Roseanne Barr shot indie series Meemaw in Austin; co-creator says distributors are interested
Page Six reported that Roseanne Barr secretly filmed an eight-episode independent series, Meemaw, in Austin, Texas. Co-creator Allan Stephan says it is being shopped to streamers, though no deal is confirmed.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Page Six Hollywood reported on Thursday 8 October 2026 that Roseanne Barr had secretly filmed a new series called Meemaw in Austin, Texas. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Page Six Hollywood broke the news on Thursday that the former sitcom star” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “filmed a secret new TV series in Austin, Texas, last November, called Meemaw, per Page Six” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 2The show is described as following a patriotic matriarch, played by Barr, of a Texas family of preppers who is trying to organise a lavish bat mitzvah for her granddaughter. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Meemaw is said to follow the matriarch (played by Barr) of a Texas family of preppers who is attempting to organize a blowout bat mitvah for her granddaughter.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “throw her granddaughter the most fantastic Bat Mitzvah Texas has ever seen.” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter says the eight-episode series, titled Meemaw: A Modern-Day Fable, has 30-minute episodes and stars Randy Quaid, Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding, Doug Jones and Indy Bugg, with cameos by Jon Lovitz, Tony Hinchcliffe and Kim Congdon. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Alongside Barr, Randy Quaid, Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding, Doug Jones and Indy Bugg star.”“The episodes of Meemaw are 30 minutes each, but don‘t call it a sitcom.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 1Co-creator and writer-producer Allan Stephan told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday that the show has "a lot of nibbles" and that its representatives are sending a trailer to and in talks with a few platforms; he named none, and the outlet noted he has a vested interest in portraying the project as in demand. The Hollywood ReporterLC ““We have a lot of nibbles right now,””“(Of course, as the co-creator of the series, Stephan has a vested interest in portraying the project as in-demand.)” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 1Stephan said Barr raised the money for the first season independently with help from her son, Jake Pentland, but that he did not know the details of the fundraising; The Hollywood Reporter has asked Pentland for comment. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Barr raised the money independently for Meemaw’s first season with the help of her son, Jake Pentland, Stephan said.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 1Page Six, as relayed by The A.V. Club, reported that Elon Musk did not fund the series and has not returned Barr's calls; Barr said the show is "every bit as revolutionary as the Roseanne show, if not more". The A.V. ClubLC “Elon Musk did not pitch in for the series, nor has he returned Roseanne’s phone calls, Page Six reports.”“every bit as revolutionary as the Roseanne show, if not more” Read at The A.V. Club ↗
Left · 1Stephan describes the project as nonpartisan, saying "There's no Trump side, there's no democratic side", and says it is called a fable partly because it involves some animals. The Hollywood ReporterLC ““The show is very representative of all people,” he said.”“part of the storytelling involves some animals” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 2Barr's ABC revival of Roseanne was cancelled in 2018 after she tweeted about Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama; Barr apologised at the time, and the spin-off The Conners ran for seven seasons. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Barr apologized at the time for the tweet” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “Roseanne continued as The Conners for seven seasons and 112 episodes.” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 2No release date or platform has been announced, and The Hollywood Reporter notes that talks do not guarantee a deal with a major streamer. The A.V. ClubLC “No word on when or where the secret show will be available” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “None of this guarantees Meemaw is coming to a major streaming platform.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- The A.V. Club treats the project with sarcasm, centring on Barr's 2018 firing and the cast; The Hollywood Reporter reports on distribution interest, with caveats about the source's incentives.
- Emphasis
- A.V. Club: Barr's past remarks, cast, Musk. THR: distribution talks, funding, co-creator's account.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The A.V. Club does not mention Barr's 2018 apology or the distribution talks; THR gives little on the show's satirical pitch.
- Charged language
- “truly cursed cast of characters”“volatile and unhirable”“word-salad plot”
- For example
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“a truly cursed cast of characters will back her up” — The A.V. Club
“Barr isn’t a total pariah in Hollywood.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Barr filmed Meemaw in Austin, Texas, as reported first by Page Six.
- The show centres on a prepper matriarch planning a bat mitzvah for her granddaughter.
- Cast includes Randy Quaid, Drea de Matteo and Omar Gooding, with Jon Lovitz and Tony Hinchcliffe in guest roles.
- Barr's Roseanne revival ended in 2018 over her tweet about Valerie Jarrett.
- No release platform or date has been announced.
Where accounts differ
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What the show's political character is
- Left
- The A.V. Club calls the cast "volatile and unhirable 'anti-woke' celebrities", while The Hollywood Reporter relays Stephan's claim that it is nonpartisan and "representative of all people".
Roseanne Barr person
Barr says the show is as revolutionary as Roseanne and that her work has improved, and wants a series where people who disagree can laugh together.
““my work has improved with time.”” — The A.V. Club
Allan Stephan person
Stephan says the show has attracted interest from distributors and is a nonpartisan, broadly appealing fable about struggling farmers.
““We have a lot of nibbles right now,”” — The Hollywood Reporter
“There’s no Trump side, there’s no democratic side.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Left2 articles
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Roseanne shoots secret series about prepper Meemaw throwing a Bat Mitzvah
Critical Sardonic take on Barr's return, stressing her firing and the cast's reputations.
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Roseanne Barr’s Self-Produced TV Series Now Courting Distributors, Co-Creator Says
Neutral Business-focused report on distribution talks, flagging the co-creator's interest and that no deal is assured.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 8 Oct 20:19 First The A.V. ClubLC Roseanne shoots secret series about prepper Meemaw throwing a Bat Mitzvah
- 10 Oct 01:09 +28h 50m The Hollywood ReporterLC Roseanne Barr’s Self-Produced TV Series Now Courting Distributors, Co-Creator Says
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.