines, as they can't seem to get on the same page regarding what their future should or shouldn't be. And while Sara Gilbert's character has talked to several elder family members about the situation already this season — not to mention a bedside conversation with the Lord Almighty — viewers haven't really heard a whole lot from those younger than Darlene, including Michael Fishman's D.J., Ames McNamara's Mark, and Emma Kenney's Harris. 

So when CinemaBlend had the pleasure of speaking with the three Conners stars about the ongoing Season 4, I definitely asked what each of their feelings were about Darlene's relationship woes, as seen in the video above. So let's break those answers down below!

Michael Fishman (D.J.)

As a younger brother, I can certainly relate to having a sister going through a tumultuous period related to an iffy relationship, and by all means, I can also relate to D.J. not making frequent attempts to have such awkward conversations with Darlene about her love life. Brothers care in their own ways. When I asked star and episode director Michael Fishman how he thinks his character feels about Darlene's situation, the actor offered quite the sincere take, and then amusingly addressed how that sibling dynamic has changed in D.J.'s favor.

To Michael Fishman's point, Darlene's relationships with Ben and others don't just affect her own life. Even though Mark and Harris are teenagers and already appear to be cemented on their own respective life paths, their mother's choices still affect them. After all, what if she decided to have a one-night stand with Brian Austin Green's Jeff and discovered that he's not just a chill psychedelics-lover but actually a serial killer? Okay, so he'd probably just kill some cereal because of munchies, but the point stands.

I think we can all agree it would be fun if The Conners found ways for D.J. to prove his sibling superiority on the homefront, though I guess Darlene would likely just make him feel shitty about it. Sisters are gonna sister. In any case, let's switch over to Darlene's fictional offspring themselves.

Ames McNamara (Mark)

By and large, Mark comes across as the kind of person who would welcome and embrace anything that he came across, be it Darlene getting a new boyfriend or aliens from Saturn moving in next door. Which puts him right up there with D.J. in the realm of Conners family members who could actually serve as a legitimate success story in a traditional sense. (Not to say Becky isn't a success for her sobriety and sober sex, or that Dan isn't a success for anything involving Katey Sagal's Louise.) And when I asked star Ames McNamara if he and Mark were Pro-Ben or Pro-David, he revealed that Darlene's relationship issues will directly affect Mark this season. In his words:

Honestly, I think if Mark stumbled across a book about marriage counseling, even if he just read the back cover, he would still be something of a perfect mediator in helping guide Darlene and Ben back to something resembling happiness. He's keenly aware of what makes Darlene happy and what sets her off, and his friendship with Ben makes him an ally even at a point when Ben isn't able to talk to Darlene without getting emotionally exhausted. But then I'm not sure if Mark is so eager to interject himself into the mess in such a way. Here's hoping Mark comes out of everything unscathed, since he'll likely be supporting the entire fam in 10 years or so.

Emma Kenney (Harris)

Then there's Emma Kenney's Harris, who very much seems like a slightly less surly and slightly more self-righteous version of Darlene. And what's more, she presumably hasn't (yet) had any major relationships that could affect the rest of her life, the way that Darlene did as a teen with Johnny Galecki's David. And though viewers will probably never see Harris and Darlene having a tear-soaked heart-to-heart conversation about men and relationships, Kenney had this to say when I asked about being Team Ben or Team David:

While Emma Kenney is certainly correct in implying that David probably doesn't deserve yet another chance with Darlene, given his transgressions in the past, and his lack of presence in the family members' lives. (Due in part to Johnny Galecki's Big Bang Theory stardom, but still.) It did seem like The Conners might have been trying to play up a more prominent love triangle whenever Jay R. Ferguson's Ben was first introduced, but kinda hard to pull off when one side of the triangle has other career responsibilities. In any case, color me very interested in seeing that potential complication come to life later in Season 4. 

With more on the way from Darlene and Ben's issue-filled relationship on the way, The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what else is hitting the small screen soon, be sure to keep up with our 2021 Fall TV schedule!

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched The Conners’ second episode in Season 4.

Ever since The Conners set up the narrative that its late matriarch Roseanne died of an accidental overdose, the ABC sitcom has understandably put some distance between references to Roseanne Barr’s character and the flagship series. (Understandable given the controversial way the comedian exited the rebooted comedy.) But showrunner Bruce Helford and his creative team managed to bring the character’s memory back in an unexpected way in Season 4, with the episode “Education, Corruption and Damnation” revealing Roseanne Conner’s secret connection with God and the Good Book.

The Conners directly set up its semi-religious arc in the Season 4 premiere when Sara Gilbert’s Darlene knelt down for a prayer in seeking guidance regarding her crumbled relationship with Ben. It was something of a bizarre move, as Darlene has been opening atheist since her teen years on Roseanne proper, and when she compared her own skepticism to that of her mother, John Goodman’s Dan pointed out that Roseanne actually did look to God on occasion. To the point where she kept a Bible in the kitchen, suitably kept in “the drawer with the Bible,” which neither Darlene nor Lecy Goranson’s Becky were aware of. (Points to the writers for facing the ridiculousness of their ignorance head-on through Dan’s incredulousness.) 

When Darlene asked for more insight into Roseanne’s connection to the Bible, here’s how Dan explained it:

With her new/old Bible as a guiding light, Darlene went to mass headed up by guest star Jason Alexander as the cool, calm, and collected Pastor Phil. But it didn’t take long before she suddenly and emotionally ran out of the church. As she later explained, Darlene came across one of Roseanne’s more personal messages to the Almighty, and it was too much for her to handle in the moment.

The message, which was presumably penned in the months before her overdose and death, said this (as dictated by Darlene, Becky and Laurie Metcalf’s Jackie): 

I guess Roseanne did end up putting a stop to the clothes stealing one way or another, even if Dan wasn’t miraculously granted a perfect bowling game from the Lord. In any case, Darlene’s immediate instinct was to once again turn her back to God, calling him responsible for letting Roseanne overdose, though Becky pointed out the foibles in that train of thought. And without any other answers to turn to by the end, Darlene joked about following in her mother’s footsteps by hitting up the donation bin.

This was quite the heavy episode for The Conners to dive into right after the largely fluff-filled Season 4 premiere, which was filmed live. As if Becky needed this kind of stress for her first episode of the season, after everything that went on in Season 3 regarding her resurrected alcoholism and motherhood concerns. But the Bible concept in general is a pretty solid idea for the writers to lean into from a creative angle, as Darlene and Becky may find other astoundingly specific messages from Roseanne to God that add insight to future story arcs. Or maybe it’ll go back in the drawer, never to be heard from again. I do think it’d be amusing if D.J. also knew about it all this time, with only the sisters being completely out of the loop.

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, and it’s just one of many popular shows populating the 2021 Fall TV season.

While tons of The Conners fans would love to see Sarah Gilbert's Darlene end up romantically linked up with Johnny Galecki's David — based more on a love for Galecki than on any proof that their relationship would be stable — the sitcom's creative team has put the work in on developing her topsy-turvy relationship with Jay R. Ferguson's Ben. While that appeared to all go belly-up at the tail-end of Season 3, with Ben turning down Darlene's marriage proposal, that doesn't mean the show is trying to send Ben away.

The Conners showrunner Bruce Helford has confirmed to TVLine that Darlene's relationship with Ben is not at all done-zo, and even if it doesn't look like they're getting right back into the throes of love and romance, the characters will be entwined for the foreseeable future. In his words:

This situation obviously wouldn't be very fun for viewers if Ben, Darlene and others were just living misery-soaked existences due to their split, so it should be interesting to see how the writers will handle the overall kinship while sticking the tone. And I can definitely appreciate a dynamic where Ben is given lots of love from John Goodman's Dan, Laurie Metcalf's Jackie, Michael Fishman's D.J. and the rest, even as his situation with Darlene hits some presumably cringe-y moments. As if Darlene needed another reason to get judgmental with Lecy Goranson's Becky.

As fans will remember, Darlene did make some work sparks fly with Brian Austin Green's Jeff, and he's confirmed to be returning in Season 4. Interestingly enough, Green will be pulling double duties on ABC, as he's also competing on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. It would be interesting to see him show up at the homestead while Ben is also around. I probably shouldn't only hope for chaos on The Conners. Probably.

Considering Dan and Katey Sagal's Louise will likely be getting married in Season 4, and also considering Maya Lynne Robinson's Geena will be around in D.J.'s life more, I imagine the romance in the air will bleed into Darlene and Ben's lives again sooner rather than later. But I'm betting it'll be a while longer before one of them puts another proposal out into the ethers.

With Seinfeld fave Jason Alexander and The Wonder Years vet Fred Savage already confirmed for upcoming episodes, The Conners Season 4 is set to kick off on ABC with a fully live episode on Wednesday, September 22, at 9:00 p.m. ET, during the biggest premiere week of the 2021 Fall TV season.

Spoilers below for The Conners' Season 3 finale, so be warned if you haven't yet watched!

In closing out its third season - technically its fourth if you count the single Roseanne season - The Conners delivered two marriage proposals. One of them went quite well, with John Goodman's Dan and Katey Sagal's Louise officially getting engaged, and Sagal is set to be around more for Season 4. Conversely, Sara Gilbert's Darlene was quite a bit less successful with her attempt to fully commit to Jay R. Ferguson's Ben, as he not only turned down the proposal, but also cemented their temporary-or-otherwise break-up.

That scene was psychologically haunting in most respects, with Darlene going totally transparent with her crafty house-fun gift and the ring she bought, and Ben choosing that point to lay many of his grievances out. Even though I actively wanted the two characters to split up, it was still rough to watch, and The Conners executive producer Dave Caplan told CinemaBlend that the show's writing staff has debated Ben and Darlene's relationship woes as much as fans have. In his words:

That all sounds natural enough, since most relationships have those who champion their success, with others who seek for it to crumble. (Probably not quite as hectic a debate as the Bears and Packers rivalry that Laurie Metcalf's Jackie fed into after her Jeopardy! appearance, but still.) And within Darlene and Ben's courtship, there have been obvious pitfalls and quagmires that made things difficult, with many of them stemming from Darlene's mental capacity for handling her erratic and turmoil-filled life. Here's how showrunner Bruce Helford explained it to me:

With that being the case, I found it all the more heartbreaking that Darlene put the time and artistic passion into creating that little house, which should have meant a lot to Ben, only for him to merely see it as an "aw shucks" gesture. (I can't imagine why she would continue not living with this true Casanova, he said sarcastically.) Of course, while Ben obviously isn't able to get inside Darlene's head and truly appreciate all of her emotions and impulses, she's similarly unable to fully understand things on his level.

