Roseanne Barr Ventures into New Show After Past Controversies

Eight years after her removal from the reboot of her successful show “Roseanne,” Roseanne Barr seeks a new start. The 73-year-old has self-financed a sitcom called “Meemaw: A Modern Day Fable.” Barr informed The Hollywood Reporter that she is offering the show to “anybody who desires a top-rated series and is wise enough to recognize it.”

“I’m unsure why there’s reluctance toward a successful show and why it would be sabotaged,” Barr expressed regarding the industry. “But if they do want a number one show, I have it.” The “Roseanne” reboot was immensely popular, attracting tens of millions of viewers weekly, and ended its first season as the leading primetime sitcom among the 18-49 demographic, as reported by Variety.

Barr has attempted to pitch “Meemaw” to Elon Musk but has not received any response. “I’m curious why he hasn’t returned my calls,” she stated. “I believe I’m someone he should contact.”

“Meemaw” revolves around the matriarch of a diverse family in Texas who are preppers, described as “people preparing for potential end-of-world scenarios.” This concept is partly inspired by her reality. “I am a prepper residing in Texas, and prepping is common here,” she noted. The show features stars like Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding, and Randy Quaid, who portrays Barr’s romantic partner. In 2004, Randy Quaid and Roseanne Barr posed together at an event.

“I’m enamored with Randy Quaid and humorously wish he would leave his wife for me,” Barr joked. “I enjoyed working with him, so I authored additional scenes for us to perform together.” Barr revealed the sitcom hasn’t been shown to anyone yet. “But it is incredibly humorous,” she remarked. “It’s the most amusing work I’ve undertaken, and portraying a quirky old lady was delightful.”

Regarding her dismissal from the “Roseanne” reboot, Barr maintains her contentious tweet about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett wasn’t intended as racist. “It was a political statement,” she explained. “It was part of a discussion with Iranian journalists regarding attacks, primarily on Iranian women.” After the tweet’s backlash, she apologized, stating ABC provided the option to transfer the show’s rights to continue as “The Conners” or face cancellation, affecting everyone’s employment.

“ABC insisted on proceeding without my involvement,” Barr conveyed. “They informed me I had a choice: relinquish my rights or jeopardize everyone’s positions.” The show “The Conners” aired for seven seasons without Barr, and she received no payment for those seasons. She lamented, “It was merely a ruse.” In “The Connors,” Roseanne’s character was written off through an opioid overdose. “An elegant method to eliminate America’s mom,” she commented.