Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature humor, substance abuse in likable throwback sitcom.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Leanne
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LEANNE (Leanne Morgan) thought her life was settled, centered on church and cooking and spending time with her sister Carol (Kristen Johnston), her kids Tyler (Graham Rogers) and Josie (Hannah Pilkes), and her mom, Mama Margaret (Celia Weston) and dad, Daddy John (Blake Clark). Then Bill, her husband of 33 years (Ryan Stiles), leaves her for another woman, and upends her happy home life. Now Leanne has to make a new life for herself, and it's not going to be easy. Good thing she hung on to her sense of humor.
Is It Any Good?
Everything about this likable sitcom seems from a bygone TV era, from the clothes to the jokes to the chorus that intones "Leanne!" over the show's title. But that's not a bad thing, as Leanne demonstrates with plotlines, joke structures, and camera moves viewers will recognize from stalwart sitcoms built around the charms of a single comic: Roseanne, Home Improvement, Grace Under Fire. Like those shows, Leanne lives or dies on Leanne Morgan's strength as a dramatic and comedic center, and Morgan has it. If her rueful and bemused facial expressions don't get you, the jokes probably will.
As fans of Morgan's standup act already know, she mines her own life for comedy, and so does Leanne, with gags about aging, family foibles, and the joys and perils of Southern life. This viewpoint sets her eponymous series apart: She's a grandma who's well-acquainted with CPAP machines and Jell-O salad, and a life that feels lived-in, an older woman who's seen and done a lot and doesn't take herself too seriously. Yes, the jokes have that sitcommy setup where you're waiting for the punchline, but the writing is good enough, and the characters engaging enough to make Leanne feel comfortably and pleasurably familiar instead of unfresh.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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Families can talk about what makes Leanne different from other sitcoms centered on quirky families. Does this show remind you of any others? Consider setting, plotlines, and characters. How does Leanne set itself apart from shows with similar premises?
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Between scenes, Leanne plays a short piece of instrumental music and shows an outside view of the place where the next interior scene is set. Have you seen this transition between scenes anywhere else? Does it prepare you for a new scenario or does it break your focus on the show?
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Many of the actors in Leanne have appeared on other sitcoms: Kristen Johnston was in Third Rock from the Sun, Ryan Stiles was in The Drew Carey Show, Celia Weston was on Modern Family. When you know an actor from a different show, does it affect how you see them in a new show?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 31, 2025
- Cast : Leanne Morgan , Celia Weston , Kristen Johnston
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures , Arts ( Dance ) , Family Stories , Friendship , STEM ( Nature ) , Travel
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 3, 2025
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