A lot has been said about ABC’s decision to cancel “Roseanne” after Roseanne Barr sent a string of inflammatory tweets on Tuesday morning.
But not a lot has been mentioned about the remaining staff that was innocent and completely removed from the incident. So, in response to the mounting skepticism about the fate of the “Roseanne” staff, Disney-ABC Television Group President Ben Sherwood, Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey released a joint staff email to issue an apology to those abruptly fired on Tuesday.
You can read the full email below, which was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Team:
Much has been said and written about yesterday’s decision to cancel the Roseanne show. In the end, it came down to doing what’s right and upholding our values of inclusion, tolerance, and civility.
Not enough, however, has been said about the many men and women who poured their hearts and lives into the show and were just getting started on next season. We’re so sorry they were swept up in all of this and we give thanks for their remarkable talents, wish them well, and hope to find another way to work together down the road.
The last 24 hours have also been a powerful reminder of the importance of words in everything we do – online and on the air. And the responsibility of using social media – and all of our programs and platforms – with careful thought, decency and consideration.
Today we move forward, together, full speed.
Ben
No information is immediately available as to whether the team already started working on season two of “Roseanne,” or whether staff will receive termination packages following the show’s abrupt cancellation. (RELATED: Celebrities React To ABC Canceling ‘Roseanne’)
“Roseanne” was ABC’s top performing sitcom on primetime. It’s unclear what will take its place now that it has been pulled off the air. Charlie Sheen, who was the star of ABC’s “Two And A Half Men,” has already tried lobbying the network to bring back his sitcom. So far, ABC hasn’t taken the bait.
Follow Jena on Twitter.