In Ben's mind, he will always take second place to whatever else Darlene has going on in her life with the rest of her family. And while I'm sure he does understand the value in that somewhere deep down, he's clearly not comfortable being put on the back burner. And EP Dave Caplan explained why that's a long-running theme for this show and its family.

I know I'm not the only viewer out there who watched such a heartbreaking scene and came out of it with the mindset that Ben was being a total vindictive douche by letting Darlene go through her entire proposal spiel just so he could say no and spark the break-up. However, showrunner Bruce Helford explained that's not exactly the case, and that Ben was processing everything in the moment just as audiences were, saying:

It's entirely possible that if Darlene had just given him the crafted house and the idea for saving money, Ben might have again handled things sarcastically, but he probably wouldn't have gone so far as to end the relationship for the time being. But seeing Darlene make such a giant (and, again, impulsive) decision with her wedding proposal just brought him over the edge, because it likely brought to mind all of the ways their engagement could backfire from Darlene's lack of 100% commitment. I mean, he brought up David (though without saying his name), so he's clearly got a strong pessimistic foundation to work from.

To that end, Dave Caplan explained another creative goal with Darlene and Ben's relationship was to explore how people react to emotional resentment, especially when it just keeps building without much relief. In Caplan's words:

Could Darlene and Ben eventually get back together during Season 4 and beyond? It's entirely possible, especially if Darlene takes their break-up period to reassess her life and her priorities. If Dan and Louise are getting married, that may mean good things for the house's mortgage being paid in a timely manner. And then if Becky does indeed have her alcoholic instincts under control, then it frees Darlene up to worry more about Ben. At least, barring Harris having any major problems, or DJ and the returning Geena going through some shit, or another old friend returning from her childhood just to die a few days later. Darlene is just kind of surrounded by problematic people, isn't she?

The Conners secured its Season 4 renewal ahead of the Season 3 finale, so there's nothing to worry about on that front. Now it's up to the writers to figure out if Darlene is going to find ways to make things work with Ben, or if she's going to buy another couple of tickets to Hawaii so she and Brian Austin Green's Jeff can work on some major stress relief. While waiting for all the great 2021 Summer TV shows to arrive, all Season 3 episodes of The Conners are available to stream on Hulu.

Spoilers below for anyone who isn't caught up on The Conners through its penultimate Season 3 episode.

Throughout Season 3, The Conners partially eschewed its sitcom expectations and reflected the real world with heaping doses of dramatic character development, particularly with Lecy Goranson's Becky and her alcohol dependencies. Beyond Becky's boozing, The Conners has also taken this season to further explore the relationship struggles between Sara Gilbert's Darlene and Jay R. Ferguson's Ben, and I think viewers are aware by now that this couple needs to split up before Season 4 kicks off (assuming ABC orders that renewal).

Ahead of the Season 3 finale, which is set to deliver two different proposals and the return of a long-gone cast member, Darlene and Ben are technically on good terms after the vacation ticket snafu, with Candice Bergen's Barb also being welcomed into the family poker game. But let's go through a few of the reasons why The Conners needs to bury Darlene and Ben's relationship deeper than the body of the family matriarch.

Ben Is Not As Good For Darlene As We Thought

Under a specific light, Ben is a fairly ideal suitor for Darlene, as he's attentive and loving in the ways that Johnny Galecki's David was not. However, with Ben's affection comes a fairly demanding sense of entitlement, where he seems to think Darlene should do things a certain way simply because she's with him. I can't deny that Ben's logic about selling those Hawaii tickets was practical and sound, at least financially, but he remained completely oblivious to how much that trip would have seriously impacted Darlene's emotional issues, and that's a huge problem. Not to mention the fact that after Darlene was completely honest about her hesitance to sell them (considering they were a gift from a now-dead friend), Ben responded in the worst way, saying:

You can fuck right off with those passive-aggressive jabs at Darlene's attempts to make this unbalanced relationship work, Ben. Perhaps when you're not telling Darlene how to feel happy, you can come up with another podcast idea that does absolutely nothing to help pay the bills and isn't worth anyone's time. That should really convince Darlene to move in with you posthaste. Dummy.

Too Much Barb Is Not A Good Thing

So much of the "just like my family" charm of Roseanne and The Conners has relied on sarcastic quips, in-family insults and general insolence, but I think the somewhat limited use of Estelle Parsons as Beverly Harris has proven that at this point in time, watching a rude and shitty mother be rude and shitty just isn't all that fun anymore. And while it'll technically never get old watching a pro like Candice Bergan rule the roost with iron-thumb efficiency, it's not very enjoyable to see her bitchily Barb-splaining Ben's selfish actions and defending them as being selfless.

If The Conners wants to keep Candice Bergen around on a weekly basis to shoot the shit with Katey Sagal's Louise about anything other than that lump of a son, I am here to appreciate two TV legends making it happen. But if the show is just going to make Barb a shit-dealing obstacle between Darlene and a good day, then it's worth sacrificing the former to have the latter kick Ben to the curb.

Darlene Could Easily Be Happier With Jeff (Or David?!?)

When The Conners introduced Brian Austin Green's Jeff into the Wellman Plastics work circle, it wasn't entirely clear how heavily the story might lean into the character starting a potential romance with Darlene. But he quickly established himself as one of the most easygoing characters in this franchise's history, and perhaps unwittingly also proved how solid a match he would have been for Danielle Harris' Molly had she not died. In any case, if there's anyone who could use a relationship with a shroom-loving neo-hippie, it's Darlene.

But let's also not fool ourselves here. If Darlene would choose to make the definitive choice to split up with Ben, that would give her the opportunity to take one more shot at making things work with David. Granted, Johnny Galecki is a busy guy these days, even without The Big Bang Theory taking up most of his time. So bringing David back at all is almost necessarily just setting up a disaster for Darlene, but it's a familiar and much-beloved disaster, so it's worth it in my book.

To be fair, I don't have any issues with actor Jay R. Ferguson or his work as Ben. In fact, I think his performances prove his worthiness within the role, since Ben almost definitely wouldn't get under my skin so much if Ferguson didn't nail it. But there's something about a character swooping into a show with unearned pompousness and attempting to treat an O.G. character like he knows her better than audiences do, and perhaps better than she knows herself. Nobody has time for that, so let's put our collective thoughts into ushering in a Season 4 with Darlene reembracing single life.

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m., with just one episode left to go in Season 3, so be sure to check that out, knowing there's a lot more awesomeness to come in the 2021 Summer TV season. Let us know in the poll below if you agree with me about Darlene and Ben, or if you think I'm a little off-base here.

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Spoilers below for the latest episode of The Conners, so be warned!

For longtime fans of The Conners and its predecessor Roseanne, the joy over seeing Danielle Harris' Molly Tilden was short-lived, as the character was killed off in an unexpected twist that kicked off Episode 316. Thankfully, Molly was able to light an inspirational fire under Sara Gilbert's Darlene that could very well cause the character to turn over a new leaf. But will that leaf-turning then cause problems to sprout between Darlene and Jay R. Ferguson's Ben? It sounds like that might be the case.

When CinemaBlend recently spoke with The Conners' showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan, I voiced my concerns over Ben's growing fixation on Darlene moving in with him. It'd be one thing if Darlene was giving him a "One day soon..." kind of response, but by and large, she has justifiably argued against that outcome while she and Becky are still in the process of helping their father pay the mortgage. In response, Helford and Caplan did not thwart my somewhat pessimistic feelings about where that relationship is heading. In their words:

Indeed, Ben's short time running his father's hardware store so far has already created some turmoil for these characters, mostly involving Dan trying to backdoor his way into partial ownership. That largely seems to be water under the bridge now, with Ben giving Dan a 10% stake, with the idea that Dan can build his finances back up to a point where Darlene can feel comfortable moving out. Will that ever really happen? Your guess is as good as mine, but I think fans are well aware of how Darlene's headspace works at this point. There's a reason why she's slept so many years of her life in the same bedroom, after all.

So it's easy to imagine that Darlene and Ben's relationship troubles would spark from their mutually exclusive living situations. (And not necessarily from Johnny Galecki's return as David to mess things up.) But that brings us back to Molly, who clearly had an impact on Darlene's psyche by reminding her that life is meant to be enjoyed as much as anything else. It's still not exactly clear whether or not Darlene somehow got a refund on those airline tickets that Molly left her as a parting gift, but if she didn't, that'll no doubt cause Ben to ask why it didn't happen after she'd previously agreed to. Cue the stressful dialogue.

That said, The Conners' showrunner Bruce Helford then also offered up a pretty wild reveal about what viewers can expect to see before Season 3 is up, and it almost necessarily has to involve Darlene and Ben. In his words:

Note that Bruce Helford didn't just mention ONE marriage proposal, but rather multiple big questions being popped. Of course, he did not tease that these proposals would be greeted with approving answers, so maybe viewers shouldn't be getting their hopes up just yet. Considering it was part of the same conversation as the Ben and Darlene tidbits, I would put lots of money on Ben asking Darlene to marry him, though I wouldn't wager nearly as much on Darlene saying yes. Though she could very well be the one to propose to Ben as a sign of relationship faith that she's not shying away from commitment.

Elsewhere, is it possible Becky and her baby daddy Emilio will attempt to have a more romantic wedding that isn't solely tied to him being allowed to live in the U.S.? Or will Dan and Louise get married, despite Katey Sagal being on another ABC show now?!? Dan and Louise! Dan and Louise!

The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET, with upcoming episodes featuring guest spots from Beverly Hills 90210 vet Brian Austin Green and Murphy Brown herself Candice Bergen.

Spoilers below for the latest two episodes of The Conners, so be warned!

Just when you thought it was safe to celebrate The Conners bringing horror scream queen Danielle Harris back into the franchise fold as Roseanne's Molly Tilden, the ABC sitcom said "Hold up now." A week after the guest-casting news broke, Harris appeared in Episode 315 – "An Old Dog, New Tricks and a Ticket to Ride" – and lit an inspirational spark in Darlene that reminded her to try and enjoy life when possible. And then Molly went and got killed off.

