Leanne Morgan, the comedian whose stand-up special I’m Every Woman brought the down-home, relatable laughs (and ranked in Netflix’s Top 10 comedy specials), is now a sitcom matriarch in Leanne. Streaming now, the 16-episode multi-camera comedy series features Morgan as star, co-creator, and executive producer.
Inspired by her stand-up, Leanne begins as the titular character’s life is turned upside down when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. “Leanne uses humor to cope,” says Morgan. “Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying. She leans on her support system — her family, close friends, and church community — to get through it.” Watch the trailer up top to see how the life Leanne didn’t want perhaps becomes the one she needed.
“This is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl, and it was just as exciting as I imagined,” Morgan tells Tudum about adapting her stand-up comedy into a series. “Learning a new medium was definitely a challenge — memorizing new scripts every week was totally new for me — but I loved it. As a stand-up, the comedic timing felt natural, and filming in front of a live audience was especially comfortable. By the end of the season, it really felt like home.”
Leanne was co-created by prolific TV comedy writers and producers Susan McMartin (Mom) and Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory). Lorre’s most recent project with Netflix was the Golden Globe–winning The Kominsky Method. Check out photos from the series below.
Here’s everything you need to know about Leanne:
The series begins as the titular character’s husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. This unexpected twist sets up conflicts that will sound familiar to fans of Morgan’s stand-up: Starting over when you’re a grandmother and in menopause isn’t exactly what she had in mind, but with the help of her family, she will face this new chapter with grace, dignity, and Jell-O salad.
This new chapter also brings new challenges, like starting to date again after three decades of marriage. “There’s the vulnerability of opening yourself up after being abandoned by the person you built your life with,” says Morgan. “It’s not just about meeting someone new. It’s about risking the pain of being hurt again.”
And at this stage in life, Morgan says there are layers to that fear, including menopause and all that goes with it — “worrying about hot flashes at the worst possible times, feeling insecure about your body, and navigating the idea of intimacy in your late 50s,” she says. “Even something as simple as kissing someone new can feel strange after so many years.”
The show explores how opening oneself up to a new relationship is a feat of real courage. “It can also be an opportunity to rediscover yourself and experience a kind of freedom you didn’t know was possible,” she says.
Speaking about the experience of filming with her co-stars, Morgan tells Tudum, “It truly felt like I’d known them my whole life. There was an instant bond and chemistry that made it feel like family from day one. We still keep in touch, and I think that says a lot.”
Meet the cast of Leanne below:
By the end of Season 1, Leanne gets her groove back. For the first time in a very long time, she’s focusing on herself by exercising, spending more time with loved ones, reconnecting with church friends, and joining a book club. She even inspires her book club of stay-at-home moms — and goes viral — when one of them records her saying, “Life isn’t about finding the right person. It’s about becoming the person you were always meant to be.”
That’s the heart of the show for Morgan. “Bad things happen to everyone. Life takes unexpected turns, and you have to learn to adapt,” she says. “I think women my age are more resilient than ever. I hope they find hope in Leanne’s story — [and remember] that it’s never too late to find joy, or to begin a whole new chapter. We’ve raised families, devoted ourselves to others, and now it’s time to rediscover who we are.”
Leanne also rediscovers who she is by nurturing relationships old and new. Her sister Carol is her source of strength in tumultuous times. Their sisterly relationship is one of the true love stories of the show. “Leanne couldn’t do it without her — Carol has truly been her lifeline,” says Morgan. Leanne also ends the season in a new relationship with FBI agent Andrew (Tim Daly), who, Morgan says, “understands how important her family is to her, and he’s incredibly kind and loving. Hopefully, their connection lasts.”
As her daughter-in-law gives birth to her new grandbaby in the finale, Leanne reaches a truce with her ex and is ready for the uncharted path in front of her. “It’s powerful for women to realize — sometimes only when they’re forced to — that they’re stronger than they ever knew. There’s still so much life to live and so many dreams worth fulfilling,” says Morgan.
Chuck Lorre, Susan McMartin, Nick Bakay, Leanne Morgan, and Judi Marmel are executive producers. Leanne is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.
For Morgan, a University of Tennessee grad who sold jewelry at home parties and helped her husband sell mobile homes before she made it in comedy, the series is a childhood dream realized. “I can’t believe it has come true!” Morgan told Netflix. “When I started comedy 25 years ago, my goal was to be a part of a sitcom. It just goes to show you it’s never too late, and dreams do come true. I’m a grandmama from Tennessee, and now I have a TV show with Chuck Lorre and Netflix. What in the world!?”
Added Lorre, “If you’ve seen even 10 seconds of Leanne Morgan’s stand-up, then you know what a unique comedic force she is. The theme of starting over is universal, and I cannot think of anyone better to combine heart and comedy than Leanne. I knew I had to work with her, and I’m so excited to bring this story to Netflix.”
Leanne is now streaming. Netflix has also signed on for two more stand-up specials from Morgan to follow up her hit debut special from 2023. You can also learn more about Morgan’s inspirational story in her memoir, What in the World?! A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings. Check back here for more updates about the Tennessean comedy powerhouse, who’s definitely just getting started.
