Leanne Morgan just pulled the ultimate plot twist—going from Southern grandma stand-up to starring in her very own Netflix sitcom. And she's not doing it alone. She's teaming up with Chuck freaking Lorre—TV's sitcom kingpin behind Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mom. That's like a bluegrass singer co-headlining with Beyoncé. Everyone in comedy is scrambling for a reaction—because this could either be TV gold or a very polite disaster.
Why This Isn't Just Another Sitcom
Let's be clear: This isn't a typical fish-out-of-water comedy. It's a menopausal shark-out-of-water comedy. In Leanne (yes, that's the title), the titular character is blindsided when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. She's a grandmother, a Tennessee native, and now, somehow, the face of one of Netflix's most surprising summer bets.
Oh, and it's not just Morgan's dream project—it's got Lorre, Susan McMartin (Mom), and voice actor/writer Nick Bakay (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) backing it. That's the kind of writer's room that doesn't write jokes—they surgically craft punchlines that test well in Iowa and Los Feliz.
Comparison? Think Grace and Frankie meets The Golden Girls, but with a Rust Belt divorce and a Tupperware party energy that could kill a man.
The Cast Is Stacked Like a Potluck Table
Morgan stars alongside Kristen Johnston (Mom, Third Rock from the Sun) as her wild-child sister Carol, who skips church for bars and would rather fight than forgive. Johnston's back with Lorre after Mom—so expect fireworks, but the Southern kind where someone loses a pinky.
Then there's Graham Rogers as Leanne's golden-boy son, Ryan Stiles (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) as the runaway husband, and Celia Weston as Mama Margaret—a church matriarch so upbeat she makes lemonade out of existential dread.
Guest stars include Tim Daly, Jayma Mays, Annie Gonzalez, and Blake Gibbons—aka, the Netflix “Oh hey, I know them!” squad.
Here's the Wild Part
Morgan isn't just starring. She co-created the whole thing. After 25 years of stand-up—jokes about Spanx, casseroles, and Southern manners—she's now anchoring a 16-episode series for a global platform.
Let that sink in. A 58-year-old grandmother with a Tennessee accent just went full sitcom mogul with Chuck Lorre. In an industry that ghosted midlife women for decades.
This could recalibrate what aging looks like on TV. Not glossy, Botoxed glam. Real hot flashes. Real heartbreak. Real jello salad.
The Historical Echoes (And What Makes This Different)
Hollywood's had late-bloomer comebacks before. Lucille Ball launched The Lucy Show at 50. Roseanne rewrote sitcoms with blue-collar feminism. But those were network plays.
Morgan's jumping straight to Netflix—with a show named after her, no less. That's not just a flex. It's a full-blown endorsement from Lorre, who called her a “unique comedic force” and basically said, yeah, we're betting the summer on her.
This isn't another “mom reboot.” It's a menopause revolution in sitcom form.
Now Pick a Side
Will Leanne be the breakout of the summer or another comfy, forgettable streamer snack? Either way, Netflix just made room for church ladies, rebellious daughters, and the kind of sweet-tea feminism that sneaks up and smacks you with emotional depth.
So: Genius or giggle fuel for your mom's group chat?
Would you binge it—or use the time to delete your ex's number again?
