Now that The Conners season 5 is officially happening, attention has shifted to what stories the fifth outing of the sitcom spinoff will focus on. In May 2022, after months of rumors, ABC confirmed that The Conners would be renewed for a fifth season. The Conners season 4 ratings left the show's future in doubt, but a finale that married off Ben and Darlene and Jackie and Neville while also breaking up Aldo and Harris promised that the sitcom’s formula will be shaken up going forward.
Debuting in 2018, The Conners is a family sitcom with an unusual history. The show began life as Roseanne, a comedy about a working-class family and their titular matriarch Roseanne, back in the 90s. However, when Roseanne was revived for a tenth season in 2017, the show was swiftly canceled after then-star Roseanne Barr made racist remarks on Twitter.
Roseanne Barr was fired, and, with no Roseanne as its star, the show became The Conners. Her character was killed off-screen, and since then, The Conners has focused on the travails of Roseanne’s widow, her adult children, and their children. Although some Roseanne alumni like Lou have returned to The Conners, the spinoff has done a good job establishing a tone of its own. This will only be more pronounced in the now-confirmed season 5, as The Conners breaks up its titular family across a few new locations.
The Conners Season 5 Story Details
For much of the show’s history, every member of the Conner family has lived under one roof. Aunt Jackie does live separately (although, as Dan often notes, she is a constant presence in the home), and Harris lived with Aldo for much of season 4. However, The Conners is set to upend this routine in season 5 as Becky and Darlene are moving out into a new house along with Darlene’s husband, Ben. In a TVLine interview, The Conners producers did confirm that Harris will be moving in with Dan and Louise, meaning Dan’s fears (and Louise’s hopes) of an empty nest after the wedding were premature.
The Conners Season 5 Release Date
While The Conners has been renewed for a fifth season, no airdate has been made available yet. However, viewers can make an informed guess as to when the sitcom returns by looking at the last four seasons of The Conners. Every season of The Conners so far has begun airing between late September and late October, meaning fans can likely expect The Conners to come back in late fall 2022.
Who Can Come Back In The Conners Season 5?
Although Estelle Parsons couldn’t appear in The Conners season 4 finale, Grandma Beverly could still appear in season 5 of the series. The large ensemble cast of The Conners will be back, including John Goodman’s Dan, Sara Gilbert’s Darlene, Lecy Goranson’s Becky, Ames McNamara’s Mark, and Emma Kenney’s Harris. Katey Sagal will also return as Dan’s wife Louise despite spending much of season 4 recovering from a real-life injury, while Laurie Metcalf will balance The Conners season 5 and a supporting role on Hacks season 2. As far as supporting stars from the series go, Jay R Ferguson’s Ben is likely to be promoted to series regular when The Conners season 5 airs later in 2022 now that the character is married to Darlene.