Indeed, when The Conners opened up the very next episode, Molly's mom informed Darlene that Molly died after suffering from brain cancer, an ailment she had not disclosed with her old friend. (Danielle Harris has an amusing story behind her performance, too.) When CinemaBlend spoke with The Conners' showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan, I asked what the idea was behind bringing back an old school character like Molly specifically to seal her fate in such a way, and here's how Caplan explained it:

Even though Molly and Darlene's rekindled friendship was short-lived (quite literally), it was precisely the kind of game-changing Conners situation that Sara Gilbert's character needed at this stage in her life. Not a whole lot of things have been going so great, from sacrificing funds to help Dan pay the mortgage to having Ben harping on and on about moving in together. Throw in "constant bickering with Becky" and "Harris' growing independence" and it's almost surprising that Darlene hasn't been responsible for anyone else's death.

As a stubborn woman within an extremely stubborn family, Darlene isn't a character known for being self-serving or for making huge lifestyle changes, which is why The Conners' writers couldn't just make a magazine article be the inspiring catalyst to flip Darlene's status quo around. I asked the EPs if it was difficult to convince themselves that having Molly die was a better inciting incident than something that didn't involve killing characters off, and here's how Bruce Helford put it:

In the same way that Becky's sporadic problems with alcoholism are an important and ongoing part of the character's psyche, it sounds like Molly's death will continue to serve as a motivational beacon of sorts for Darlene as this season (and possibly others) goes on. That definitely adds more meaningful justification behind offing Molly, as opposed to having her death projected through a "Very Special Episode" prism. Plus, it was nice that the character died on good terms with Darlene, as opposed to there being a renewed quarrel over David or Ben or some other dude.

Dave Caplan continued, pointing out that the unexpected death of someone close can often be an alarm bell.

The Conners fans got to see a small sign of how Molly's death affected Darlene, perhaps most notably in the way she fought for her right to keep the tickets to Hawaii that Molly gifted her, as opposed to taking Ben's advice and getting them refunded. Plus, if Molly used a credit card, the refund would just go back into Molly's account anyway, so Ben's idea wasn't necessarily all that great. Here's hoping she held strong and hung up the phone with her tickets still intact. Maybe Sara Gilbert could get her dream by hanging out with Lisa Kudrow in a Hawaii-set episode.

With or without showing Darlene soaking up the Hawaiian sun, The Conners airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Now in the back half of its third season, ABC's The Conners continues to depict the financial, physical and emotional struggles plaguing the titular family. One current arc features Sara Gilbert's Darlene helping John Goodman's Dan pay the mortgage, which is causing strife with Jay R. Ferguson's Ben. So here's hoping she'll be shaken out of her rut after Roseanne and Halloween franchise vet Danielle Harris shows up to reprise the role of Molly Tilden for the first time in nearly 30 years.

As a direct follow-up to the classic '80s and '90s sitcom Roseanne, The Conners occasionally brings familiar characters, actors (and Blockbuster DVDs) back into the fold, even if it's not always in person. But it was still an awesome surprise to very recently learn that Danielle Harris would be bringing Molly back to the small screen. CinemaBlend had the privilege of talking to Harris about her big return, and here's what she told me when I asked how this opportunity came about:

Without getting into any spoilers, it's safe to say that viewers will be talking about Molly's return for several different reasons, including how wonderfully bizarre it is to see Darlene and Molly together again for the first time since 1992. And it's not only fans that will be pumped when the episode airs, since Danielle Harris herself is enthused about taking part in a family-friendly, non-horror project that her children can watch. Here's how she put it:

If Danielle Harris' Boy Meets World character T.K. had also shown up as an adult on The Conners, it might have broken some viewers' brains. (Remember all those bonkers TGIF crossovers on ABC?) But hopefully everyone will still be intact after watching.

CinemaBlend also spoke with The Conners showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan, who also shined a little light on the motivation to bring Danielle Harris back into the franchise. When I asked Helford if this idea was specific to Season 3, or if it came up before, here's how he answered:

It's entirely possible that The Conners viewers will one day be reconnected with Molly's sister Charlotte, but it doesn't appear as if that will be the case with the episode "An Old Dog, New Tricks and a Ticket to Ride." Not that it's needed, since Molly was the goal anyway.

When I asked showrunner Bruce Helford what it was like to reconnect with Danielle Harris as an adult after so many years, and he had nothing but good things to say.

For those wondering, I did indeed mention to The Conners executive producers that they missed the boat by not having Danielle Harris as a guest star during one of the memorable Halloween-themed episodes, considering she starred as Jamie Lloyd in both Halloween 4 and Halloween 5 in the '80s. (Not to mention her return to the general franchise for Rob Zombie's pair of remakes.)

The Conners airs new episodes every Wednesday night on ABC, with Danielle Harris' return as Molly kicking off a back-to-back airing on April 7. Fans still have yet to hear whether or not ABC will bring The Conners back for a fourth season, but be sure to tune into the Season 3 finale, which will feature a tribute to the crew worker who died during filming.

For decades, Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore have been two of Hollywood’s most reliable and multifaceted talents. In recent years, the actresses’ careers have run parallel with each other. But the two first crossed paths on the cult classic Poison Ivy. And Gilbert recently opened up about Barrymore being her first kiss with a girl.

Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore shared the intimate moment while filming the 1992 classic erotic thriller. This was way before Gilbert had come out of the closet, and actually represents something significant in her queer journey. The actors revealed the special moment while playing a trivia game on The Drew Barrymore Show. Upon returning from a commercial break, Gilbert stated:

The cherry on top was Drew Barrymore telling Sara Gilbert she was the best girl kiss Barrymore ever had. They even talked about “practicing” for the infamous scene in Barrymore’s trailer. Their smiles and jokes seemed to hint at more, while they remembered the younger, wilder years. The former child actors spilled more secrets from the set, even talking about Barrymore’s driving skills. As Gilbert mentioned in the interview, Barrymore’s actions on and off set matched the “wild child” image the tabloids had cultivated at that time.

The kiss between Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore was a huge moment, especially for Gilbert. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gilbert was a sitcom darling as Darlene Conner on the ABC hit Roseanne. This film was a huge departure from the moody Darlene to innocent and shy Sylvie. The moment truly stood out as the actress was just coming to terms with her sexuality at the time. She kept her orientation private for years until officially coming out as a lesbian in 2010. So, her kiss with Barrymore came at a crucial time in her life.

The kiss between Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore wasn’t just a moment for Gilbert but Barrymore as well. The sexually charged Poison Ivy fit right in with Barrymore’s early 1990s image. The role served as a transition moment for the actress after being one of Hollywood’s top child stars for years. Around the same time, there were other moments such as her flashing David Letterman and her Playboy pictorial, that fed her public image. But eventually, wild child Barrymore gave way to a successful career as a top star and producer.

Given both women’s legacy in Hollywood, watching Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore reminisce over the kiss was like seeing two old friends catching up. The conversation proved just how much they have grown since doing the cult classic. Hopefully, Gilbert and Barrymore will be able to share more stories from their past in the future. To see more moments such as this, you can catch The Drew Barrymore Show in syndication as well as on YouTube.

The Talk is making headlines again for controversial reasons, with the buzz this time centered on co-host Sharon Osbourne and comments that she allegedly made about former co-hosts Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert. Osbourne is currently the last original Talk host standing after Chen departed in 2018 and Gilbert tearfully departed in 2019, and fellow former co-host Leah Remini has spoken up to claim that Osbourne made racist and homophobic comments about Chen and Gilbert.

Leah Remini, known for speaking out on controversial topics by this point in her career, is reportedly one of multiple sources to tell Yashar Ali for his newsletter that Sharon Osbourne referred to Julie Chen, who is Chinese American, as "wonton" and "slanty eyes" and executive producer Sara Gilbert, who is a lesbian, as "pussy licker" and "fish eater." Remini also claims that Osbourne referred to Chen as "pillow-talking with our boss," in reference to then-CBS head and Chen's husband Les Moonves.

Julie Chen appeared on The Talk with Sharon Osbourne for the first eight seasons of the series, while Sara Gilbert stuck around the series through the end of Season 9. Leah Remini was a Talk co-host for one season, with Remini, Holly Robinson Peete, and Marissa Jaret Winokur all leaving the series before Season 2. Sources claim that Osbourne has a history of bullying including racist language.

Although Sharon Osbourne has been on the airwaves as a Talk co-host for more than a decade at this point, she became the subject of scrutiny recently when she rose to the defense of friend Piers Morgan, who left Good Morning Britain in the wake of comments made about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This led to a heated debate between Osbourne and current co-host Sheryl Underwood, in which she told Underwood not to cry.

Shortly thereafter, Holly Robinson Peete took to Twitter to make an accusation of her own about Sharon Osbourne, posting:

Holly Robinson Peete followed up on Twitter by making it clear that she loved being on The Talk, but "sometimes awesome gifts come in humiliating packages." She also made it clear that she misses working with Leah Remini. As for Remini, she also alleges that Sharon Osbourn used Italian slurs to refer to her, including "wap" and "Guinea." A clip has resurfaced online of Osbourne saying that Remini's style of speech is "ghetto."

In response to the new allegations from Leah Remini and sources, Sharon Osbourne's publicist Howard Bragman released a statement, saying:

At the time of writing, neither Julie Chen nor Sara Gilbert has reacted to Leah Remini's claims or the current controversy surrounding Sharon Osbourne on social media. The Talk is currently on a brief hiatus so that an internal review of the episode that featured the argument Osbourne and Holly Robinson Peete can be conducted. For now, only time will tell whether Osbourne still has a future at The Talk or if The Talk will be looking for another new co-host in the not-too-distant future.

Television shows have slowly been going back into production after the long (and sadly unexpected) break which began back in March. Everything that's returned to filming, or which will begin filming soon, will, of course, have to undergo some big changes to how that filming happens so that the casts and crews on these shows can stay as safe as possible. The Conners just became the first broadcast comedy to return to production, and star Sara Gilbert just revealed some of the changes they've made to make sure that they can keep everyone healthy.

A big challenge for any series (or movie, for that matter) which has gone back into production has been figuring out exactly how they can keep the many, many people who work on set at safe distances from one another, as well as how to film actors who need to be in close proximity for scenes. Sara Gilbert appeared on Good Morning America recently, and spoke about some of the changes on set, as well as what it's like to be back at work under such conditions, telling the hosts:

Man, I bet it is "wild" and that Sara Gilbert is correct that many people can relate to her feelings on returning to set after such a long time of being in quarantine. A lot of us haven't seen the inside of an actual office, or any place we don't absolutely have to be for at least five months. We're missing not just casual, water cooler conversations with co-workers, but hanging out with friends and family (and maybe a dream guest star), and the simple ability to go wherever, whenever we want and not worry too much about how close we are to other people or who is or isn't wearing a mask.

