In 1988, Americans were introduced to the Conner family — dad Dan, mother Roseanne, and kids Darlene, Becky, and D.J. (and later, son Jerry) — on the show Roseanne. The Conners were your average American family who struggled with things many people understood — how to pay the bills, marital struggles, and how to raise good kids.
Roseanne ran for nine seasons, before ending in 1996. In 2017, ABC announced that the show was being revived, and it aired for a tenth season in 2018. Then, after some inappropriate and racist tweets sent out by star Roseanne Barr, the revival show was canceled.
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However, Disney did not want to end the Conner’s story. So, just one month after Roseanne was canceled, Disney and ABC announced a spinoff show, called The Conners. The series would star nearly everyone from Roseanne, with the exception of Roseanne Barr.
The Conners premiered in October 2018, and much to ABC’s relief, fans loved the show despite the exclusion of Ms. Barr. The new spinoff was so successful that it was renewed for another six seasons.
In May 2024, ABC announced that the seventh season of The Conners would be its last.
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The final season of The Conners will premiere on March 26, 2025, one week after the season finale of Tim Allen’s new sitcom Shifting Gears.
Now, just a couple of weeks before The Conners premieres, it has been confirmed that several big characters will not be appearing in the seventh season and their stories appear to be done.
TV Line spoke with executive producer Bruce Helford, who confirmed that Johnny Galecki (David), Michael Fishman (DJ), and Estelle Parsons (Bev) will not be returning.
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Fishman, who played son DJ Conner, has not regularly appeared in the series since season five when his character left the show to join his wife, who had been deployed overseas.
Johnny Galecki, who is best known for his starring role on The Big Bang Theory, played Darlene’s ex-husband, David. However, early in the series, Mr. Galecki became a guest star instead of a series regular due to scheduling conflicts. In The Conners, his storyline became that of a deadbeat dad, and it appears that the storyline will continue in the final season.
Beverly, AKA Bev, Roseanne, and Jackie’s mother, played by Estelle Parsons, is the final character not returning for the final season of The Conners. Unlike Galecki and Fishman, Ms. Parson’s departure is a matter of “logistics.” The actress is 97 years old and lives in New York, while the show is filmed on a lot in Los Angeles.
But just because these characters might not be seen on camera, it does not mean that their stories won’t play a role as the show wraps up, especially David’s. Mr. Helford said:
“[David is] very much mentioned, very much alive in the story. We love Johnny, he was always welcome, but he has more or less started life anew down in Nashville [following the conclusion of The Big Bang Theory].”
“Honestly, once you see the arcs [you will understand]. What we never want to do is just bring somebody in just to see that person on the show. We want everyone to have something important to play.”
Audiences last saw Bev when she decided to hop on a train and go on an adventure. And while we won’t see her interact with her family, Mr. Helford says that she will be spoken of before the series ends.
The final season of The Conners will be a shorter season, airing just six episodes. The first episode of the final season will premiere on March 26 and the final episode will air on April 30.
Are you sad to see The Conners ending on ABC? Whose story are you most looking forward to seeing? Have you watched the story of the Conner family since the beginning? Share your memories with us in the comments!
The post ABC Confirms Major Characters NOT Returning For Final Season of Beloved Show appeared first on Inside the Magic.
