So often, the fates of TV casts and crews are decided by the whims of audience behavior, and that’s only become more clear as streaming’s hold on entertainment grows stronger. Thankfully, not all shows deal with such precipices, with ABC’s The Conners trucking along while still holding strong as one of the network’s top comedies alongside Abbott Elementary. And while there hasn’t been much worry about the Lanford family facing the cancellation axe directly, it sounds like the comedy’s sixth season may be its endgame, with both star John Goodman and showrunner Bruce Helford speaking to that fact in the aftermath of Season 5.
Making the planning process even more difficult at the moment is the ongoing WGA writers strike, which has completely shaken up the TV industry months after it went into effect. We know that ABC already prepared for a lack of Fall TV premieres and is set to hold off on its big scripted shows until the new year. While it’s unclear if that will have any direct effect on how The Conners will continue exploring the titular family’s livelihood, let’s dig into what’s been said about this next year possibly being the final outing.
What John Goodman Has Said
Despite previously considering a step back from working so much, John Goodman has been crushing the double-series life in recent years, bouncing between The Conners’ lo-fi dysfunction and the far higher-profile chaos at the heart of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones. But while the televangelist comedy’s future isn’t up for discussion at the moment, Goodman did address the idea that Dan Conner & Co. may only be around for another year, while also pointing out that ABC already defied expectations by renewing the show as many times as it already has. Here’s how he put it to France 24:
We’re still chugging along. I think we may be coming to an end on it, I’m not sure. It’s lasted longer than I thought we would. It was just supposed to be like an ‘eight shows and out’ thing at one point, and they picked up again, and they keep picking us up.
Goodman sounds like he might be of two minds on the idea, in that he might be perfectly fine with saying goodbye to the TV set he’s called home for more than 15 (non-continuous) years, but also wouldn’t fight against the idea of keeping The Conners going until the last possible moment. We probably shouldn’t expect to see him reuniting with Roseanne Barr during the show’s swan song, but that would be one of the biggest TV moments of the century if it happened.
What The Showrunner Has Said
For all that John Goodman has and can say about The Conners possibly wrapping up, it’s technically not his area of expertise to speak to the creative and production side of things. That falls more on showrunner Bruce Helford and executive producer Dave Caplan, who have been steering the ship throughout all the seasons that have aired to date, as well as co-star and fellow EP Sara Gilbert. When things hit the point where Gilbert isn’t interested anymore, that’s when everyone will hang it up, and Helford hinted at that being a likelihood going forward, telling this to TVLine around the time when Season 5 was wrapping up:
Sara Gilbert expressed to the network that we don’t want to go out without knowing that we are going out with a series finale so we can build to the right ending — and at this point in time, we feel that [next season] is possibly going to be the last season of The Conners. I would not [say that] definitively because the numbers were so good this season, and we’ve all had a really great time… but it’s definitely a possibility.
When it comes to ongoing goals for the show's creative team, Bruce Helford previously talked to CinemaBlend about the desire to bring Stranger Things and The Goonies vet Sean Astin back on the show as Becky’s latest love interest for the long haul, even if that only ends up being a single season. Becky deserves it more than fans do, but fans also deserve seeing these characters reaching points of extended glee. As well, Lecy Goranson talked with us about the guest stars she'd love to see join the show before it all wraps up, so here's hoping the powers that be can make more magic happen once the strike is over.
Fans can rewatch the fifth season of The Conners in its entirety with a Hulu subscription while waiting to see if and when Season 6 will indeed be the final batch of eps for this multigenerational clan.
