Tim Allen & Roseanne Barr's New Show Rumors Explained: Are They True?

By John Ross Bradford Posted:
Tim Allen & Roseanne Barr

New rumors online have suggested that actors Roseanne Barr and Tim Allen are making a TV show together... but are those rumors true? 

Tim Allen and Roseanne Barr both found major success in the TV comedy industry during the '80s and '90s, with Allen still atop the game as the main face of the prime-time network show Last Man Standing as recently as 2021. 

Barr's sitcom Roseanne ran for nine seasons on ABC, ending in 1997, but contrary to Allen's continued success, Barr hasn't been so fortunate. When the actress tried to revive her show in 2018, she used some highly offensive language for her jokes and it caused enough controversy to keep her name away from any major network since. 

Is Roseanne Making More TV with Tim Allen? 

Roseanne
ABC

Rumors recently began running rampant on Facebook claiming that Roseanne Barr is back in the TV business and that she’s making a new network show with Tim Allen. 

Despite no confirmation from any major news outlet or the stars themselves, rumors spread like wildfire that the two controversial conservatives were creating a sitcom. 

In classic internet fashion, this was blown so far out of proportion that one report even claimed that Gordon Ramsey would be joining the show. With all the rumors swirling, it's almost like they want a show that exclusively upsets people. 

This all stemmed from a silly report on a satirical website called SpaceXMedia, who published the following (ironically, of course): 

"In a surprising and exciting development in the world of television, beloved comedian and actor Tim Allen is gearing up to join forces with Roseanne Barr in her new Fox show. The announcement has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, promising a comedic collaboration that brings together two iconic figures known for their humor, wit, and cultural impact." 

Although the article was meant to be nothing more than amusing, too many fans took the fake report as fact and ran with the idea of a show being developed with this controversial cast list. 

Even news outlets like The Dunning-Kruger Times and Truelove News reported on the development as if it were actually happening, leading an even wider audience to believe that Roseanne Barr and Tim Allen are teaming up for real. Unfortunately for them, this is not the case. 

Roseanne Barr and Tim Allen: Not Happening 

As many know, Roseanne Barr hasn’t had much time in the spotlight since her self-titled Roseanne reboot was cancelled in 2018 due to some seriously offensive dialogue. Since that happened, Barr hasn't been involved in any new TV projects. 

Roseanne became widely popular on ABC in the late '80s and throughout the '90s, but it only lasted for nine episodes after being revived on Fox in 2018 due to the controversy. Roseanne Barr has not worked on any network TV show since then. 

Speaking of controversy, Tim Allen has also found himself at odds with TV networks in recent years, having led Last Man Standing, which jumped from ABC to FOX after the show was all but canceled. The series even had to recast major characters after moving to Fox (via Yahoo), specifically with Molly McCook taking over the role of Mandy Baxter from Molly Ephraim, who had since moved on to other projects. 

Allen, who played the upper-middle-class business owner Mike Baxter on Last Man Standing until 2021, has spent time in the criticism corner in recent years. This is largely due to him using the network show as a platform to go against the grain of most major media, sharing his own conservative views on many real-world topics. 

Although Allen is an outspoken conservative, he has gone on record criticizing things that folks typically associate with the more right side of politics, including Donald Trump's presidency. He even called the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill "shameful," via Entertainment Weekly.

This supposed pairing of Barr and Allen seems like a far-right fever dream as both stars are not afraid to speak their minds--regardless of who it may offend. However, there's been no development in the industry to suggest that the two will be making a show together any time soon. 

- About The Author: John Ross Bradford
John Ross Bradford is an editor and writer at The Direct. He has contributed to content ideation and development across multiple branches of the company's website since it launched in 2020.