Resilient But Realistic During The Pandemic, THE CONNERS Prove Again That They’re ‘Built For Disaster’

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede THE CONNERS have come full circle. In the first episode of Season 3, which airs Wednesday at a special time of 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV, sisters Darlene (played by Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Lecy Goranson) are desperate for work during the pandemic, and decide to apply at Wellman Plastics. Fans of THE CONNERS – as well as its previous incarnation, ROSEANNE – will recognize Wellman Plastics as the company where Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and her sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) used to work, before they walked out in disgust. “We have Wellman Plastics in our blood,” says Becky, trying to put a positive spin on an awkward situation. “That’s probably just from the tap water,” replies the always hilariously cynical Darlene. The pandemic is in full swing as the Conner family returns to TV screens, and its impact goes far beyond Wellman Plastics. All aspects of their lives have been impacted by COVID-19, which makes things very relatable, but also somewhat familiar. As executive producer and showrunner Bruce Helford succinctly put it, “The characters were built for disaster.” Can’t argue with that. THE CONNERS – which moves to its regular time slot of 9 p.m. ET, starting on Oct. 28 – have always specialized in finding comedy in struggle, but in a way that never downplays the struggle. “We’ve been following their lives and their trials through all the things that have been going on since the 1980s, so it just seemed natural that we would be in the middle of this (pandemic), and do it,” Helford said. “I know there are a lot of shows that probably aren’t going to be reflecting what’s really going on, but we felt that it was an obligation to our viewers to stay relevant. We want to show them what it’s like for a family that knows how to get through hard times, but is thrown a curve like never before.” The set of THE CONNERS has been thrown a curve as well, with pandemic protocols in place, and no live studio audience. “We’ve talked about (having a live studio audience) and we feel that the risks aren’t worth the benefits, even if we’re testing people,” said Gilbert, who is also an executive producer on the show. “We’re just dealing with safety issues. And as an actor, I can feel insecure, or feel like it affects my performance, but the producers swear it doesn’t. So you guys will have to judge.” Goranson understands fully that in a pandemic world, the cast members and crew on the show are among the fortunate ones. “My thoughts are very much with those people who are still at home, working alone, and who miss their colleagues,” Goranson said. “There are many, many people – some of my friends are those people – and my thoughts go out to you. I hope that you, too, can see your colleagues and feel the togetherness I feel, albeit six feet apart.” Becky and Darlene also run that emotional gamut, between being grateful to be working at all, but also truly lamenting the fact that the many career and personal paths they’ve taken over decades have merely led them back to Wellman Plastics. “Yeah, Darlene has a journey with that,” Gilbert said. “Without getting too much into specifics, she has always wanted to be a writer, so she has to, you know, reconcile where she’s at, with where she has always wanted to be in her mind.” Goranson added, “and if you know anything about Becky and Darlene, their relationship also can be toxic, so the fact that they’re thrown together in the factory brings up a lot of that, and makes things a little difficult at home at times. But, like me, I think a lot of people are happy to be working right now. I think people want to bring home money, and feel like they’re a part of something.” Staying acutely topical through good times and bad, if the first episode of Season 3 is any indication, THE CONNERS continue to be part of us. billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv