The Conners never tried to use Darlene as a replacement for Roseanne’s titular character, and the spinoff proved that this choice was justified back in season 3. When Roseanne Barr was fired from the Roseanne revival because of racist tweets, this radically reshaped the story of the sitcom. Throughout its original nine-season run and its season 10 revival, Roseanne focused on the perspective of Roseanne herself. A harried working-class mother, Roseanne was a sardonic presence whose sharp tongue belied a secret sweet side. It was unclear how The Conners could continue the story of its central blue-collar family, but one idea kicked around was reforming the show around the character of Darlene.

https://screenrant.com/the-conners-darlene-nothing-like-roseanne-good/