The Conners Season 7: These three stars will reportedly not return for the latest chapter of ABC's sitcom

Three of the stars of The Conners will not return for the sitcom's final season, slated to premiere on ABC on March 26, 2025. Johnny Galecki as David, Michael Fishman as DJ and Estelle Parsons as Bev will not reprise their roles in Season 7.

The Conners follows the story of the titular family as they face life's challenges post the death of the family matriarch. It is a spinoff of the famous 1988 sitcom, Roseanne.

Galecki’s character arc as David, in particular, has been much discussed among the fans of The Conners but, as per TVLine, he is among the three actors who will not be seen in the final season. Bruce Helford, one of the executive producers, shared:

‘(David is) very much mentioned, very much alive in the story. We love Johnny, he was always welcome, but he has more or less started life anew down in Nashville (following the conclusion of The Big Bang Theory).’

Bruce Helford developed the show along with Bruce Rasmussen and Dave Caplan. The cast of The Conners comprises John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, and Emma Kenney among others. Seth Green is set to join the cast in the final season as Chad.

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David, DJ and Bev on The Conners

David and Darlene (Sara Gilbert) have shared a turbulent relationship on the show. David has been projected as an absentee parent in the series due to Galecki’s unavailability off-screen. The producers, however, were careful not to showcase David in the wrong.

Helford told TVLine:

“For the longest time, we didn’t want to say anything negative (about the character) because you never know if Johnny’s going to want to come back, and we didn’t want to have to repair a relationship. So we did, on a few occasions, allude to the fact that the father was involved, but not involved as much as Darlene would want."

Despite being referred to as a series regular in the start, DJ’s character did not see past Season 4. In the last episode he leaves to be with his wife Geena, who is stationed in Germany.

Bev on the other has been an integral part of the series throughout. However, Estelle Parsons will not return to the role for the finale. One of the reasons could be that the 97-years-old actress would have to travel long distance to film the show.

While fans speculate on how the main characters will evolve in the upcoming season, Helford reassures that the show will ensure that the audience is not left hanging. He said:

“Honestly, once you see the arcs (you will understand). What we never want to do is just bring somebody in just to see that person on the show. We want everyone to have something important to play.”

The Conners debuted in 2018 and was an instant hit among the fans. The show — a reboot of the popular 1980’s sitcom, Roseanne — revolves around the titular family as they deal with parenting, financial difficulties and challenging family dynamics. Season 7 is slated to mark the conclusion of The Conners, giving an emotional farewell to the much-loved family that has been on screen for more than 35 years.

Watch The Conners on ABC

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