As Gilbert said, she's enjoying being able to be around some of the people she cares about again, and it's also been nice for her to be able to get back into some sort of normal routine, but it's still a very different experience. Just like in any other social situation now, which involves people who haven't spent quarantine together, the cast and crew of The Conners is having to keep their distance as much as possible and wear those masks. And, when asked about the biggest changes, Gilbert also talked about some specifics with regards to the new safety features:

We'd already heard that the show is now using a smaller crew, as well as going without the live-in-studio audience for filming, but every production has implemented extensive changes like the ones Sara Gilbert mentioned for The Conners. Several talk, game and competition shows (like The Masked Singer) are also going without audiences or will have much smaller one as the series return to filming, while the CBS soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful has been using mannequins and the real-life partners of its stars for intimate scenes.

The Netflix hit The Witcher returned to filming a few weeks ago, and behind the scenes photos from the showrunner, director, and star showed a lot of masks, face shields, and zoned off work spaces for particular categories of cast / crew members. That also includes certain groups of people working on the show being put in personal space "bubbles" once they've been tested and cleared, so that they can work together without masks when necessary without the fear of possibly infecting each other.

All in all, even though the return to filming is happening under some odd conditions, it sounds like Sara Gilbert is enjoying her time back on set, and that everyone is able to keep themselves pretty safe, and that's a very good thing. The Conners will return to ABC on Wednesdays this fall, but there's no set return date yet so be sure to check out our guide to fall TV for the latest!

In case you missed it, The Conners is coming back this fall for its third season. So, there was no need to worry about the ABC sitcom not getting that renewal news sooner. Nowadays, Season 3 is a reality, and Sara Gilbert already has a dream guest star in mind for it.

The Conners is no stranger to big-name guest stars, having already welcomed Sons of Anarchy vet Katey Sagal. The actress returned for Season 2 as Louise, who struck up a close bond with Dan. Between Sagal and Johnny Galecki, who does Sara Gilbert have in mind next? On who she would like for a Season 3 guest spot, Gilbert told Variety she wants Lisa Kudrow, saying:

How perfect is this? Sara Gilbert wants Friends’ phenom Lisa Kudrow to guest star in Season 3. If you were worried that the chances of Kudrow putting in an appearance on The Conners were slim, think again. Gilbert shared that Kudrow is aware of her desire to have on the ABC show.

Adding to the potential of Lisa Kudrow guest-starring on The Conners is that Sara Gilbert revealed Kudrow is a “big fan” of it. Gilbert has nothing but glowing things to say about Kudrow and her talent, so one would hope there is a chance this could happen for Season 3.

Lisa Kudrow is currently waiting for that Friends reunion special for HBO to be able to film. The same story is applying to many shows at the moment. For now, the question is: how Kudrow would join Sara Gilbert and her co-stars from The Conners in Season 3? It's not impossible!

Will Lisa Kudrow guest star in a live episode? The Conners did one of those during its last season to pretty spectacular results. When you consider how well Lisa Kudrow’s audition for Saturday Night Live went back in the day, she would knock an opportunity like that out of the park.

While The Conners’ live episode did not happen that long ago, why not do another one for Season 3? Last season, the show introduced Dan’s younger brother, Little Ed. If he resurfaces in Season 3, Lisa Kudrow could come along with him. It is safe to say that The Conners would be able to figure all of this out.

All they need is for Lisa Kudrow to agree! In an interesting side note, Kudrow is not the only Friends star that other sitcom actors have wanted to have guest-star on their show. Kaley Cuoco’s dream guest star for The Big Bang Theory was also a Friends star. In Cuoco’s case, it was Jennifer Aniston.

The Conners is set to return for Season 3 sometime this fall. New episodes will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Stay tuned to see if Lisa Kudrow ends up stopping by. While you wait for the show (and its titular family) to come back, you can enjoy what this summer’s premieres have to offer you.

For 12 seasons and nearly 300 episodes, CBS's enormously popular The Big Bang Theory became one of the most watched sitcoms of the past two decades. Commanding the ratings for the majority of its television run, resulting in its actors getting upwards of a million dollars per episode, it's hard to deny how huge this show became. Alas, nothing can last forever. Last year, the famous sitcom came to a close, and many of its now-famous cast members are exploring new projects, including Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Johnny Galecki. Let's take a look at what The Big Bang Theory cast is doing now.

Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper)

As Sheldon Cooper, the nerdy, scene-stealing roommate who turned the sitcom into one of the most watched shows on television, Jim Parsons played a huge part in making The Big Bang Theory what it is today. He's also the reason why it ended, reportedly. After 279 episodes, which is considered one of the most in multi-camera show history, The Big Bang Theory ended because Parsons ultimately refused to sign a contract for Seasons 13 and 14 totaling in $50 million (!), believing he had done everything he would want to do with this character after 12 seasons. The series thus ended in May 2019. Nevertheless, he continues to play Sheldon in voice only on Young Sheldon, the single-camera prequel series. Since the show ended, he was heard in an episode of The Simpsons. He'll also play a role in Ryan Murphy's newest show, Hollywood, premiering in May.

Up next, Jim Parsons will appear in the drama film, The Boys in the Band, which is expected to come out later this year. He's also set to star in the TV movie, So Much, which should come out sometime next year. He is an executive producer on that film as well. Parsons will also serve as an executive producer on Call Me Kat, the newest show from his Big Bang Theory co-star Mayim Bialik. That new comedy series is expected to premiere this fall.

Kaley Cuoco (Penny Hofstadter)

As Penny Hofstadter, the aspiring actress who lived in Apartment 4B and stole the heart of Leonard, Kaley Cuoco was previously the only female lead on The Big Bang Theory, and her presence on the popular network sitcom helped her career enormously. A former child actress who appeared on shows like 8 Simple Rules and Charmed prior to her work on The Big Bang Theory, Cuoco became one of the highest-paid actress on television during the later seasons. Since The Big Bang Theory's finale, Cuoco has since been heard as the voice of the title role in the mature animated series, Harley Quinn. Cuoco also made a cameo on Young Sheldon. Up next is the thriller series The Flight Attendant, though production was recently suspended. She serves as an executive producer, in addition to starring. Additionally, Cuoco is an EP on the CBS's comedy series, Pretty.

Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter)

As Leonard Hofstadter, the goofy, good-hearted geek who eventually wins the love of his neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Johnny Galecki played one of the three lead roles in The Big Bang Theory. A former child actor who continued to work in movies and television since his days in Roseanne and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, among others, The Big Bang Theory is, nevertheless, among the actor's most famous, recognizable roles. And outside of his work on that show, Galecki hasn't kept too busy on screen in the intervening time since The Big Bang Theory left the air. Most recently, he made appearances on both Roseanne and its spin-off series, The Conners. He also recently starred in A Dog's Journey. In his personal life, Galecki and his partner Alaina Meyer welcomed a baby boy into their family in December 2019.

Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz)

A horny engineer with an overbearing mother and an awkward demeanor around women, Simon Helberg's Howard Wolowitz was a constant presence throughout The Big Bang Theory's extended run, with his character eventually getting married to Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). As an actor, Helberg also appeared in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, A Serious Man, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Florence Foster Jenkins in addition to his long-standing role on The Big Bang Theory. With his commitments to The Big Bang Theory finished, Helberg has booked two promising films in his future. The first is Annette, a dramatic musical which will also star Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard and comes from director Leos Carax (Holy Motors). The second is As Sick As They Made Us, which will be the feature screenwriting and directorial debut of Mayim Bialik, his former Big Bang Theory co-star.

Kunal Nayyar (Raj Koothrappali)

As Howard Wolowitz's best friend Raj Koothrappali, Kunal Nayyar played a supporting role throughout The Big Bang Theory. As an actor, outside of his work on The Big Bang Theory, Nayyar has done a number of voice roles in movies and shows like Ice Age: Continental Drift, Sanjay and Craig, and Trolls. Since The Big Bang Theory's final episode, Nayyar has been seen in Sweetness in the Belly. He'll also soon be heard in Trolls World Tour. And he is soon set to appear in the family comedy Think Like a Dog. He's also filming a role in the thriller series Suspicion, which stars Uma Thurman.

Melissa Rauch (Bernadette Rostenkowski)

Since her introduction in The Big Bang Theory's third season, Melissa Rauch played a prominent role in the CBS sitcom as Bernadette Rostenkowski. Since her time on the popular series came to a close, Rauch hasn't picked up as many acting roles, though she was seen in the indie comedy Ode to Joy and she starred in Steven Soderbergh's The Laundromat. The Bronze actress/screenwriter also starred in a couple episodes of Black Monday and she provided voices for a recent episode of Robot Chicken.

Mayim Bialik (Amy Farrah Fowler)

Similar to her co-star Melissa Rauch, Mayim Bialik was introduced into the Big Bang Theory fold in the third season and she became a prevalent figure in the show thereafter. Much like the character she played on the sitcom, Bialik holds a PhD in neuroscience, and she's exceptionally accomplished. In addition to being an actress, Bialik is also an author and the founder of Grok Nation. She also founded Sad Clown Productions, and Bialik is soon set to star in her own Fox series, Call Me Kat, based on the BBC series Miranda. Jim Parsons will be involved as an executive producer. The new series is expected this fall. Additionally, BIalik will make her feature screenwriting and directorial debut with the dramatic film, As Sick As They Made Us. It'll star Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergen, and Simon Helberg, Bialik's former Big Bang Theory co-star.

Kevin Sussman (Stuart Bloom)

As Stuart Bloom, the owner of The Comic Center Of Pasadena, Kevin Sussman first appeared in Season 2 and he has served as a rival character for our leads at times when he dated Penny and Amy, respectively. While the TV actor has only been a series regular on the show periodically, Sussman has appeared on The Big Bang Theory many times in its prolonged run. An established actor who has appeared in many famous films and TV shows, including (but not limited to) The Sopranos, Wet Hot American Summer, Almost Famous, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, ER, My Name is Earl, Ugly Betty, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Burn After Reading, and more, Sussman has an active career in both mediums. However, since The Big Bang Theory ended, Sussman hasn't appeared in any other projects. But he recently appeared in a Progressive commercial.

Laura Spencer (Emily Sweeney)

From Season 7 through Season 10, Laura Spencer appeared on The Big Bang Theory as Emily Sweeney, the former girlfriend of Raj. During her time on the series, Spencer could also be seen on Bones, and she previously appeared in Sleepy Hollow, Switched at Birth, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and other television shows. Since her time on The Big Bang Theory, Spencer has appeared in episodes of Get Shorty and Matt and Dan. She also recently wrote the short film Likeness, which she also starred in. Up next, she'll appear in the drama Thirteen Minutes and the dramedy series, Work/Friends.

