This may be the first time viewers tuning into Today With Jenna & Friends meet Leanne Morgan, Jenna Bush Hager’s latest guest host. But that does not mean this will be the last time you will see this hilarious comedian.
Morgan is stealing the show over at Today where she and Bush Hager have been bonding over their southern roots, married life, and more. Her time on Today has come to an end but there are many things coming down the pipeline for this Tennessee-based comedian. Not only is she on tour, but she is also the star of the new Netflix sitcom Leanne, hailing from network television legend Chuck Lorre.
Morgan stars in the new sitcom as a grandmother forced to start over when her husband unexpectedly leaves her for another woman after 33 years of marriage. Now, she’s dating for the first time in decades and building a life of her own, all while juggling the demands of her family (and menopause).
She’ll be joined by Kristen Johnston, who plays her sister, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? comedian Ryan Stiles, who will be playing her ex-husband. Graham Rogers and Hannah Pilkes will star as Leanne’s children.
The multi-camera sitcom is heavily inspired by her stand-up, in which she talks about being a parent and a grandmother.
“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,” she told Netflix’s Tudum. I’m a grandmama from Tennessee, and now I have a TV show with Chuck Lorre and Netflix. What in the world!?”
Take it from Lorre, the creator of Leanne who is also the mastermind behind hit sitcoms such as Two And A Half Men and The Big Bang Theory: It’s worth tuning into Morgan’s Netflix comedy special.
“If you’ve seen even 10 seconds of Leanne Morgan’s stand-up, then you know what a unique comedic force she is,” Lorre told Tudum. “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.”
For fans looking to catch Morgan outside the cookie-cutter constraints of daytime television, her special Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman is streaming now on Netflix.
She also starred alongside Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in the recent Prime Video comedy, You’re Cordially Invited.
Leanne premieres on Netflix July 31.