AUSTIN, TX. (THECOUNT) — Roseanne Barr and Randy Quaid are teaming up for a new comedy series, “Meemaw,” giving both veteran performers a high-profile new project after years of dramatically different career paths.
Barr recently wrapped production on the eight-episode series, which was filmed in Austin and centers on a mixed-race family of preppers in Texas. Barr plays the family’s matriarch, who is determined to throw her granddaughter the most fantastic bat mitzvah Texas has ever seen.
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Quaid, who became one of Hollywood’s best-known character actors through major films including “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Kingpin,” “Independence Day” and “Brokeback Mountain,” is returning to a substantial scripted television role with the series.
Quaid’s acting career became increasingly sparse after his run of major Hollywood films. His most recent released film role was in the 2024 holiday comedy “The Christmas Letter,” in which he reunited with longtime “Christmas Vacation” co-star Chevy Chase. “Meemaw” now lists Quaid among its principal cast, marking another notable acting project after a lengthy period of limited screen work.
Instagram personality Indy Bugg plays Barr’s granddaughter. Barr praised the young performer to Page Six, saying she was impressed after seeing Bugg’s work and believed viewers would recognize her talent immediately.
The series also features Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding and Doug Jones, with guest appearances from Jon Lovitz, Tony Hinchcliffe and Kim Congdon.
“Meemaw” represents Barr’s first major scripted television project since ABC canceled the “Roseanne” revival in 2018 after she posted a racist comment about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Barr later apologized for the post, but the network stood by its decision to cancel the series.
Barr has described “Meemaw” as a new opportunity to bring people with opposing views together through comedy. She told Page Six that she wants families who disagree to be able to sit together, laugh at their differences and acknowledge when they have been wrong.
The series is independently financed and does not yet have a distributor or announced release date, according to current reporting.
For Quaid, the project adds another chapter to a career that once included some of Hollywood’s biggest films before his acting work became far less frequent. His return alongside Barr gives “Meemaw” an unusual pairing of two veteran performers attempting new chapters after highly publicized periods away from mainstream television.
Austin, the Texas capital where “Meemaw” was filmed, has become a major production center for film and television and serves as the state capital and cultural hub of Central Texas.
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