Sara Gilbert (Leslie Winkle)

Considered the female counterpart to Leonard, Sara Gilbert's Leslie Winkle played a prominent role during The Big Bang Theory's first three seasons. Though she made a cameo in a later episode, Gilbert was otherwise absent from the show's consecutive seasons. Since leaving the popular sitcom, Gilbert has appeared in episodes of Supergirl, Jane the Virgin, Happy Together, and Atypical, though she has been most notably seen in ABC's revival of Roseanne and then, once that show was taken off the air due to contentious tweets from its title star, its subsequent spin-off series, The Conners. Outside of her acting work, Gilbert was also the creator and former co-host of the CBS daytime talk show, The Talk, though she left in August 2019.

Do you have a favorite actor from The Big Bang Theory? Is there anyone you're excited to see branch out after the mega-hit CBS sitcom. Let us know in the comment section below!

With its first season out from under the Roseanne umbrella, The Conners maintained its domination over all other TV comedies, making the larger second season a pretty important one in terms of the revival's primetime staying power. Former viewers could return after boycotting the Roseanne Barr-free Season 1, while others could choose to opt out of Season 2 after seeing how things fared last time around.

It doesn't look like The Conners will lean on overtly political storylines to fuel viewers' choices one way or the other. According to star Sara Gilbert, The Conners will continue tackling plotlines about topics that real people deal with on a day-to-day basis, as opposed to stories that are taking over the headlines. In Gilbert's words:

With the death of Roseanne Conner in Season 1, The Conners hit upon the topic of opioid use and abuse in the U.S., after already having shined a light on healthcare issues on Roseanne. But in ways that reflected and affected the family's lives, as opposed to offering up the various characters' reactions to how the media or anyone else in the country is responding to healthcare issues.

Similarly, the Conner family has always been as blue-collar as TV clans get, making financial problems a major factor from time to time. (Minus that one lottery-motivated season.) Whether it's making sure there's enough money to put food on the table for everyone in the family, or it's weighing the pros and cons of having another couple's baby for them, the idea of earning money is always going to be a big topic on The Conners, just as it is a major conversation source in millions of households in this country and beyond.

While that kind of subject matter can obviously bring a conversation to more brazenly political territory in the real world, The Conners can be relied on to mostly avoid pointing partisan fingers the way that others shows might. Considering the show did indeed face a backlash from some of its viewership when Roseanne Barr got fired over an insulting tweet,

Speaking to Parade, Sara Gilbert also gave talked about about what fans can expect to see in Season 2 in general.

While we won't be seeing more politically driven stories in Season 2, fans can reportedly expect to see actress Katey Segal making a return as Dan's former flame Louise. There's a good chance she'll be around for more than just a single episode.

That said, the word is still out on whether or not actress Maya Lynne Robinson will show up as D.J.'s wife Geena in The Conners' second season, considering Robinson landed another acting role on CBS' upcoming comedy The Unicorn, starring Walton Goggins. To account for Geena's absence, The Conners' creative team is adding in the reveal that she's been redeployed overseas.

The Conners will return to ABC with its only slightly political stories on Tuesday, September 24, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Sara Gilbert finally bid farewell to The Talk, but not without some tearful farewells. The show’s creator and original co-host announced that she would be leaving back in April. Goodbyes are never easy, and Gilbert took a special moment to say an emotional one to Sharon Osbourne. Check out Gilbert’s farewell below:

Not goodbye, but see you later. That seems to be one of the significant takeaways from Sara Gilbert’s goodbye to The Talk. Created by Gilbert, the chatfest premiered nearly a decade ago in October 2010. Next year, the show will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Hopefully Gilbert will make her way back for that.

Sharon Osbourne and Sara Gilbert had been on The Talk together since day one. In the video, Gilbert talks about trying to find the words to exit the show. Gilbert announced she would tell a story. Spoken from the heart, she recounted an anecdote from very early in The Talk involving Osbourne.

After asking Sharon Osbourne’s advice on how to “do this,” Osbourne told Sara Gilbert to “just be yourself.” Wise words. From the sound of things, Gilbert and Osbourne have gone on to share many highs and lows together. Even though their time co-hosting the show is over, Gilbert vowed this is “not a goodbye,” saying they would remain in each other’s lives.

Sharon Osbourne was clearly moved. Her face was also wet from tears during Sara Gilbert’s emotional goodbye to her good friend and fellow co-host. Gilbert’s exit marks a huge turning point for The Talk.

Sharon Osbourne will be the only Season 1 host left. Osbourne, Sara Gilbert, and Julie Chen were the sole original hosts to continue past The Talk’s first season. Chen announced her exit from the show in the fall of 2018, leaving the show in Season 8. She had an emotional farewell on her last day.

At the time she announced her exit, Sara Gilbert explained why she had made the decision to leave. While speaking highly of the show’s hosts and staff, Gilbert talked about not being able to spend as much time with her three kids. Or find time for herself following a busy career schedule, as well as wanting to focus on her thriving career.

The Talk has already found Sara Gilbert’s replacement. Marie Osmond will take Gilbert’s place at the roundtable. She will make her full-time debut when Season 10 premieres this fall. As for Gilbert, television will remain a friendly place for the familiar face.

The Conners will be back this fall for a second season on ABC. It got renewed the month before Sara Gilbert announced her departure from The Talk. Following her decision to leave the CBS talk show, word came that Gilbert would be heading to a popular Netflix show. So, she will remain a steady presence on television screens.

Continue to watch The Talk when new episodes air weekdays at 2 p.m. ET on CBS. You can watch Sara Gilbert on the second season of The Conners after this summer’s premieres. Season 2 premieres Tuesday, September 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Sara Gilbert was a regular presence on the small screen for years thanks to her status as a co-host on The Talk, and then cast member of Roseanne and subsequently The Conners. She recently quit The Talk, but she's already picked up another show, and it will take her to Netflix. Gilbert is joining the cast of the streaming giant's unique dramedy Atypical.

On Atypical, Sara Gilbert will play a university ethics professor by the name of Judd. The professor is capable of compassion, but more often "irritable, strict and chronically underwhelmed," according to People. Gilbert is slated to appear in the upcoming third season, which will be comprised of ten episodes running a half hour each.

Atypical stars Keir Gilchrist as the 18-year-old Sam, who is on the autism spectrum and wants to continue his search for independence and love. He graduated high school in Season 2, so Sara Gilbert's character will presumably come into play as Sam moves into the next stage in his life. On top of Gilchrist and Gilbert, Atypical stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Rapaport, and Brigette Lundy-Paine.

Sara Gilbert took to Twitter to confirm her casting and reveal that she was a fan of Atypical even before landing the role:

News of Sara Gilbert's Atypical casting comes only weeks after she announced her intention to leave CBS' daytime talk show The Talk. As the creator and one of the original co-hosts, Gilbert's decision to depart was a very big deal, and she was emotional when she explained her reasons for the big move.

According to Sara Gilbert, her life was out of balance after acting on and producing The Conners while also contributing to The Talk, and she didn't have as much time for her family as she would have liked. While Gilbert landing a new role so soon after leaving The Talk might have seemed a bit rich, she did explain in her address to The Talk viewers that she's looking to do more producing and acting.

She may have had time to continue doing both The Conners and The Talk if she'd been so inclined, but it's unlikely she could have pulled off The Conners, The Talk, and Atypical even if she'd wanted to. Sara Gilbert has also said that she'll "come back" and "guest co-host" on The Talk, so she won't be gone for good now that she's exploring further acting opportunities.

There's no news of when Atypical Season 3 will premiere with Sara Gilbert on board. The first season premiered in August 2017, and the second in September 2018. If Season 3 follows the trend, it could debut in late summer/early autumn. There will be plenty of options on Netflix in the coming weeks, though. The Conners will likely be back for its second season in the fall as well.

Sara Gilbert has announced that she is leaving The Talk. The series’ creator and original host made the surprising announcement during the April 9 episode. Sharing her decision, Gilbert also revealed the reasons why she has decided to depart the show. Gilbert told the audience:

In explaining her reasons for leaving the CBS chatfest, Gilbert revealed the toll her busy schedule has taken on her family. Along with producing and hosting The Talk, she also executive produced and starred in The Conners. The ABC sitcom has been renewed for a second season, meaning Sara Gilbert’s career and schedule will only continue to heat up.

Ahead of Season 2 getting underway, it sounds like Sara Gilbert realized something had to give. Explaining why she will be leaving, Gilbert continued, saying:

It is important to note that Sara Gilbert will not be leaving right away. The Talk star will exit at the end of the current season. Hence, there is still some time left to enjoy her presence on the show.

Clearly, there is no ill will or behind-the-scenes dramal just a change brought on by a busy schedule. It is not only her schedule with The Conners that is pulling Sara Gilbert away. She also stated that she wants to pursue producing more projects, and acting roles.

Sara Gilbert’s last air date on The Talk was not announced, so stay tuned. Upon Gilbert’s departure, Sharon Osbourne will be the only original host (Season 1 onward) left on The Talk’s panel. Following Sara Gilbert’s departure, Sheryl Underwood will be the host with the second-longest tenure. Underwood joined the show in Season 2 and has been a part of it consistently, ever since.

Last season, the series lost another original host when Julie Chen exited. In December 2018, Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba was officially named as her replacement. After The Talk lost Julie Chen, former co-host Eve opened up about how her exit changed the show.

Time will tell how Sara Gilbert’s exit alters things. A search for Gilbert’s replacement will probably get underway before long. As evidenced by the show’s Twitter page, Gilbert will be missed.

Sara Gilbert has had an incredible run on The Talk. When her time on the show ends, she will have hosted it for nearly a decade. Hopefully she will come back to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary when it arrives next year.

You can watch Sara Gilbert announce her departure from The Talk via the video below:

Continue to watch the rest of Sara Gilbert’s run on The Talk when new episodes air weekdays at 2 p.m. ET on CBS.

Roseanne, who? Roseanne Barr still sounds angry about ABC cancelling her show, but The Conners family is doing just fine without her. ABC just renewed The Conners for Season 2, with returning stars including John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, and Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy.

According to TVLine, Season 2 of the Roseanne spinoff will feature 13 episodes, an increase of two over Season 1's 11 episodes. The site added that John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert all got raises for Season 2 and will reportedly make $375,000 an episode -- up from $250,000 for Season 1 -- plus a piece of the back end. Lecy Goranson also reportedly got a raise and will make $165,000 an episode, which TVLine said was a double-digit increase.

