A Controversial Comedy Legend Is Making A Special For Fox
Roseanne Barr will have a new standup special for Fox Nation after working with the company over the last few years.
After being booted from her revival series following some controversial comments she posted on Twitter back in 2018, Roseanne Barr is looking to make a comeback. Variety reports the actress has landed a gig on the Fox News streaming service Fox Nation in the form of a stand-up special, A Roseanne Comedy Special. The upcoming one-hour program is expected to drop in early 2023.
In a recent statement, Fox Nation president, Jason Klarman praised Roseanne Barr saying, “Roseanne is a comedy icon whose humor connects with the American audience like no other.” He continued, “Her ability to channel the challenges of everyday people and find the humor in it all has earned her the passionate following of millions of dedicated fans. We are thrilled to add her comedy special exclusively to the Fox Nation catalog.”
Roseanna Barr became a household name following the premiere of her self-titled sitcom on ABC in October 1988. The actress stars in the series, which she co-created with Matt Williams. The show was a major hit for the network, running for 9 seasons before concluding in May 1997.
On the wildly popular sitcom series, Roseanne Barr portrayed Roseanne Conner. The show revolved around the everyday life of an American working-class family in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Receiving generally positive reviews during its run, the sitcom made stars out of John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman, Sarah Chalke, Johnny Galecki, and Sara Gilbert.
In May 2017, ABC announced a revived, 10th season of the acclaimed series as a mid-season replacement for the network’s 2018 schedule. Additionally, ABC confirmed the original cast would return, including Roseanne Barr. When it premiered on March 27th, 2018, 18.44 million viewers tuned in, and the network almost immediately renewed the series for an 11th season.
Unfortunately, the network reversed its decision to renew the show, and instead decided to cancel it following a Twitter comment made by Roseanne Barr comparing former Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett to Planet of the Apes. Naturally, the actress received an enormous amount of backlash. She claimed she made the offensive remarks while under the influence of sleeping pills.
Approximately a month after ABC canceled the popular sitcom, the network revealed it would rework the show as a spin-off involving the Conner family, which would not involve Roseanne Barr in any way, shape, or form. The Conners premiered in October 2018, and the show’s fifth season is currently airing on ABC.
Since her exit from the hit series, Roseanne Barr has kept a relatively low profile. She’s done some stand-up comedy in addition to appearing on several talks shows and podcasts, but as far as acting, she doesn’t have any credits post-Roseanne. She’s likely hoping her hiatus has been long enough for things to blow over.
Roseanne Barr is an outspoken Trump supporter, which is likely why Fox Nation took an interest in her. The streaming service was originally developed to expand Fox News coverage, however, it has partnered with several celebrities for various projects recently including Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammar, and Sharon Osbourne.
Will the upcoming comedy special be the start of a comeback for Roseanne Barr? We’ll find out when A Roseanne Comedy Special premieres early next year. In the meantime, you can re-watch all of your favorite episodes of Roseanne on the streaming service Peacock.
