It’s official — The Conners will be getting a proper goodbye. The Roseanne follow-up has been renewed for seventh and final season. As Deadline reported exclusively last week, the order is believed to be for six episodes, with the main cast, including John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson, expected to return. The renewal took longer to finalize because dates for the cast, particularly Goodman, had to be worked out, I hear.
Along with the official renewal, ABC has released the first “farewell season” promo, which leans into The Conners‘ history that spans two shows. With The Conners recently airing its 100th episode, Roseanne becomes a rare comedy franchise to produce two series that have hit that milestone.
“You’ve been part of this family for years,” the promo says, mixing footage from The Conners with a couple of shots from Roseanne. “After 6 seasons, be there to say goodbye.”
Six seasons in, The Conners, from Tom Werner’s Werner Entertainment, remains a sturdy ratings performer. It is now joining Abbott Elementary as the second ABC comedy renewed for next season. ABC’s third half-hour series, Not Dead Yet, has been canceled.
ABC is expected to add at least one new comedy series next season from its two multi-camera pilots, Shifting Gears starring Tim Allen and Kat Dennings and Forgive & Forget headlined by Ty Burrell, both of which are set to film in June.
The Conners executive producer/showrunner Bruce Helford said a year ago, when it looked like Season 6 may be the comedy’s last, that star/executive producer Gilbert – who was instrumental in getting The Conners off the ground following the shock cancellation of Roseanne – had requested enough lead time so the series can build to a proper ending.
Asked by Deadline last month whether they had approached the Season 6 closer as a season or series finale amid uncertainty over The Conners‘ future, Helford said, “We’ve got a final episode that may be one or the other. We love it.” He called the episode “unexpected” and “emotional.”
For the first time in its run, The Conners found itself heavily on the bubble this year. As Deadline reported last month, a tag scene was shot to be added to the Season 6 finale — slated to air May 22 — should it become a series finale. That will no longer be necessary.