ABC's renewal announcement said more cast members would be announced at a later date. TVLine said Michael Fishman (D.J.), Emma Kenney (Darlene and David’s daughter Harris), Maya Lynne Robinson (D.J.’s wife Geena), Jayden Rey (D.J. and Geena’s daughter Mary), and Johnny Galecki (David) are all expected to return in some capacity in Season 2.

The Conners came to life when ABC cancelled Roseanne after its Season 10 revival. The network had already renewed Roseanne for Season 11 before backtracking after Roseanne Barr's controversial tweet. ABC decided to continue following the Conner family without Roseanne, killing off the character of Roseanne Conner at the start of The Conners. Roseanne Barr was not happy about that. She recently blasted ABC in a new stand-up routine, and apparently she lays a lot of the blame specifically at former co-star Sara Gilbert's feet, with Gilbert as one of the show's executive producers as well as a star.

ABC bragged that The Conners Season 1 was the #1 new comedy in the 2018-2019 season in total viewers (9.5 million) and in the key 18-49 demo (2.2/10). It also topped the ratings of its Tuesday at 8 p.m. competition by 16%, and gave ABC a five-year high for the half-hour.

Last month, ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke said they were close to a Season 2 renewal for The Conners, they just had to finish finalizing deals with the main cast. On March 22, Burke praised the cast when announcing the show's second season:

The Conners Season 1 had an amazing guest cast -- including Matthew Broderick, Juliette Lewis, Katey Sagal, Mary Steenburgen, Justin Long, Jay R. Ferguson, and Sarah Chalke -- and fans can probably expect more stars to stop by in Season 2. A premiere date has yet to be announced for 2019-2020, so stay tuned for updates.

Some of 2018's biggest TV headlines swirled around the meteoric career burst of comedian Roseanne Barr, whose famed sitcom Roseanne was the year's biggest scripted premiere. Of course, she was fired over a controversial Twitter post just two months after it premiered, though Barr hasn't ever seemed to hold herself responsible. In fact, she recently went hard on blaming former co-star Sara Gilbert for getting ousted by ABC and the rest of Hollywood, making a Hannibal Lecter comparison in the process.

Roseanne Barr has never ever been one to mince words or shield her genuine opinions from the rest of the world, a trait that she has doubled down on during the ten months since Roseanne was swiftly cancelled. (She did not like how The Conners killed her off, either.) Yet some were still likely surprised to read that Barr referenced Anthony Hopkins' iconic Silence of the Lambs killer Hannibal Lecter when referring to her former friend and co-star Sara Gilbert.

Granted, Roseanne Barr also took time to call ABC a "shit, fuckin' low-rated network" during a recent stand-up comedy set when she surprised Las Vegas audience members attending an Andrew Dice Clay performance. As such, it was already clear that the outspoken comic is still smarting from losing Roseanne over a tweet she still alleges was made in jest. Comparing someone to a fictional cannibal, though, is slightly different, even without the thppp tongue noises.

Roseanne Barr's comments to the Washington Post about Sara Gilbert were made in reference to the tweet below, in which the Roseanne revival's spearheader condemned Barr's post about Barack Obama's former aide Valerie Jarrett.

Sara Gilbert was a big reason why Roseanne's revival came about, as she took steps to reasserting the sitcom's popularity through her job hosting The Talk, where she had John Goodman appear for a mini-reunion in 2017. It was only a few rumor-filled months later when ABC put in the series order, and it looked like Roseanne Barr would be the queen of primetime for the second time in her career.

Alas, the comedian's shift in political ideologies and embrace of social media were apparently near-constant worries for those behind the scenes on Roseanne, and she'd reportedly been contacted on multiple occasions about curbing her Twitter rage. So whenever Roseanne Barr made the now-infamous Valerie Jarrett tweet, ABC's then-President Channing Dungey seemingly didn't need a long time to deliberate how to handle the situation, and Roseanne was axed.

Clearly, Barr holds Sara Gilbert as responsible as anyone else for Dungey's decision to cancel Roseanne, but for her part, Gilbert doesn't appear to be holding any long-form grudges against her former TV mom. Here's how she explained her position.

While I’m extremely disappointed and heartbroken over the dissolution of the original show, she will always be family, and I will always love Roseanne.

It's also reported that two of Roseanne Barr's children are now responsible for keeping the stand-up comedian's rabble-rousing comments off of Twitter. While her son Buck had attempted to stop her Twitter habits soon after Roseanne was cancelled, Barr reversed his decision. Now, though, daughters Jenny and Jessica Pentland are each responsible for a different portion of their mother's Twitter password, so that she can't log on.

At this point, ABC has yet to renew Roseanne's spinoff The Conners for Season 2, although it's being reported that most of the main cast got big contract updates, meaning a renewal is all but imminent. While waiting to hear more about renewals and cancellations, take note of all the other big midseason shows that are currently airing.

When Roseanne returned to TV for its headline-swamping revival season, it wasn't star Roseanne Barr herself who was responsible for spearheading things, but rather her TV offspring Sara Gilbert. As such, the sitcom's recent cancellation at ABC over Barr's controversial Twitter posts had to be especially hard for Gilbert to wrap her head around, considering the revival's initial success had blown away previous expectations. The actress and producer addressed her feelings about Roseanne's sudden change of fate during The Talk, saying this:

Understandably, Sara Gilbert was thrown for a loop by everything that happened with Roseanne in the last week. In one moment, the sky was the limit for Season 2, with many more plotlines and character returns planned. Gilbert, who had just recently spoken about Roseanne's Emmy chances for next year, was humble in her reaction, choosing not to focus on her own feelings, but sharing sympathy for all the other cast and crew members dealing with the sudden lack of steady jobs at ABC for the summer and fall. (Which includes comedian and show writer Wanda Sykes, who promptly resigned from the show even before ABC execs decided to pull the plug.) A TV show is never just about one person, even if only one person is referred to in the title.

For all the somberness and discouraging feelings going around, Sara Gilbert did make it clear that she does not have any direct issues with ABC for its decision to cancel Roseanne over its leading lady's allegedly Ambien-fueled social media tear. Gilbert has stood by the show's (arguably) inclusive stance since the beginning, and like ABC execs, had largely remained cordial and non-combative concerning Barr's political views and her social media habits. But the waves made by Barr's comments about Barack Obama's former aide Valerie Jarrett were too choppy to be brushed away, leading to one of the most talked-about TV cancellations in recent times.

Beyond her consistent professionalism, another big reason that Sara Gilbert might be subdued in her cancellation reactions involves ABC potentially setting the actress up for a spinoff series, possibly centered on Darlene Conner. That would be a pretty sensible decision, considering Gilbert's efforts in bringing Roseanne back to dominance, and fans were often more excited to learn about Darlene and David's situation than they were about Roseanne and Dan's problems. Plus, a spinoff series could allow for beloved stars like Laurie Metcalf and John Goodman to still appear, assuming they would agree to, that is.

At this point, we're still waiting to hear what ABC will decide to do with any Roseanne spinoffs and the like, so be sure to tune into The Talk every weekday morning to see if Sara Gilbert has more to say about her former primetime home. And then head to our summer premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows on the way.

2018 has been a wild ride regarding all things Roseanne. The revival was breaking ratings records right off the bat, and it scored a quick renewal for a second season. Then, less than a week after the season finale aired, the show got the axe from ABC after star Roseanne Barr fired off a controversial tweet that she later claimed was the result of taking Ambien. Despite all of the negative buzz surrounding the series and its star in the wake of the cancellation, ABC is apparently not 100% ready to give up on the Conner family. Sara Gilbert could star in a Darlene-centric spinoff.

The spinoff is reportedly (and fittingly) called Darlene, according to TVLine. It would center on Darlene and presumably continue to chronicle her struggles as a single mom and all the difficulties (and sitcom shenanigans) that she faces in her lot in life. Sara Gilbert was one of the people responsible for getting the ball rolling on the Roseanne revival, and she was among those named as actors willing to explore the possibility of a spinoff without Roseanne Barr on board. The prospect of a spinoff was not deemed especially likely only days ago, but it's probably safe to say that a Darlene-centric spinoff is the way to keep Roseanne fans hooked to ABC.

A spinoff revolving around Darlene would leave the door open for other Roseanne revival stars to reprise their roles, barring Roseanne Barr, who almost certainly will be nowhere to be seen in any spinoff. John Goodman has said that he's not upset about the fact that the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Roseanne means that he won't score an Emmy anytime soon, but perhaps he'd jump at the opportunity to appear on a Darlene series and deliver laughs as Dan Conner one more time.

A spinoff could allow the revival writers to get back to work on a similar series, and members of the cast and crew who spoke out in the aftermath of the controversy criticized Roseanne Barr for her comments, so they may not have burned any bridges with ABC. A show all about Darlene could even open the door for David to come back again. Johnny Galecki previously stated his willingness to appear in more episodes in a second Roseanne revival season, and the same would presumably be true for Darlene.

All of this said, there are no guarantees that a Darlene-centric spinoff will ever hit the airwaves. At the time of writing, ABC had not yet commented on the potential series, so there's no official word on if and when such a show could hit the airwaves. The cancellation of Roseanne does leave an open block in primetime for the fall, but there may not be enough time to put a Darlene project together and have it ready for TV by that point, even if it does get a series order. A big question for the series would be what happened to Roseanne that she's nowhere to be seen. Would the Roseanne franchise actually kill the character off?

We'll have to wait and see. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and be sure to swing by our summer TV premiere guide for what you can watch sooner rather than later.

