The Conners to End With Short Season 7 at ABC
The Conners will get to take a victory lap — perhaps they’ll even win the lottery? — now that ABC has renewed the Roseanne spinoff for a seventh and final season.
As previously reported, the show’s swan song is expected to consist of roughly six episodes (per Deadline). That would bring the series to a total of 112 episodes.
Season-to-date, The Conners is averaging 3.8 million total viewers and a 0.4 demo rating (with Live+7 playback), down 24% and 43% from its Season 5 numbers. Out of the three sitcoms that ABC has aired this TV season, it leads the pack in total viewers and distantly trails Abbott Elementary in the demo.
The Roseanne spinoff — which is now streaming on Netflix — recently celebrated its 100th episode and will makes its debut in local syndication this fall. Perhaps even more remarkable: Including Roseanne Season 10, the revival will have produced eight seasons total — just one season shy of Roseanne’s original nine-season run.
Producers had planned for the possibility of cancellation and filmed an alternative tag scene for The Conners’ Season 6 finale that would have brought the sitcom to a proper (if premature) close.
It was last spring when the producers behind The Conners first floated the idea that the series might end with its current Season 6. “We feel that [next season] is possibly going to be the last season of The Conners,” EP Bruce Helford told TVLine at the time. “I would not [say that] definitively because the numbers were so good this season, and we’ve all had a really great time… but it’s definitely a possibility.”
One month later, leading man John Goodman added fuel to the fire when he suggested that The Conners was rounding the corner. “I think we may be coming to an end on it,” he said in June 2023, before adding, “It’s lasted longer than I thought we would.”
But in February, Helford and fellow EP Dave Caplan told TVLine that they had not been approached about bringing the veteran sitcom to a close.
“As far as going forward, it’s funny… When I made that comment [about the possibility of it being the final season], the response by ABC was, ‘We never agreed to that,'” Helford relayed.
Added Caplan: “When we feel like we’re not telling relatable, interesting, novel stories anymore, we’ll pull the plug.” For now, “the journeys that these characters are on are inspiring us to go places we haven’t. The show continues to feel fresh and interesting, so nobody is all that anxious for it to end.”
And now producers will be able to plan for a proper series finale that will bring Roseanne and The Conners’ combined 17-season run to an end.
What do you think about the final season renewal? Hit the comments and let us know!
6 episodes is lame. It could easily last a full year. Those cast contracts must be too expensive. At least they will let them wrap.
I feel like Sara Gilbert, who has made a fortune off of this on top of her “Talk” fortune, is eying either retirement or more producing. Goodman and Metcalf are in high demand for supporting roles in TV and movies, and can make 50% of what they currently make for working 15% as much. They want out.
.
Everyone else in the cast is probably desperate to continue, but the top salaries are simply too high to continue.
Glad they are wrapping it up, but only 6 episodes, doesn’t seem like enough!
NBC did that with La Brea. At least you’re getting a series finale instead of the show getting cancelled on a cliffhanger. That happened to two of my shows in Quatum Leap & So Help Me Todd.
I’ve enjoyed this series and am glad there will be a proper wrap-up. Wish there’d be more than 6 episodes, though.
Bring back Roseanne for the finale. Say it was all Dan’s book or dream
Liberals would have a meltdown. lol
Roseanne is not stable to be on television. She is not well. Plus she is not needed on this show. Her acting on season 10 was terrible.
The fact that she mocked a SA victim a couple weeks ago, no thank you.
What, isn’t having one mentally-unstable person on your side enough for you?
Yeah just no, this show has proven she was never actually needed. She’s a racist loser POS
Good. Six episodes is less than I had hoped for but it’s also six more than many other cancelled shows get and enough to let them do a proper ending.
I hope we get to see Becky graduate from college!
Do liberals that live with their parents actually graduate college?
Well deserved! I’m happy they will at least get a proper series send off. The show has exceeded expectations. I was one of the doubters when it first started and didn’t think it would last without the lunatic. They proved me wrong. Sucks that it’s only 6 episodes. I would have given them 10 episodes but I’ll take six. It’s better then nothing.
