Will ‘The Conners’ Get a Season 2? Laurie Metcalf & More Sound Off

The Conners - Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson
ABC/Eric McCandless

When The Conners premiered back in October of 2018 it was met with mixed reactions by loyal Roseanne fans as the absence of the family matriarch was largely felt. But in the settling of dust following Roseanne Barr‘s Twitter scandal, the stars of the ABC series found a rhythm with the spin-off.

After a season filled with big-name guest stars, fresh stories, and much more, the question of whether or not The Conners will get a second season still stands. With the January 22 season finale around the corner some of the show’s stars and more are sounding off about its future at ABC.

Laurie Metcalf, who plays Aunt Jackie is particularly confident in the show’s continuance. The Oscar-nominated actress who appeared at the recent Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony spoke with Entertainment Tonight about a second season, “I believe it’s going to happen,” she said.

Metcalf’s estimation about the potential second season seems to align with the show’s freshman format. “I think we’ll do between 10 and 13 [episodes], something like that,” she continued.

“I think the tone will be the same, but I love not knowing what’s coming up at all,” Metcalf added in regards to how a second season would compare to the first. “I don’t get the scripts until the Friday after we do a taping, and then I get to read what we’ll be doing starting next Monday,” Metcalf said.

As for Metcalf’s costar and original Becky Lecy Goranson, when she spoke to Entertainment Tonight she didn’t even question if Season 2 was happening. When asked about what she’d like to see in future episodes beyond Season 1, Goranson said, “I hope that there continues to be big leaps in the characters and their relationships continue to grow and that they kind of surprise themselves.”

“That’s what’s so exciting for me when I read a script,” she continued to say, “that the characters say, ‘Oh, I’ve learned something about myself,’ or ‘I’ve learned something about another character.'”

Back in December, Deadline reported that ABC was negotiating a second season as they hoped to expand the episode count. Of course, salary is a contributing factor in the negotiating process; the core cast is reportedly making over $100,000 more per episode than they did in the Roseanne revival.

Good ratings among the ABC audience make it an easy decision for the network though. But until news of a second season is officially announced, it’s safe to say that fans can invest a decent amount of hope in the fact that it will be a reality.

The Conners, Season 1 Finale, Tuesday, January 22, 8/7c, ABC