NEED TO KNOW
Chuck Lorre is back with yet another laugh-out-loud funny show to add to his TV universe.
His new Netflix comedy Leanne is centered around Leanne Morgan’s titular character, a woman who finds her life upended when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman, forcing her to navigate singledom as a grandmother.
Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively ahead of the show’s release, Lorre, 72, revealed which of his many beloved TV characters he’d most like to see venture down to Tennessee, Morgan’s home state and the setting for the heartfelt show.
The first character Lorre agreed would be a good fit was Bonnie from Mom.
Morgan’s costar Kristen Johnston was the first to suggest Allison Janney’s Mom character, Bonnie –the recovering addict mother of single mom Christy (Anna Faris) — could make a fun addition.
“I think Bonnie could mess it up a little bit,” Johnston, who plays Leanne’s sister Carol on Leanne, noted.
Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty
Lorre immediately concurred, saying, “Oh, Bonnie could mess it up big time, yeah.”
“That would be pretty fun, having Allison on this show,” Johnston added.
Mom ran for eight seasons on CBS between 2013 and 2021 and won Janney two Emmys for her work.
Lorre then named Grace from Grace Under Fire as another crossover candidate.
“We could see what Brett Butler’s doing,” he suggested, referring to the actress who played Grace.
Morgan piped in to say everyone compares her to Butler, but Johnston pointed out they have “a very different vibe.”
ABC /Courtesy Everett
Grace Under Fire starred Butler as the titular character, a small-town single mother and recovering alcoholic struggling to raise three children after divorcing an abusive husband.
Butler earned two Golden Globe nominations for her work during the show, which ran for five seasons between 1993 and 1998 on ABC.
Leanne is a reunion for Lorre and Johnston.
The two worked together on Mom, with Johnston playing the equally loudmouthed and sweet Tammy.
Lorre told PEOPLE that reuniting with Johnston on Leanne “a gift.” He gushed, “I loved her work on Mom. The scenes with Allison Janney and her were just everything you could hope for as a comedy writer. I’ve seen what she’s capable of.”
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Lorre also praised Johnston’s connection to Morgan on Leanne, saying he immediately knew “these two ladies are going to be great together.”
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Leanne is streaming now on Netflix.
