Roseanne Barr Returns to Television with Secret Comedy Series 'Meemaw'

Roseanne Barr is set to return to television with a new eight-episode family comedy series titled "Meemaw," eight years after her controversial dismissal from ABC. The series, which recently wrapped production in Austin, Texas, features a notable cast including Randy Quaid, Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding, and Doug Jones, with guest appearances from Jon Lovitz, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Kim Congdon.

Barr, who was famously fired by Disney in 2018 for a tweet deemed "abhorrent" by the studio, plays the matriarch of a "mixed-race family of preppers in Texas." Her character is on a mission to organize a bat mitzvah for her granddaughter.

"It’s every bit as revolutionary as ‘The Roseanne Show,’ if not more, and my work has improved with time," Barr told Page Six. "I want everybody who disagrees in a family to sit in the same room and just laugh and go, ‘Yeah, maybe I was an a—hole that time. Well, you were an a—hole this time. Oh, we’re all a—holes. Let’s get a beer.’"

Mo’Nique, an Oscar-winning actress, helped discover Indy Bugg, a young Instagram personality who portrays Barr’s granddaughter. "Mo’Nique calls up, ‘Check this girl out. She not only looks like you, but she acts just like you, too,’" Barr recalled. "She was only 12, and I about fell over that I was able to get her. She’s such a star. You’ll see it in the first episode, in her first scene."

The comedian's previous dismissal from ABC came after a tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former aide to Michelle Obama. At the time, Barr apologized and deleted her Twitter account, stating she was unaware Jarrett is Black. The "Roseanne" revival had been a ratings success for ABC, finishing its season as the No. 1 scripted primetime TV show in the 18-49 demographic before Barr's termination led to the show's cancellation and subsequent reworking into "The Conners."

Over the years, Barr has found some support, including an appearance on Bill Maher's "Club Random" podcast. She began developing a series with Allan Stephan, which was initially envisioned as a Coen brothers-esque family comedy about a rural Alabama farmer involved in the cannabis and magic mushroom trade. However, Barr scrapped that idea and, with co-writer Allen Covert, developed "Meemaw," which she now describes as being more in the style of John Waters.

"Meemaw" is described as a "semi-autobiographical series about a woman who hails from a very liberal East Coast Jewish family," who becomes disinherited and moves to Texas. Barr stated she was able to secure private investors for the production, which began shooting in Austin in November 2025 as a union production.

When asked if Elon Musk had invested in the series, Barr noted that he did not respond to her inquiries, despite his past statements supporting free speech. "He wouldn’t call me back," she said. "Like, ‘Can I get some assistance over here, man? I got fired for a text that was up for two hours that nobody saw.’"

Barr believes "Meemaw" offers a departure from what she sees as sanitized humor and political correctness in contemporary entertainment. "My daughters are super woke and of course I love them, so I put in jokes for them, too, like I did on ‘Roseanne,’" she stated. "I make fun of everybody ’cause everybody deserves to be made fun of who’s in power. So, I’ve got some great jokes about Republicans that the lefties are gonna love. I’m an equal opportunity destroyer."

Randy Quaid plays Barr's husband in the series, and Drea de Matteo, known for her role in "The Sopranos," portrays Barr's daughter. Tony Hinchcliffe, who faced controversy in 2024, appears as Satan. Omar Gooding, brother of Cuba Gooding Jr., plays Barr’s son-in-law, a role he took despite potential backlash. "Comedy is king," Gooding reportedly told those who questioned his involvement.