It's been a wild 24 hours for the cast of Roseanne, as the series was canceled not long after remarks tweeted by Barr were deemed racist, and condemned by heh network. The dust has not completely settled on the situation, although that's not stopping members of the cast and crew from speaking out on their social media platforms. In addition to speaking about the show's shocking cancellation, many are also and distancing themselves from Barr's comments. Sara Gilbert, who played Darlene in the series, was quick to discuss the gravity of the situation and how Barr's actions affected all her co-stars:

Gilbert added in another tweet that she found Barr's tweet abhorrent, and not an opinion she or the cast shared. Gilbert was joined on Twitter by her co-star and fictional little brother Michael Fishman who shared the same disappointment over Roseanne Barr's remarks. Fishman released a statement that included statements about inclusivity, and how the show's plotline for DJ's character that encouraged him to be a part of the revival to begin with. Fishman ultimately said that while he was disappointed in the show's cancellation, he felt it was more important to speak out against Barr than remain silent:

Roseanne Barr, who spent a large portion of last night and early morning retweeting those who felt the cancellation was unjust and responding to her critics on Twitter, directly responded to both Sara Gilbert and Michael Fishman. Barr replied with what appeared to be disbelief and astonishment in regard to Gilbert's tweet, and accused Fishman of "throwing her under the bus":

Reactions weren't limited to the legacy cast of the Roseanne revival, however, as actress Emma Kenney admitted she was on her way out of the show just after seeing Barr's tweet. Kenney told Twitter she was making the call to her manager, only to learn the show had already been canceled:

Wanda Sykes was one of the first Roseanne actors to take a firm stance against Barr's remarks, as she stated she would not be returning to the series prior to the official news of the show's cancelation. Another actress from the Roseanne cast who has reacted to Barr's tweets is actress Sandra Bernhard. Bernhard expressed her disappointment on Sirius XM's Radio Andy, and wondered aloud about how it all led to this:

Behind the camera, other big players in the Roseanne revival expressed their disappointment with the series ending. Executive producer Bruce Helford spoke on behalf of the show's writers and producers in an official statement (via Deadline) that was very much in line with that of the cast:

Stars of the series with little to no internet presence like John Goodman, Estelle Parsons, and Laurie Metcalf have yet to respond. Both Becky's (Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke) have also yet to respond in regards to the show's cancellation as well. Outside of the show's cast, plenty of celebrities and average joe's have taken to Twitter to share their opinion on the ongoing drama between ABC and Roseanne Barr. This includes President Donald Trump, who wondered why he never received an apology from ABC's Bob Iger like former White House advisor Valerie Jarrett:

Roseanne has been canceled, and reruns of her original series and revival are quickly being scrubbed from streaming services. Be sure to keep it with CinemaBlend as this situation continues to unfold for more updates. For a look at upcoming shows set to premiere in the next couple of months, visit our summer premiere guide.

Spoilers below for Roseanne's "Darlene v. David," so be sure to watch before reading on.

Since Roseanne's revival season started up, fans have been anticipating how everything would play out for two main characters. No, it has nothing to do with Jackie being grossed out by Beverly's sex stories. I'm talking about Johnny Galecki's short-lived return as (the now-vegan) David Healy, who re-entered Darlene's life with the big news that he was moving back to Lanford, and with a new girlfriend. It sounds like this episode, and perhaps the overall storyline, would have been pretty different had Galecki been around for more than a single episode.

Darlene and Roseanne: Some fans out there probably held the opinion that Darlene was a little too accepting of Roseanne communicating with David in secret, considering the two women are often seemingly seconds away from taking each other's heads off. But take comfort in Sara Gilbert saying that aspect of the narrative would have likely gotten expanded had Galecki's situation been different. Here's how she put it to TVLine.

Hopefully Darlene will at least use Roseanne's nosiness against her later in the season. However it goes, I'm pretty sure this mother and daughter will have more to argue about during the final batch of Season 1 episodes, with David being one of several topics.

David and Mark: While Johnny Galecki spent most of his onscreen time with Sara Gilbert, he did get one scene with his on-screen daughter, Emma Kenney's Harris. It wasn't the biggest moment, as David basically said he'd buy her ice cream instead of weed, but it was still an important scene between an estranged father and his mostly forgiving daughter. Doubly so, since David didn't get to see his son Mark at all. It was strange for the episode to have skipped on that moment, but it turns out that was also due to the timing. In her words.

Indeed, Roseanne would have taken fans to some even more potentially disheartening places had David and Mark's relationship been shown in such a fragile and one-sided way. It was already kinda sad enough to watch Darlene end their fling before it really started, so it would have been soul-crushing to watch Mark cluelessly eyeballing David without recognizing him.

Blue: One of the biggest jaw-droppers in "Darlene v. David" came when David revealed his new love interest, who just so happens to share her name with a crayon. Again, because there was only a limited amount of time and story elements that could come into play, Blue could exist in name alone. Though if Johnny Galecki is able to escape Big Bang Theory long enough to do more Roseanne for Season 2, Sara Gilbert says that Blue could very well get a proper introduction.

Roseanne's writers and producers no doubt have many, many storylines and characters to address in Season 2, now that it'll definitely be a reality. Fans definitely need to see what's up with Jerry Garcia Conner, as well as Andy Harris, and there are plenty of other O.G. characters that are due for a return. So if they have to postpone Blue's arrival to make room for everyone else, so be it. (I'm so not on Team Blue, guys.)

Be sure to keep watching the rest of Roseanne's first revival season to see where Darlene's story is going next. It airs Tuesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. And head over to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer premiere schedule to see what now and returning shows are on the way.

Over its first batch of episodes, Roseanne ushered the Conner family into 2018 with dominance, and fans have delighted in most of it. (Definitely not all of it, but most.) One huge moment we have yet to experience in full is Johnny Galecki's return as estranged husband and father David Healy. His absence from this sitcom has largely been due to the actor's full-time job on CBS's Big Bang Theory, though he was able to make a temporary exit to film one Roseanne installment. Had he not been available, though, star and executive producer Sara Gilbert had a safety net.

That would have been an interesting take as well, given how rarely TV shows address absent characters like this in a negative light. As well as how often divorced TV couples are played for their strengths instead of rampant weaknesses. But it also would have been a much harsher and less enjoyable way to think back on David's role within this family at large. Him not the best father or husband in the modern day isn't the most over-the-top extension of how rocky David and Darlene's relationship was during the show's original run. Sure, they were just teenagers for a chunk of it, but not every part of our personalities change as we mature.

Whatever potential During Sara Gilbert's talk with TVLine, it was brought up that executive producer Whitney Cummings had struggles with approaching David's character in a way that reflected negatively on him, since he was such a beloved character for so many years. But Gilbert herself doesn't have that issue, and welcomes the chance to introduce such a rarely addressed element.

Ahead of Johnny Galecki's return episode, fans aren't quite sure what to expect when David and Darlene are in a room together again for an extended period, nor what his relationship is like with daughter Harris and son Mark. But it will apparently be cordial enough that Darlene won't wring his neck, and Sara Gilbert's backup plan perhaps indicates a completely opposite situation from where things are in the show. David might still be a relatively cool person who, by not being around all the time, is more of a friend to his kids than a proper father. Roseanne definitely isn't trying to turn him into a monster or anything. Just a guy whose life drifted in a different direction from his loved ones. Or maybe he is a monster. We'll have to wait and see what happens, and heaven help us if he starts talking about Glenn Quinn's Mark.

You can check out a clip from David's return below.

Johnny Galecki will head back to Roseanne for a single episode on Tuesday, April 17, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Check out how Galecki would feel about returning in the future, and head to our summer premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way.

Revivals are all the rage on networks large and small nowadays, and some have been much bigger hits than others. The latest revival to hit the airwaves was none other than Roseanne on ABC. While there were plenty of people talking about the Roseanne revival in the weeks and months ahead of its premiere, it was difficult to gauge how well it would perform in the ratings. Well, it turns out that a ton of people tuned in to watch the premiere, and the ratings were staggeringly high. Sara Gilbert, who plays Darlene in the series, shared her feelings on the premiere's massive ratings:

Apparently, even one of the stars of the revival didn't imagine how well the premiere would perform in the ratings! Sara Gilbert's comments to Variety indicate that the goal was to form a connection with viewers, and nobody expected the numbers for the premiere. In Live+Same day calculations, Roseanne was watched by more than 18 million people, which is a larger audience than that which watched the much-panned finale that was originally intended as the series finale. Viewership for the Roseanne premiere was only just behind the viewership for CBS' NCIS and NBC's The Voice... combined. The premiere also scored a 5.1 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. And that's without George Clooney!

Something tells me that ABC will be more than willing to sign off on more than one season of the Roseanne revival! Leading lady Roseanne Barr has already stated that the cast is down to do more seasons. Who knows? Perhaps more seasons could feature Johnny Galecki more than a single episode. The Big Bang Theory can't last forever, and he's spoken positively about the renewal. We can only wait and see.

New episodes of Roseanne air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. There's still plenty to come, what with David reuniting with Darlene to complicate things, the original Becky actress acting as surrogate to Becky 2.0's actress, and occasional commentary on current events and politics. If you need to know your other TV options now and in the coming months, be sure to swing by our midseason TV premiere schedule and our summer TV premiere guide. If streaming is more your style, we have a handy Netflix premiere schedule and a 2018 Amazon Prime guide. For the shows that have already gotten the axe this season, check out our rundown of cancellations and renewals.

Roseanne Barr and her fellow Roseanne co-stars shared a lot of laughs during the show's original run, and apparently, some laughs were more disastrously messy than others. Barr recalled recently that some of the classic sitcom's scenes were so funny, she literally peed her pants on set. The comedienne is typically able to hold it in, but she recalled two different times she sprang a leak during filming, and both situations involved Barr's television daughter Sara Gilbert. The co-stars co-shared the tale of how one of those accidents temporarily derailed filming.

Roseanne Barr's pants-peeing debacle was so severe, it actually halted production of the episode. With no backup pants to give Barr, the best the cast could do was sit around and wait for whatever production assistants were tasked with scrubbing down and blowdrying Barr's pants to finish the scene with minimum urine to show for it. It's strange to consider that Roseanne was one of the most successful shows on TV for part of the 1980s and 1990s, but they only had one pair of pants on hand for the titular lead.

Wardrobe shortages aside, imagine arriving on set that day all ready to work and learning things are behind schedule because the star of the show peed her pants! That's surely an experience few people forgot, let alone Sara Gilbert, who set Barr up to share the story with Paley Fest attendees (via EW). Most celebrities might have been mortified to share that story with an audience, but then again, most celebrities are not Roseanne Barr.

In fact, Barr is the type of celebrity who doubles down on stories about peeing her pants, and she recalled another time when she lost bladder control while filming Roseanne. This incident happened while the cast was filming the Season 3 episode "Valentine's Day," during a scene that may have caused some viewers to also wet themselves in the comfort of their own living rooms. Barr lost all control yet again during the scene in which Darlene was attempting to get her mother out of the room and away from her new crush. Barr said the floodgates opened somewhere between witnessing Gilbert's head jerk and that Lassie line. Fans can actually see Barr cracking up in the episode's final cut. Check it out below, around the 2-minute mark:

The Roseanne revival premieres on ABC on Tuesday, March 27, at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more information on other shows set to make a splash in the first half of 2018, head on over to our midseason premiere guide. For more information on the new series, check out what Roseanne Barr had to say about more seasons beyond the show's initial revival.

