Episode of ABC's 'The Conners' removed after joke seemed to relate to Waukesha Christmas Parade attack

After Waukesha residents voiced disgust over a scene from ABC's "The Conners" that included a joke that seemed to directly reference, and make light of, the 2021 Christmas parade attack, the episode has been taken off the air, executive producers said in a statement.

In last week's episode, "The Dog Days of Christmas," Dan Conner, a main character in the Roseanne spinoff series, meets his mother-in-law for the first time when she unexpectedly shows up at his front door. She drove all the way to the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, from her home in Wisconsin, and while the drive is only a few hours away, she does suffer from poor night vision, the episode reveals.

"What about pedestrians and bicycle-riders?" Conner asks her. "Did you feel any 'bump-bumps' on the way over?"

His mother-in-law's response prompted ABC to issue an apology shortly after the episode aired.

"I could run over a marching band and not feel a thing in that RV," she said.

Waukesha South High School marching band members suffered from serious injuries after Darrell Brooks Jr. drove through last year's Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring dozens more.

Producers have now cut the episode.

"On behalf of the entire team at The Conners, we’re deeply sorry and extend our sincere apologies to those who are still reliving the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy," their statement said. "We would never consciously make light of such an event and are mortified that it was perceived that way. We have pulled the episode in its current form and will ensure this dialogue is removed from future airings. Our hearts are with the victims and their families."

ABC's previous apology denied the joke's relation to the parade attack.

"The show in no way intended to reference the tragedy and deeply regrets any dialogue that could be misinterpreted, and our hearts are with the Waukesha Christmas parade victims and their families," a spokesperson told WISN (Channel 12).

Members of the Waukesha Strong Community Facebook page, which formed to foster support and unity after the attack, voiced disappointment in ABC's response.

"This was NOT an apology," one poster said.

"This (joke) was completely intentional. Why the emphasis on Wisconsin, let alone the graphic detail? ... They need to take it off air," another wrote.

Quinn Clark can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Quinn_A_Clark.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Conners episode taken off air after backlash over parade reference