Roseanne Barr, who left audiences doubting her ability to perform in anything following a controversial exit from a reboot of her popular sitcom on ABC, now plans to produce a new comedy special for Fox Nation, the Fox News-backed subscription streaming service.
The new one-hour program, “A Roseanne Comedy Special,” is expected to debut in the first quarter of 2023.
“Roseanne is a comedy icon whose humor connects with the American audience like no other. Her ability to channel the challenges of everyday people and find the humor in it all has earned her the passionate following of millions of dedicated fans,” said Jason Klarman, president of Fox Nation, in a statement. “We are thrilled to add her comedy special exclusively to the Fox Nation catalog.”
Barr’s last major project was a reboot of her landmark ABC sitcom in 2018. She left the program, which was largely based on her own humor and life, soon after posting an offensive tweet that drew accusations of racism. The show was subsequently transformed into “The Conners,” and her character was killed off in the process.
At issue was a tweet from Barr describing former White House advisor Valerie Jarrett in terms that likened her to an animal, and quickly sparked outrage. The comedian said the remarks represented a poor attempt at humor.
Originally devised to expand Fox News coverage for die-hards, Fox Nation has in recent months expanded ito lifestyle programming and has enlisted celebrities including Kevin Costner, Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan and Kelsey Grammer for various projects.
Fox Nation said the new special will “feature Ms. Barr’s signature comedic take on a variety of topics, with no subject off limits.”
