The ConnersEdit
The Conners is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC in 2018 as a continuation of the earlier series Roseanne and centered on the Conner family in the midwestern town of Lanford, Illinois. The show combines humor with a steady drumbeat of everyday hardship, focusing on the practical problems of a working-class family—bills, jobs, healthcare, parenting, and the changing dynamics of family life. It is widely understood as a program that treats work, responsibility, and community as reliable anchors in an economy that often tests ordinary Americans.
Following a controversial remark by Roseanne Barr that led to the cancellation of the Roseanne revival, the network retooled the project as The Conners, removing the central character and continuing with the rest of the family. The result is a program that leans into traditional family values and personal resilience, while addressing real issues that affect many Americans outside the big coastal cities. The show remains grounded in practical concerns and the everyday choices families make to stay afloat and support one another.
Overview
Premise and setting
The Conners follows the Conner clan in Lanford as they navigate work, school, medical costs, and neighborhood pressures. The tone blends lighthearted family banter with more serious storylines about economic insecurity, generational shifts, and the responsibilities that come with adulthood. The setting emphasizes solid work ethic and mutual aid within the family as a counterweight to a government and society that can seem indifferent to the daily struggles of ordinary people. The show treats its characters with dignity and avoids glamorizing hardship, instead highlighting practical problem-solving and perseverance.
Cast and characters
Prominent cast members include John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner-Healy, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Healy, and Michael Fishman as DJ Conner. These performers anchor a ensemble that includes extended family and neighbors, all portrayed with a focus on responsibility, steadiness, and shared sacrifice during tough times. The performances underscore a conservative-leaning emphasis on personal accountability, humor rooted in everyday life, and the importance of strong family ties.
Production and distribution
The Conners is produced by Carsey-Werner, with production relationships tied to the long-running Roseanne franchise and ABC as the original broadcaster. The program is often described as a grounded, traditional family sitcom that uses humor to illuminate enduring civic virtues—work, thrift, and looking out for one another—while not shying away from hard social and economic realities.
Tone, themes, and storytelling
The series uses a drift toward drama as it delves into issues like unemployment, healthcare affordability, parenting imperfect children, and the friction between different generations. The writing tends to favor practical solutions and personal responsibility, presenting conflict that resolves through dialogue, perseverance, and mutual support rather than through sensationalism. The show’s approach is often praised by audiences who value a representation of working-class life that centers on family and community solidarity.
Reception and debates
Critical and audience reception
The Conners has drawn a range of responses. Viewers who prize portrayals of working-class life and traditional family dynamics have lauded the show for its realism, humor, and focus on practical, everyday decisions. Critics have noted that the series often grounds its social commentary in the lived experiences of ordinary people rather than in abstract political theory. At the same time, some observers seek out more overt political messaging in popular culture and have criticized the show for not taking clearer stances on policy issues.
Political and cultural debates
From a perspective sympathetic to traditional American civic life, The Conners is often framed as a celebration of self-reliance, family cohesion, and community support in the face of economic strain. Proponents argue the show presents a relatable portrait of the middle class and offers constructive portrayals of people making do with limited resources. Critics who advocate for what some call “woke” cultural perspectives have labeled the program as too conventional or as insufficiently progressive on certain social topics. They argue that the series misses opportunities to highlight systemic reforms or to foreground broader social justice perspectives.
Controversies and right-of-center readings
A central controversy in the show's history concerns the Roseanne controversy that precipitated the spin-off. The decision to proceed with The Conners as a Roseanne-less ensemble is often cited in debates about media tolerance for controversial speech and how networks respond to public backlash. Supporters of the retooled series contend that it demonstrates how a family can remain cohesive and resilient in the face of political and cultural pressures, which they view as an enduring American strength.
From a right-of-center vantage, the series can be read as a counter to extremes on both sides: it avoids sensationalist political theater and instead foregrounds the dignity of work and the primacy of family and faith in everyday life. Those who see the show as too soft on policy often argue that it distracts from real-world debates about how to incentivize work, reduce unnecessary dependence, and expand opportunity without eroding personal responsibility. Advocates of traditional values may emphasize that the show’s focus on neighborly assistance, thrift, and resilience resonates with a broad cross-section of the population and provides a corrective to elite-centric portrayals of American life. Critics of that stance might call these views simplistic, but supporters contend that the emphasis on practical solutions and family solidarity remains a durable, populist message that reflects the experiences of many towns like Lanford.
Production, reception, and legacy
The Conners has contributed to ongoing conversations about how television can reflect the realities of working Americans without resorting to partisan caricature. Its place in the broader Roseanne franchise, its treatment of sensitive topics through a pragmatic lens, and its insistence on telling stories that center family responsibility and community solidarity make it a notable example of how mainstream entertainment can engage—yet avoid over-politicizing—core American concerns.