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Sara Gilbert, John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf are still a family.
Four months have passed since the resumption of their successful show Roseanne was canceled by ABC in May after their colleague Roseanne Barr tweeted a racist comment about a former White House advisor. Now the stars are opening up about the controversy and are grateful that the aftermath has led to a spin-off series, The conners.
"We had the feeling that we did not want to leave until we were ready," said Goodman, 66, exclusively to People in this week's report. "There was a debt to this fictional family. We want to finish telling this story. "
- For more exclusive interviews with Gilbert, Goodman and Metcalf – including behind-the-scenes photos – find this week's PEOPLE issue at newsstands Friday
The actor remembers the first reading of the tweet "in my kitchen and maybe my daughter or my wife told me," he says. "It did not seem to be true. Then it became true. I was consciously trying to accept it.
For Gilbert, 43, it was more about compartmentalizing the news. "I do not remember too much," she recalls. "It was more accurate:" OK, what are we dealing with today? "I was just doing things one step at a time, by the time they came."
Metcalf, who was in New York to perform on Broadway, remembers finding "on the news, actually," she said. "And me [first] I wondered if we still had a show. Because of the heaviness of everything. "
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In the weeks following the cancellation, each of them had trouble getting accepted. Goodman was keen on "hoping to resurrect him," he says. "It was so amazing to do this show and it was like going easy, easy going."
Metcalf, 63, was just trying to "come to terms with the start of the series," she adds. "And you know, so high, it was difficult to go around the head."
When the idea of a spin-off was discussed, the cast was hesitant but optimistic. "The risks were many," says Metcalf. "But we all decided as a group to take the risk, knowing that we could be judged by deciding to come back."
While Barr will not appear in the spin-off – she agreed to have no creative or financial connection with the show – all three are now grateful to him for allowing the new series to continue. "It was a very big deal," says Goodman. "To give us a chance."
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His character, Roseanne, would be killed and the family would adapt and move on without it.
"Any sadness we feel about what we have lost is, we hope, channeled honestly into the series," said Gilbert, who is also a producer. "And our show has always been able to handle difficult topics, especially for a sitcom. It's part of the mix. "
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Now, while the cast looks forward to the premiere of The conners, they are eager to continue the story of the beloved family of Lanford, Illinois.
"We rely on each other when we do this show," Goodman said. "And support each other – it's a very strong feeling among us. It's different, but we can create something new. Let us finish the story on our own terms. Come with us and see how we are doing.
The conners debuted October 16 at 8 pm ET on ABC.
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