ABC
The Conner family will soon be returning to TV screens — but without its matriarch.
Three weeks after ABC canceled the Roseanne reboot following series creator and star Roseanne Barr‘s racist tweet, PEOPLE confirms the network has greenlit the spinoff.
“Tom Werner and Roseanne Barr have reached an agreement that will allow Werner Entertainment to produce a spinoff of the Roseanne series for ABC without Barr’s further creative or financial participation,” a statement from executive producer Tom Werner and Barr read.
“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne. I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved,” Barr said.
“We are grateful to have reached this agreement to keep our team working as we continue to explore stories of the Conner family,” Werner said.
ABC will be airing a 10-episode, straight to series order with the working title, The Conners, according to THR, which also reported that the spinoff “will follow the Conner family who, after a sudden turn of events, are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.”
On May 29, ABC canceled Roseanne after Barr, who starred as wife and mother Roseanne Conner, shared (and then deleted) a tweet comparing former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, who is black, to an ape.
“Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj,” she wrote, using Jarrett’s initials in response to a conspiracy theory about the Obama administration.
Barr later tweeted that she “mistakenly thought [Jarrett] was white.”
In a statement, president of ABC Entertainment Channing Dungey announced that the show had been canceled: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
Following a turbulent week in which she and hundreds of others lost their jobs, Barr revealed on Twitter that she “begged” ABC to let her “make amends.”
“I begged Ben Sherwood at ABC 2 let me apologize & make amends,” Barr tweeted, referencing the Disney/ABC Television Group President.
Following Barr’s racist tweet, Sara Gilbert shared a statement on Twitter. “This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love — one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member,” she tweeted.
“Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least,” she added.
Gilbert, 43, also addressed the sitcom’s cancellation Monday on The Talk, where she expressed her full support for ABC’s decision.
“In addition to my statement, I would like to say this has been a very difficult week. A lot of people have been hurt by this,” Gilbert began. “I will say I’m proud of the show we made. The show has always been about diversity, love and inclusion and it’s sad to see it end in this way.”
The actress continued, “I’m sad for the people who lost their jobs in the process, however I do stand behind the decision that ABC made.”
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
