Did ABC do the right thing in canceling Roseanne?

The day after Memorial Day 2018 will be remembered mostly for one Tweet, and the firestorm it ignited.

For those who haven't been following this story, the "vj" refers to former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.  That tweet was deleted.  This one is still posted:

Sorry to have tweeted incorrect info about you!I Please forgive me! By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that?  But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018

ABC reacted by canceling Roseanne within hours after she posted her Tweet.  Considering that the reboot of the sit-com was ABC's highest-rated scripted program this past season, they gave up a lot.  Did that factor into the decision?  CNN has published a story claiming to be the "inside" data on what transpired after the now-deleted tweet.

I found it interesting that according to the story, fears of an advertiser boycott apparently didn't factor into the decision-making process.  I was not surprised to read that one of CNN's sources for the story claims one executive at a meeting on the subject said "there was no way to come back from this."

It should also be noted that the story points out that this wasn't the first time.  

"Around 10:30 a.m. Eastern, 7:30 a.m. Pacific, Barr tweeted out an apology to Jarrett.  She said she was "leaving Twitter."  But ABC had heard this before -- there have been past flare-ups when Barr pledged to stay away from the social network, only to come back days or weeks later."

Before I became aware of the firestorm generated by the tweet, a good friend asked me if I felt ABC should fire Roseanne and/or cancel the show.  My initial reaction was that they'd probably suspend her for several episodes and do other forms of damage control.  Soon after, they fired her.

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Once again, technology's role in speeding up events cannot be ignored.  There were memes going around even before ABC acted.  Wanda Sykes had tweeted out she would not return to the Roseanne show for season two before ABC acted.  Emma Kenney, an 18 year old actress who was playing Roseanne's granddaughter on the program was calling her agent to quit the show before ABC acted.

If ABC had chosen not to act with such swiftness, the network would have been left twisting in the wind.  Dealing with outrage on all sides.  From those like me who found that tweet indefensible to those who somehow see this as an issue involving Roseanne's First Amendment rights.

Funny thing is, those who believe Roseanne's free speech has been violated don't apply that same standard to the NFL's ban on players kneeling for the playing of the national anthem.  The fact is, neither is a First Amendment issue.  Only government can violate a person's First Amendment rights. 

I don't see how ABC could have done things much differently.  There are some who are arguing that the network could have simply fired Roseanne from the show, changed its name and continued with the remaining cast members.  There is speculation that another network (probably Fox) might pick up a Roseanne show, without those members of the cast who took issue with the tweet.  I don't see that happening though.  Tom Werner, Roseanne's producing partner told Dateline that he hopes, "Roseanne seeks the help she needs."

Could ABC continue with the rest of the cast in a sit-com with a new title.  I jokingly suggested "Dan Minus Bigot" but titles like "The Connors" or "Dan Takes Over" might work.  After all, other shows where there was a titular character survived in one form or another after that person departed.  Mayberry R.F.D. went on for three seasons after Andy Griffith departed The Andy Griffith Show.  The Hogans went on after Valerie Harper left Valerie.

Then I tried imagining The Dick Van Dyke show without Dick Van Dyke.  The Mary Tyler Moore show, without Mary.  Shonda Rhimes is on record as saying Grey's Anatomy will end when Ellen Pompeo decides she's done playing the title character.

The audience would decide if The Connors would work for ABC.  

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Should ABC have acted so quickly and decisively?  Before you answer, I want you to imagine what would have happened if they hadn't?  How would those offended by Roseanne's words have moved against the network?

Did ABC do the right thing?  You tell me.