How Leanne Morgan turned southern sass and stand-up success into her own Netflix sitcom

Leanne Morgan is bringing her comedy skills to the sitcom world with her new show, Leanne, on Netflix. The series premiered on the streaming platform on July 31, 2025. The comedy series follows the story of Leanne, who, in her 50s, is forced to start over her life after her husband leaves her for another woman. Morgan, who hails from Tennessee, drew inspiration for the character from her own life.

As a stand-up comedian, Leanne Morgan has been a constant in comedy clubs for about 25 years now, until she found her way to make her material into a sitcom. While speaking to USA Today, she reminisced,

“I really just got on stage anywhere I could, my darling, so that I could raise these three children in Knoxville, Tennessee. It got to a point where I thought, ‘I'm not happy, and this is not going the way I want it to, and maybe I should stop.’ But … I just always kept thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got to keep going.’”

Leanne Morgan co-created the Netflix show along with Chuck Lorre, known for The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, and Susan McMartin, known for Mom. Other than Morgan, the cast for the show also includes Kristen Johnston, Blake Clark, Ryan Stiles, Celia Weston, Graham Rogers, and Hannah Pilkes. Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., produced the series with Warner Bros.Television.

Morgan has previously appeared in the movie You’re Cordially Invited, and also did the Netflix special in 2023 titled Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman, which was ranked in the streaming platform’s Top 10 comedy specials. The special has had about 11 million views and has been watched in more than 190 countries. It is the special that put the spotlight on her. As per USA Today, Lorre recalled,

“I asked Leanne if she'd be comfortable taking on that type of role for a show…where a woman (is) at the time of life where she shouldn't have to be reinventing her life but now has to... The comedy is generated by trying to deal with life as it happens, as a child goes off the rails, as a marriage crashes and burns. How do you respond to that? And there's no book. You learn as you go. Somehow, in that stumbling forward through those crises, that's where you mine some comedy.”

What is Leanne Morgan’s show on Netflix about?

Leanne revolves around a woman in her late 50s, whose life turns upside down when she learns that her husband is leaving her for someone younger after 33 years of marriage. She finds herself in absolute chaos as she tackles life’s many challenges that she had taken for granted.

Nonetheless, she ends up discovering hope and joy with some uniquely blended characters around her in the form of family and friends. Morgan plays the titular role.

Leanne brings forth the challenges of divorce and complex midlife. The show promises an emotional ride filled with laughter, all the while navigating through real-life problems. As per Tudum by Netflix, Morgan shared,

“Leanne uses humor to cope. 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.”

Leanne comprises 16 episodes and is currently streaming on Netflix.

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