Roseanne Barr has wrapped production on an eight-episode family comedy series titled Meemaw, shot secretly in Austin, Texas, featuring a cast that includes Randy Quaid and Drea de Matteo, nearly eight years after her high-profile firing by Disney, Page Six reported.
Barr Stars in Texas Prepper Family Comedy
- Barr stars as the matriarch of a mixed-race family of preppers in Texas attempting to throw her granddaughter a grand bat mitzvah.
- The cast features Randy Quaid, Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding, and Doug Jones, alongside guest appearances from Jon Lovitz, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Kim Congdon.
Production and Casting Choices in Austin
Production on the semi-autobiographical series took place in Austin, Texas. The narrative follows a woman from a liberal East Coast Jewish family who lives in Texas as part of a mixed-race family of preppers. Insiders told Page Six that Barr is 73 years old. During its original broadcast run, her hit sitcom won Barr both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award.
The ensemble cast brings together several notable figures from the comedy and television worlds. Randy Quaid stars as Barr’s husband, while The Sopranos alumnus Drea de Matteo plays her daughter. Omar Gooding portrays her son-in-law, and Doug Jones rounds out core cast members. Guest stars include Jon Lovitz, Kim Congdon, and Tony Hinchcliffe, the latter of whom appears in the series as Satan according to Page Six. Additionally, tween Instagram personality Indy Bugg was cast as Barr’s granddaughter after being discovered by Oscar-winning actress Mo’Nique. The Emmy-winning Sopranos star cryptically stated during her London Fashion Week debut that she just did a TV show … with everyone’s favorite mom.
| Cast Member | Role in Meemaw |
|---|---|
| Roseanne Barr | Matriarch / Grandmother |
| Randy Quaid | Husband |
| Drea de Matteo | Daughter |
| Omar Gooding | Son-in-law |
| Indy Bugg | Granddaughter |
Fallout From Disney and the Path to Independent Production
Barr’s return to television follows a prolonged absence from mainstream Hollywood networks. In 2018, ABC canceled the revival of her hit sitcom Roseanne after she posted a controversial tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama. Disney executives denounced the message as abhorrent and inconsistent with studio values, subsequently dropping Barr and reworking the remaining cast into a spinoff titled The Conners, which ran until the spring of 2025 as The Mix noted.
Following her ouster, Barr noted that Elon Musk did not respond to her requests for assistance regarding her firing.
Barr Targets All Political Sides with Satire
My daughters are super woke and of course I love them, so I put in jokes for them, too, like I did on Roseanne,
Barr stated. I make fun of everybody ’cause everybody deserves to be made fun of who’s in power.
So, I’ve got some great jokes about Republicans that the lefties are gonna love.
I’m an equal opportunity destroyer.
The series draws heavily on interpersonal family dynamics and political friction. Barr expressed hope that the show can bridge cultural divides among viewers, emphasizing a desire for families with conflicting viewpoints to share a collective laugh. With principal photography on the eight episodes now wrapped, the production moves into post-production.
