'Roseanne' Reboot to Feature Gender Nonconforming 9-Year-Old; Some Viewers Threaten a Boycott
The "Roseanne" reboot on ABC will be marking a first in network TV history with the casting of a gender nonconforming 9-year-old child. Following the announcement, however, some viewers are already declaring that they won't be watching the show because of this addition.
According to a Showbiz 411 exclusive, producers are looking to cast the children of Darlene (Sarah Gilbert) and David (Johnny Galecki) in the "Rosanne" reboot. The oldest child has been described as a teenage girl with big heart, while the youngest child is as a "gender creative" 9-year-old named Mark who supposedly displays male and female qualities.
The report further stated that no broadcast network has ever done such a casting stunt before. Roles like this are usually seen on unregulated and unsensitized cable shows airing on Showtime or HBO. Showtime's "Billions" actually has a gender nonconforming character, Taylor, portrayed by actor in Asia Kate Dillion.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Viewers who aren't happy with the new character expressed their disappointment on social media. They have threatened to boycott the reboot and have addressed their complaints to Roseanne Barr's Twitter.
The "Roseanne" star hasn't responded to the complaints and instead chose to retweet some fan messages.
One of the retweets stated, "The issue is: is it relevant to a large audience enough to merit continuous ad sales? It may be thought of as informative – but - not really."
Back in April, ABC confirmed that "Roseanne" will be returning to television after 20 years. The reboot will entail only eight episodes and will be set for airing in early 2018.
Aside from Barr, key cast members such as Gilbert, John Goodman (Dan), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Michael Fishman (D.J.) and Lecy Goranson (Becky) are all expected to reprise their roles. The participation of Galecki, however, remains uncertain as the actor has "The Big Bang Theory" tying up his schedules.
