We were joined on the Popternative show by screenwriter and producer Susan McMartin (Mom, Two and a Half Men) to discuss the new comedy series, Leanne, now streaming on Netflix. Susan co-created the series with Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory, Mom) and comedian Leanne Morgan.
Inspired by Leanne’s stand-up comedy, the series follows Leanne (Leanne Morgan) as her world is turned upside down when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. Supported by her family, Leanne learns to embrace the chaos and finds strength, laughter and hope in the most unexpected places.
On balancing comedy with serious storylines, Susan says, “I always say: I’m not happy if I haven’t made you laugh and made you cry. To me, the messy of life is what makes us laugh, but it’s also what makes us feel things and feel connected. I’ve loved working with Chuck [Lorre], because on Mom, especially, we got to tell some really heavy stories but you’re laughing too. We got to do that with Leanne.”
The cast also includes Kristen Johnston (Mom, The Righteous Gemstones), Celia Weston (Echoes, The Thing About Pam), Blake Clark (The Waterboy, 50 First Dates), Ryan Stiles (The Drew Carey Show, Two and a Half Men), Graham Rogers (Atypical, The Kominsky Method), Hannah Pilkes (Sorry Not Sorry), Tim Daly (Wings), Jayma Mays (Bill & Ted Face the Music, Disenchanted), Annie Gonzalez (Flamin’ Hot, Drive-Away Dolls), and Blake Gibbons (General Hospital).
“When Chuck came to me and said, ‘are you familiar with Leanne?’ [I said] I wasn’t, I watched her show, I called him back [and told him] I loved her. The first thing that came to my mind was, she needs a sister and it has to be Kristen Johnston. I had worked with Kristen on [the comedy series] Mom, so did Chuck, and I could see these two blonde, tall, hilarious, opposite women. And that was sort of the spark,” Susan adds.
Watch the full conversation Susan McMartin below.
Leanne is streamimg on Netflix.
_