Lecy Goranson: 'Conners' finale honors Roseanne's legacy with classic storyline

NEW YORK, April 24 (UPI) -- Lecy Goranson says her sitcom, The Conners, has found a way to honor its late fictional matriarch Roseanne in its seventh and final season, which wraps up Wednesday on ABC and Thursday on Hulu.

"It was a hard thing to kind of figure out how to deal with on the show and how to incorporate her legacy and her memory," Goranson, 50, told UPI in a recent phone interview.

"I was just super-happy that the writers kind of found this way to remember her and incorporate her legacy in a kind of a classic Conners story-line, which is trying to battle the big corporations and get some justice for her, knowing as we know, a lot of the opiate drug companies are aware of the addictive qualities of those drugs and this is the thing in America that people are saying [to the companies], 'Hey, you should be culpable.'"

The Conners is the sequel to the classic 1980s and '90s series Roseanne, which starred Roseanne Barr, Goranson, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcalf as members of a close-knit, blue-collar, American Mid-western family.

Roseanne ran for nine seasons, then was revived to great acclaim in 2018, only to be swiftly canceled after Barr made controversial jokes on social media.

Season 1 of The Conners premiered without Barr and picked up three weeks after the fictional Roseanne died of a painkiller overdose.

Season 7 followed the family as they pursued a wrongful death lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company that made the drugs.

The show, like its predecessor, is famous for authentically reflecting real-world people and their problems. This is increasingly rare in a television landscape filled with stories set in post-apocalyptic hellscapes, glass and steel skyscrapers and luxurious beach resorts.

"When you look at some of the shows like Succession and The White Lotus, we're talking about invariably wealthy people and I think we have this romanticism in our country with wealth and kind of seeing wealthy people's tragedies, wanting there to be some kind of downfall," Goranson said.

"[Contemporary TV] really ignores a lot of voices in this country and I know that certain show-runners in comedy really want to avoid things that are topical, things that are in the news, but I'll tell you, I've heard so many people say, in this current political/social climate, we need The Conners. Why don't we have The Conners NOW? This is prime-time for social reflection," she added. "Obviously, we're a bunch of people in Los Angeles making the show, but our hearts are with the middle class."

Over the course of seven seasons, Goranson's widow character Becky, becomes a single mom, kicks an alcohol addiction, goes back to school and ultimately lands a program heading up a wellness program.

"She has ended up in such a better place, despite having gone through so much," she said.

"It's funny because when I see people and they recognize me and they watch the show, they often say that they're rooting for Becky and I have been, too," Goranson added. "Just the dynamics of the characters? You would think, maybe, that we would be tired of that, at this point after all of these years, but the more the character relationships deepen, the more interesting and compelling they are."

Without spoiling any surprises, Goranson said she believes the finale leaves hope that there will some day be another chapter for this beloved family.

"I do feel like the Conners' door is cracked open, whether that's because the door knob is broken or there's a strong Mid-western breeze [is unclear], but I can't yet feel that it's 'the end end' because -- maybe it's my own denial," she laughed.

Goranson said she cherished her years on television, but, for the moment, hopes to take a little break and find a great play to star in.

"I'm actually doing a lot of reading and writing and processing right now and a little auditioning," she added.

"I haven't done any New York theater in eight years, which is weird for me, but when you're on a sitcom schedule, it's a lot to do," she said. "I know Laurie goes right back on the boards when we wrap, but, for me, it's like, I need a little vitamin D. I want to be outside a little bit, but I think some theater's definitely in the mix in the future."

Promoting the final episodes of the show has been a bittersweet experience, she admitted.

"I still feel so much love and pride for the show, so that's 100 percent sweet, but I do kind of wish I was going to see the cast and crew today," she said. "I miss them already."