'The Conners': Candice Bergen to guest star in Season 3

Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The Conners will feature Candice Bergen in Season 3.

The Wrap confirmed Wednesday that Bergen, 74, will guest star in upcoming episodes of the ABC series.

Deadline said Bergen will play Ben's (Jay R. Ferguson) mom, Barb, who has a "cool" relationship with her son. Barb has "a superior air and a sharp tongue" and is judgmental about Ben's relationship with Darlene (Sara Gilbert).

TVLine said Barb arrives in Lanford after an unexpected death and "unveils shocking information from the past."

Bergen will first appear in the Jan. 13 episode of The Conners, which marks the show's return from mid-season break. Season 3 continues to follow Dan (John Goodman), Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), Darlene (Gilbert), Becky (Lecy Goranson) and D.J. (Michael Fishman) in their daily lives in Lanford.

Bergen is best known for playing the title character on Murphy Brown, which aired on CBS from 1988 to 1998 and was revived in 2018. She most recently appeared in Steven Soderbergh's film Let Them All Talk, which premiered on HBO Max this month.

Bergen recalled meeting artist Salvador Dali and actor Charlie Chaplin during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live this month.

The Conners is a spinoff of Roseanne, which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997 and was briefly revived in 2018. Season 3 reflects the COVID-19 pandemic, which the cast discussed at a panel in October.