Roseanne Barr is making a comeback with a new comedy series filmed in Texas, but the former sitcom star is already facing skepticism from viewers who remember the racist tweet that cost her one of television’s biggest gigs. Some have also questioned how exactly Barr was able to sneak back into the spotlight, especially after the controversy she caused.
The 73-year-old actress secretly filmed an eight-episode series called Meemaw: A Modern-Day Fable, which follows a Texas family matriarch attempting to organize an extravagant bat mitzvah for her granddaughter. The independently produced show is now seeking a distribution deal, with its representatives reportedly in talks with several potential platforms.
Barr described the project as revolutionary, telling Page Six that she wanted people with opposing views to sit together, laugh at themselves, and acknowledge their mistakes. “My daughters are super woke and of course I love them, so I put in jokes for them, too,” Barr said, adding that the series also features jokes about Republicans that even liberal viewers might enjoy.
However, the show’s premise has raised eyebrows online, particularly among critics who questioned how Barr’s latest project fits with her public opposition to so-called woke culture. One Reddit commenter questioned the apparent contradiction, writing, “So she’s railing against ‘woke’ Hollywood by making a ‘woke show herself???” with the main poster ranting, “This racist trash again?”
Another suggested the show’s diverse family could simply provide material for offensive jokes, commenting, “Or it could be the perfect setting to just have the most backhanded racists jokes per second of air time.”
What Did Barr Do?
Other critics were less interested in giving Barr another opportunity. One commenter sarcastically wrote, “We’re not racist! Just look at my friends.” The backlash comes eight years after ABC canceled the revival of Roseanne in 2018, following Barr’s controversial tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a Black former senior adviser to President Barack Obama.
Barr compared Jarrett to the Muslim Brotherhood and the fictional characters from Planet of the Apes, prompting widespread condemnation, eventually leading to her firing. Barr subsequently apologized, describing her tweet as a bad joke that she should have known better than to make. The sitcom continued without Barr under the title The Conners, eventually ending in 2025.
Meanwhile, Barr’s upcoming Meemaw has assembled a cast that includes The Sopranos actress Drea de Matteo, Randy Quaid, Omar Gooding, and Doug Jones. Comedians Jon Lovitz, Tony Hinchcliffe and Kim Congdon are also set to appear.
Co-creator Allan Stephan stated that the series aims to appeal across political divides, focusing on a struggling family trying to survive rather than taking sides in partisan disputes. Whether that message will persuade skeptical viewers remains unclear. Although the show’s representatives have reported interest from potential distributors, no streaming deal has been confirmed, leaving Barr’s television comeback far from guaranteed.