I was hoping we’d at least get 10-13 more eps if it was renewed since the current season was cut short and it would bring it closer to the original season order. But it’s better than nothing! It also wouldn’t be the first that this series had a certain number of episodes ordered and then it ended up increasing later. Cheers to a proper ending!
Spin off Becky (Lecy Goranson). I thought she really stood out in The Conners but was overshadowed by the others (not that they were bad).
That’s a great idea! The other characters could pop in occasionally for guest appearances.
Lecy for her part has said she is open to the idea. I am not sure if Sean Astin would want to commit to a series but as a pilot, it’d be easy to have him reoccuring and explain he’s off flying when not there. They could bring back Emilio and some of his relatives – preferably keeping Becky with Astin’s character, but Emilio wanting to have more involvement with Beverly Rose or something. It could also end up something career-related. Any of the others that want to pop in/stick around, great.
I just don’t understand why you would end a show when the ratings are good. Just doesn’t make sense. Please at least give us a whole last season. I love this show.
Money.
It’s all about the money.
After 6 seasons, actors usually get to renegotiate their contracts. This show would just be too expensive with the top talent making so much.
At least it is getting a resolution.
Really! I mean, some folks don’t dig it, but the majority of holdover “Roseanne” fans seem to love it .
I don’t think abc owns so that’s a factor plus contracts are usually for 6-7;seasons then cast want more money abd I think this cast especially John,Sarah,Laurie ,Lecy -are too expensive
Give it a season 7 and 6 more episodes to let it come to and end the way the actors want it, they have put there hearts and souls into this series and they deserve a grand exit!!!
Every show that has run for multiple seasons deserves a known ahead of time final season so this is good for the fans. Even a short season is better than no season.
This is how other shows should’ve been handled too.
ABC give them 13 episodes . I figure from TVLine that this was going to be the last year.
I really love Dan & Louise. Also of course Aunt Jackie. Very sad it’s ending
It been a good run. Funny as heck. Serious at times too. It like real life in the world. Maybe they could do a series about me. 72 years old. Waiting for the big one.As standford use to say on Stanford& Son
Don’t end this show it is so good it’s so funny I love it it’s refreshing love it
I completely agree!
Keep the series going! They’d have a much larger viewing audience if they would ADVERTISE when it’s airing! I keep missing it!!
I’ve seen a lot of promos for it being on at the new time??
That’s where Tivo comes in handy. It records by the title of the show, not the time it’s on.
It’s the best show on TV. I love my dysfunctional extended family. I hope it goes on to be on Netflix or Hulu with new shows. Please keep this show on forever. 💕 It.
Sorry to hear the Connors has been canceled. Still looked forward to the show every week. Another end an era show 😢 It will be missed.
Oh no more Connor’s just breaks my heart but there’s gotta be an end sometime. I would bet John Goodman is getting a little tired. Got some unsolicited writing that I know you hate to get. If you can get Galecki for a short cameo, have him come in wanting to be the beloved daddy but both kids chew his ass out and tell him that the family supported them when he did not. Kinda puts a finale on that relationship. Love you all!
Seriously. We lost 9 this season for the strike. Can’t you just finish those?
Glad to see it go. Once Roseanne was gone it was never the same.
Thankfully.
I didn’t watch when Roseanne was on. Her voice was just too annoying.
For the better. That’s why it’s lasted for seven seasons.
I watch, I laugh. Then again, just Not good.
Let Becky graduate and be successful. Darlene has a college education, so let her finally be successful with it. I’ve enjoyed watching and really hate seeing it canceled.
I love visiting the Conners each week but I see the characters evolving into their best lives and the show can end on with everyone doing well. It was a good run.
The stories have gotten dumber and dumber as well as sadder and sadder. Time to say goodbye. None of the characters seem realistic. Glad they’re going bye bye
The show is not all that. I don’t get anything from it. I am a 68 y/o black female who lives a good show, but there’s no where to go with this. There never is anything good happening for them. It’s sad. Who wants to keep watching this. It’s also the same as Sheldon. No where to go. Forget a spinoff the brother and wife; no go.