The honeymoon is over for the cast of Roseanne – despite the rebooted program’s ratings mega-success, with the star of the show, Roseanne Barr, said to be clashing with her TV daughter – and now the show’s executive producer – Sara Gilbert.
Sara, who is now a powerful TV figure in her own right, with her senior production role and a spot on The Talk, isn’t taking Roseanne’s reportedly domineering ways laying down. This comes amid suggestions by Roseanne’s ex, Tom Arnold, that Sara is being positioned as the show’s new focal point moving forward.
Adding to the mix: rumours of a potential TV power coupling between Sara and Big Bang Theory superstar Johnny Galecki, which may take the show forward in future seasons, possibly without troublesome Roseanne in such an integral role.
‘[Roseanne and Sara] have been going at it over creative differences, particularly when it comes to political dialogue that is in the script,’ an insider told Radar Online.
It is well known that out lesbian Sara – who is married to rocker Linda Perry – is on the left, politically, while Roseanne is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. Barr’s political views have caused headaches for producers, despite the show’s massive ratings.
‘Sara and the rest of the cast put up with Roseanne’s behaviour for almost a decade,’ Radar‘s source continued. ‘They are all thrilled that the show got picked up already for another season, but they do not know how they will get through this season if Roseanne continues to act the way that she is.’
During the filming of the current series, reports filtered out that Roseanne was allegedly griping about working conditions, and Sara ‘isn’t having any of Roseanne’s controlling ways’, according to Radar.
Sara has been notably silent about talk of tensions, but she did gush today about her upcoming reunion episode with onscreen love interest Johnny Galecki, who famously went on to earn huge fame and fortune on The Big Bang Theory after the original run of Roseanne.
‘I did an episode with Johnny, and it was so emotional,’ Sara raved to the current print edition of People magazine. ‘After one of the scenes, we were hugging each other and crying.’
Whispers have been building for a while that Sara would not only be taking a bigger role behind the scenes of the show, but that she will also find herself at the centre of many of the future plotlines – perceived by some as a possible strategy by the network to keep the show stable if Roseanne goes off the rails with her political rants and love of conspiracy theories, or demands too much money.
‘I also read that the show would now be more about Sara Gilbert’s character, Darlene, and that Roseanne’s role wouldn’t be that big of a deal,’ confirmed Tom Arnold to the Hollywood Reporter, before saying the move did not ‘[sound] that good to me.’
With Johnny Galecki said to thinking of life after The Big Bang Theory concludes, a full time return to a retooled Roseanne – or even a spin off co-starring Sara – is apparently being mooted in studio backrooms. Gossip of the potential TV power coupling will have Roseanne fans – and network money men – in a spin.
Roseanne herself has only ever been complimentary of Sara’s powerful new role in interviews, and has seemed pleased that her TV daughter will be stepping up to fight on behalf of the cast with TV execs, a role Roseanne infamously took on during the show’s original run, reportedly often resulting in extreme fireworks.
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