Since being fired from her eponymous sitcom revival in 2018, Roseanne Barr has been busy in other ways. She’s participated in a number of interviews and even returned to stand-up comedy. Most recently, she’s booked a new gig that already seems to be drawing responses from the general public. Barr just signed on to join a new “anti-woke” show that’ll be available through Elon Musk’s X (formerly known as Twitter). One of her former co-stars, Sandra Bernhard, has since weighed in. And while the veteran comedian praised Barr’s contributions to the industry, she had not-so-positive thoughts on her latest business venture.
Sandra Bernhard played the role of Nancy Bartlett during Roseanne’s original run on ABC and appeared during one episode of the Season 10 revival. Nancy was a good friend of Roseanne Barr’s titular character and, due to that on-screen relationship, Bartlett herself got particularly close with her co-star. Their close link is what prompted a viewer to ask Bernhard, for an episode of Watch What Happens Live, when she’d last spoken to Barr. They also wanted her thoughts on the upcoming streaming show. Ultimately, the King of Comedy alum offered a balanced and honest response to host Andy Cohen:
Heartbreaking, it’s heartbreaking. I mean, she was one of the most original, fabulous voices in comedy. I just don’t know what’s happened, but we haven’t spoken in a real long time, sadly.
It’s true that the 70-year-old She-Devil alum became something of a trailblazer after she burst onto the comedy scene in the ‘80s. Her brutally honest takes on society and women’s supposed roles in it were praised by commentators. A lot of those very ideals were also integrated into her ABC comedy, which debuted in 1988. So it’s understandable why Sandra Bernhard would want to give her estranged friend her flowers, in that regard. And of course, she’s also entitled to her opinion when it comes to the new show.
At this point, there isn’t much specific information available on Roseanne Barr’s latest small-screen offering. What is known is that she’s working on it in collaboration with conservative-leaning company Publicsq, per The New York Post. The news outfit speculates that the project could have a half-hour format and utilize sketch comedy or written monlogues. It’s apparently possible that it could also air on a monthly basis.
Comedian Theo Von Defends Roseanne Barr After Controversial Podcast Clip Goes Viral
The Home on the Range actress has never been one to hold back her thoughts, and that might ring true when it comes to her new show. However, her comments and actions have gotten her into hot water, from time to time. She received massive backlash after she participated in a Hitler-themed photoshoot in 2009. The stand-up veteran also drew public ire for sending out controversial tweets related to the death of Trayvon Martin and the Parkland, Florida school shooting of 2018. It was ultimately a tweet that led to her firing from ABC, as she shared a post in which she criticized former White House advisor Valerie Jarrett. The comedian joked that Jarrett is what one would get if “muslim brotherhood & plent of the apes had a baby.”
After that, Roseanne Barr was fired from the alphabet network, and her revived sitcom was cancelled, apparently despite Barr begging against that. However, the franchise was later revamped in the form of spinoff series The Conners. Early on, Barr revealed that her character would be killed off and was displeased with the fictional death. Since her exit, the star has been candid about losing everything after getting the axe. She’s also had choice words for former co-star Sara Gilbert, who she says “stabbed me in the back.”
Up to this point, it seemed Roseanne Barr was no longer close to much of the primary cast of Roseanne, and it seems we can add Sandra Bernhard to that list. That aside, we’ll have to wait and see how Barr’s new “anti-woke” show pans out. Though one gets the impression that Bernhard may not be one of the people who checks it out upon its debut.
You can see both actresses on classic episodes of Roseanne, which are available to stream with a Peacock subscription. Meanwhile, all seasons of The Conners can be accessed by Hulu subscription holders.
