Roseanne season two would have earned ABC $60 million
On Tuesday, US network ABC axed its most successful comedy in years after its star, Roseanne Barr, sent tweets that compared former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.
It's a decision that has been roundly praised by members of the entertainment industry and those social media users petitioning for the network to cancel the show, but will have cost ABC millions in advertising revenue.
The second season of Roseanne could have earned ABC $60 million, according to projections from an ad-tracking firm. The Wrap reports that the revival of the beloved Nineties sitcom earned an estimated $45 million from advertising when it opened to vast audiences in April.
Roseanne was the most-watched show across all US television, meaning 30-second advertising spots could command fees of between $200,000 and $420,000.
The show's cancellation came after a hasty conference call with Barr, her long-time agent John Burnham, manager James Moore, the show's executive producer Tom Werner and Ben Sherwood, president of the Disney-ABC Group.
While Barr immediately showed remorse for her comments – which she later deleted from Twitter – she didn't immediately apologise, saying: “I was stupid. Ignorant. It was a mistake. I feel terrible.”
The Wrap reports that Barr didn't understand the gravity of her situation, nor that her titular show was on the line: "she seemed to think she could apologise and move on," someone close to the call said.
Executives were reportedly hoping that Barr would have an "explanation" for making the unacceptable remark, such as being drunk, ill, or even hacked. Barr has since tweeted that she was under the influence of Ambien.
I think Joe Rogan is right about ambien. Not giving excuses for what I did(tweeted) but I've done weird stuff while on ambien-cracked eggs on the wall at 2am etc -
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018
However, during the call, she didn't, and the executives cancelled Roseanne in a "very clear and calm" way.
A public statement from ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey on Tuesday evening read: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
Barr was also dropped by her agency ICM Partners, who said: “We are all greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable tweet from Roseanne Barr this morning,” its management said in a memo to staff obtained by Deadline Hollywood. “What she wrote is antithetical to our core values, both as individuals and as an agency."
