Even as classic multi-camera comedies such as Seinfeld and Friends remain popular on streaming, original hits in this storied format have remained elusive.
That is, until Netflix’s Leanne came along.
There have been only six streaming original sitcoms since 2023, and notably half have been reboots or revivals: That ’90s Show from Netflix and Frasier and iCarly on Paramount+. But Leanne, starring comedian Leanne Morgan, is the most successful of the lot in terms of viewership — by far, according to Luminate Streaming Viewership (M) data.
The show isn’t just a streaming outlier. Comedies are harder to find on U.S. TV generally, and multi-camera comedy series have become even more scarce. The chart below demonstrates the rarity of the format that historically has driven billions in revenue.
So, how did Leanne break through in this dying format? It’s actually an example of old-school TV development meets data. The old-school piece is Chuck Lorre, a legendary sitcom creator whose hits range from Grace Under Fire to Two and a Half Men to The Big Bang Theory (including its spinoffs) and beyond.
The data part is Morgan’s own breakout stardom. In 2023, Netflix released specials from six stand-ups who hadn’t previously done one with the streamer. When comparing the resulting programs’ first six weeks of activity, Leanne: I’m Every Woman was second only to My Name Is Mo’Nique.
But given that Mo’Nique was a well-known actor with a list of credits, a five-season sitcom and an Oscar win, Morgan was already overperforming.
In weeks 6-12, however, Leanne: I’m Every Woman continued to grow in minutes watched, overtaking every other special in the cohort, even Mo’Nique’s. This data, which Netflix had in real time, may have played a role in the streaming service’s decision to greenlight a sitcom for the comic.
But has the success of Leanne impacted viewership of the 2023 comedy special? It has indeed. The chart below looks at the four weeks of I’m Every Woman’s performance prior to Leanne’s release on July 31 and its boost in the weeks following the premiere. It’s clear the special is finding a new audience with people who have sampled the series and want more.
The less quantifiable question is why the show has captured such a broad audience. Demographic data from Luminate SV(M) indicates Leanne skews female, with an appeal that reaches across age cohorts. The largest single group viewing the series is people 55-64, which makes sense given the ages of the leads.
However, there may be another issue at play, which is the uniqueness of a show set in Knoxville, Tennessee, about middle- and upper-middle-class families whose churchgoing centers on community, not politics.
These Southerners aren’t the caricatures we saw in Mama’s Family back in the day or even the recently revived King of the Hill. It’s yet another way Leanne is a true original.
To monitor how original comedies are faring on leading streaming services, check out Luminate SV(M).
