Offbeat yet family-centered, “Leanne” doubles down on the Southern wit and candid conversation around well-lived womanhood that has made comedian Leanne Morgan a standup sensation.
Co-created with Chuck Lorre, whose sitcom track record with “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mom,” and more has earned him the tag “King of Sitcoms,” the 16-episode comedy has a new beginnings twist. After 33 years of marriage, Leanne’s husband Bill (Ryan Lee Stiles) suddenly leaves her for a younger woman, forcing her to rethink her life as a now single grandmother in menopause.
With her parents Daddy John (Blake Clark) and Mama Margaret (Celia Weston) still together, divorce is a hard state for Leanne but well-worn territory for her sister Carol (Kristen Johnston) who becomes her rock. As Carol encourages her big sister to get out there, Leanne’s life takes unexpected turns. From their small community discovering the scandalous end to her marriage to her fitness journey to get back into dating shape, not to mention conversations revolving around sex, “Leanne” broaches many topics almost never explored in a sitcom format but, yet, right on target for this moment in time.
While most of the show revolves around Leanne and the antics of her sister Carol, “Leanne” gets some wacky pep from her wayward children — her beloved, hen-picked son Tyler (Graham Rogers) who, despite making her grandmother to adorable toddler grandson with another on the way, struggles to stand up to wife Nora (Annie Gonzalez) or offend anyone; and spacey daughter Josie (Hannah Pilkes) who, to the befuddled disappointment of her mother, is never quite sure if she’s coming or going.
Even with the comfort her real-life infused standup routines provide, taking on a sitcom for the first time in her late 50s had to be a daunting task for the comedian, who turns 60 in roughly two months. Those jitters show up in the first episode of the eight Netflix provided for review, but, thankfully, don’t last. Being surrounded by a stellar cast of veterans, particularly “Boy Meets World” and “Home Improvement” alum Blake Clark as Daddy John, iconic “Alice” actress Celia Weston as Mama Margaret, and most notably two-time Emmy winner Kristen Johnston who played Sally Solomon in “3rd Rock from the Sun” as younger sister Carol with whom she shares the most screen time, undoubtedly helped Morgan find her rhythm. As Morgan’s comfort and confidence grows, subtle changes take place. For instance, the heavy laugh track from the live audience in the first episode fades away, allowing the subtle wit of the show’s many jokes to fully land.
“Leanne” also features memorable recurring roles. Most notable are Blake Gibbons, who played Coleman on “General Hospital” for over a decade, as a God-send love interest who is forced to make a sudden departure and dramatic actor Tim Daly as the sexy FBI agent who helps reignite Leanne’s passions.
Echoes of sitcoms past like “Roseanne,” for which Lorre was once a staff writer, and “Grace Under Fire,” which he created, are apparent. Even in her demure delivery, Morgan possesses the gutsy presence of the much louder Roseanne Barr and Brett Butler. By incorporating realistic conversation around hot flashes and other aspects of menopause, as well as the body imaging insecurities that hit women past their childbearing years offset by the revelation that older women don’t lose their sex appeal, “Leanne” and Morgan specifically expand the television lens to another often-ignored demographic, offering compassion and celebration instead of disdain. It’s a shift Hollywood never makes without the success Morgan has already demonstrated.
By following the not so clichéd rule of leaning into what she knows, Morgan has sold out comedy tours. Her hit Netflix special “I’m Every Woman” two years ago has rightfully led up to her sitcom debut. Putting a spotlight on both the joys and challenges of women aging through laughter has given more than Morgan a voice. Thanks to the strength of an underserved audience of women just like her, she’s pulled up a chair to the table with “Leanne.” And, in the end, television as a whole, not only Netflix, benefits from that.
“Leanne” is now streaming on Netflix.