The moment that fans of ABC's hit '90s sitcom Roseanne have been waiting for is finally upon us. After almost a year, the revival is about to hit the small screen with many of our favorite faces and some new ones, as well. If you've been looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble the Conner/Harris clan has been getting up to in good ol' Lanford, Illinois, the revival should be right up your financially strapped alley. But, if you're planning to tune in without the benefit of being a long-time fan, it's unlikely that the new episodes of Roseanne will be what you're looking for when it comes to TV comedy.

The good news is that this nine episode season of Roseanne does a lot to take fans back to familiar territory. The revival will follow Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Dan (John Goodman) as they deal with living on a fixed income while continuing to help shepherd their, now grown, children through life. Familiar faces abound, as Becky (Lecy Goranson), Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and DJ (Michael Fishman) are all still present in their parents' lives, along with Darlene's kids Harris (Emma Kinney) and Mark (Ames McNamara), DJ's daughter Mary (Jayden Rey) and Roseanne's sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf). As could be expected from a show that deals in working class lives, each of the Conner kids is struggling with making ends meet and dealing with some very real world problems in ways that frequently baffle Roseanne and Dan.

Becky, for instance, is barely making it with a waitress job at a local Mexican restaurant, and has, much to Roseanne's chagrin, decided to become a surrogate to middle class Andrea (Sarah Chalke) in order to make some major cash. Roseanne was fine with the idea of Becky simply carrying Andrea's baby, but when she finds out that Becky is actually donating her own eggs for the process, she claims that it's like Becky is "selling off one of their grandkids," and refuses to accept her decision.

Roseanne, which comes from original executive producers Barr, Tom Werner and Bruce Helford, and new executive producers Sara Gilbert, Whitney Cummings and Tony Hernandez, is on track to follow the original run in covering some heavy real life topics. Not only does the show deal with unemployment and living from check to check, but issues like aging, retirement, medical insurance coverage, chasing your dreams versus being responsible, the current political climate, gender identity, opioid addiction, the war and bullying are also major plot points. And, that's just from the three episodes of the revival I was able to preview, so there's no doubt that fans looking for a comedy that tackles issues that hit home will be able to find that here.

The main issue I had with Roseanne was, unfortunately, the comedy. The first episode, especially, is such a throwback to original run Roseanne that it actually felt like I was watching an old episode that simply hadn't held up that well. As the family sniped at each other, throwing low blows that made fun of everything from each other's age, weight, life choices and general intelligence, not only did I feel I'd seen it all before, but I didn't laugh once. Obviously, that's not great for a comedy in any era. I will say that during the third episode I watched, which will actually be the seventh of the revival season, the feel of the show had picked up and I was actually laughing a bit, but when you have a season that's only running for nine episodes, that's a little late to be bringing in the big comedy guns.

Of course, I will concede that my issues with the humor in Roseanne might be because I was never a super fan. I watched it casually the first time around without it ever being appointment viewing for me, and had completely stopped watching several years before it went off the air in 1997. This is what makes me think that those who were completely on board with the series the first time around will probably still be 100% sold this time, while anyone looking to give Roseanne a try for the first time, or after not watching much of the original run, will likely feel the show's age, despite the fact that it showcases so many current topics.

All in all, Roseanne looks like a safe, nostalgia-filled bet for those who've really been missing the show in the two decades since it ended the first time around. It you're hoping to give it a try without being a mega fan, though, you might want to settle in for the long haul in order to actually get some laughs out of it. Roseanne comes back to ABC on Tuesday, March 27 with an hour-long premiere. For more on what you can catch on the small screen in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our midseason premiere guide.

If you've been paying attention to the world of TV and film production, you'll notice that one fad is dictating the way projects are produced: nostalgia. And with the trend proving very profitable, it seems like just about any movie or TV show could be coming back for a revival. On the small screen we saw this with Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, The X-Files, and Fuller House, and the classic 90s sitcom Roseanne will be the next classic show to return. The original cast is in the midst of filming a new season, and they just got some exciting news from ABC. Namely, that they're going to have a slightly longer season than originally anticipated.

This news comes to us from TV Line, which reports that ABC has ordered one additional episode to the upcoming revival of Roseanne, with the season going from eight episodes to nine. This decision reportedly came after the network liked what they saw on the set of the revival. This should excite the generations of Roseanne fans who are eager to return to the Conners family in Lanford, Illinois. The magic is still there.

News of Roseanne's extended season has the potential to mean big things for the revival. Because considering ABC's apparent excitement over the project, and the cast's ability to slip back into their characters, the possibility of a second season seems all the more real. So it seems plausible that more episodes could occur, if the fandom tunes in once the new season finally hits the small screen.

We'll likely have to wait until Roseanne begins airing its new season before any possible renewal announcement should happen. At least, that's normally how it works. NBC renewed Will and Grace for a second new season before it even debuted on the network, just because the magic in the room was so palpable. ABC certainly seems to be feeling similarly excited about Roseanne, so maybe they'll follow suit.

Then again, Roseanne does have a few very busy cast members who might make this possibility difficult. John Goodman is an acclaimed film star at this point, so he'll probably be the most difficult to nail down. Additionally, Laurie Metcalf usually keeps herself busy with various film and theater projects, and Johnny Galecki is busy with Big Bang Theory. Plus, Sara Gilbert has been a starring cast member of The Talk since its inception, so there are quite a few busy schedules to balance. This is probably why Roseanne is producing such a short season, compared to typical network TV; They're making limited time with the cast work.

Roseanne is currently set to premiere sometime in Spring 2018, although no official date has been locked down. In the meantime, check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and check out how many shows have already been cancelled this season.

TV is currently in an era of reboots, remakes, and revivals, which has brought a number of shows back years after we thought they were done for good. Classic comedy Roseanne will be getting the revival treatment for 2018, and many of the original characters will be back. The revival will more or less erase the series finale, meaning that Darlene and David did get married and had a baby girl during the run of the show. We can't say at this point if both Darlene and David will appear in the revival, but it seems that their kids will be.

Yes, that's kids, plural. TVLine reports that the Roseanne revival will introduce Darlene and David's daughter and son. Their daughter, Harris, will be 14 years old with the attitude and appearance of her mom at that age. Harris as a teenage troublemaker will certainly be different than Harris as viewers last saw her. She was born months prematurely in one of the final episodes of the series, so she was no more than a baby during her appearances on Roseanne. At the very least, it's nice to know that Darlene and David didn't run into more heartbreak with their infant daughter.

Darlene and David's other child will be a son under the age of 10. His name has not yet been released, and there has been no physical description just yet. Given that Harris has evidently grown to look just like Darlene, I have to hope that the boy is the spitting image of David, just for the sight gag alone.

The big question now is how much of a presence Darlene and David will have as in parents in the revival. Sara Gilbert is back as Darlene, so we'll undoubtedly see plenty of her. Johnny Galecki, who played David during the original run of Roseanne, has not yet announced whether he will or will not return. Galecki is pretty busy on the small screen thanks to his role on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, and it's possible that he might not even be able to reprise his role as David even if he wants to.

If Galecki isn't able to return, there are a few directions Roseanne could go. The show could simply write off David as divorced from Darlene or even dead, although that would be an awfully heavy twist for a sitcom revival. He could also simply be out of town or running errands or at work. Who knows? Maybe Roseanne could deal with an absent Johnny Galecki the way Fuller House deals with the absent Olsen twins.

Personally, my fingers are crossed that Johnny Galecki has at least a small presence in the Roseanne revival. He was an important part of the cast, and it would be fun to check in on Darlene and David, still together and raising their family as a unit. Surely The Big Bang Theory could spare him long enough, right? We can only hope.

Check out our breakdown of all the TV reboots and revivals we can't wait to watch, and take a gander at our summer TV schedule for all that you don't have to wait to watch.

Quite often, the reboots and remakes that plague primetime TV are second chances given to past projects that didn't quite live up to any full potential. But recent years have spun tradition around with big returns from proven hits like Gilmore Girls and Will & Grace, and now another one of TV's greatest sitcoms is plotting a path back to the small screen, as ABC has officially ordered up the return of Roseanne. Grab your harmonicas and saxophones, people, and all the denim you can find.

This fantastic news was announced today by ABC president Channing Dungey, and she stated that the Roseanne reboot is being planned for a midseason entry into the schedule, but that things are still very early in the process. Hell, even if we have to wait until next summer or fall, it's almost guaranteed to be worth it. Roseanne 2.0 has been confirmed as an eight-episode limited series, and the subject matter won't be very different from the original, outside of the time setting, that is. The bare gist of the subject matter will be a family dealing with surviving from paycheck to paycheck to keep everyone's heads above water in 2018. TV has never gotten much more enjoyably blue-collar than Roseanne. So thank goodness all of that lottery shit from that final season will be left in the past.

So while the financial burdens are the same, there will be two quite notable changes in the character/casting department. For one, John Goodman will be returning to the show, which seemingly retcons his rather unhappy ending of "Death by heart attack." (Although I guess they could technically use him in dream sequences, which would be a far inferior way to handle things.) It wasn't that long ago that Goodman talked about returning to the world of Roseanne with some enthusiasm, so here's hoping the story was rewritten to allow him a leaving and breathing presence, and that some specifics will be dealt out soon. (Check out the announcement video!)

Another crazy casting twist involves Becky, the character whose casting faced disruption during the original run of the show. Lecy Goranson, who starred as the older daughter for years before leaving the sitcom, will actually return for the new season to play Becky once again. What's more, her former replacement Sarah Chalke (of Scrubs fame) will also be returning to the show, but in a non-Becky role that hasn't been disclosed yet. There's a chance for some seriously meta weirdness to happen there.

Roseanne's revival is partially the work of former star and current The Talk talent Sara Gilbert, who is indeed returning as daughter Darlene. When Goodman had visited the show, he and Gilbert reprised roles from the classic sitcom to hilarious results, and it made us all the more eager to get new stories from the Conner family in our lives. And other family members like D.J. (Michael Fishman), Aunt Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and presumably more are also coming back. Gilbert will executive produce alongside the original EPs Roseanne Barr, Tom Werner and Bruce Helford, with Whitney Cummings and Tony Hernandez climbing aboard as first-time EPs.

So while we don't quite now when Roseanne will chortle her way back into our homes via ABC, it'll happen before the next year of our lives has passed, so that's pretty incredible. In the meantime, check out our summer TV schedule to see what else is heading to your boob tubes in the coming months.