Norman Lear and Laverne Cox’s New Sitcom: Surprise, Dad, I’m Trans!

Norman Lear was a force of nature in television. His progressive, boundary-breaking comedies—like All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, and One Day at a Time—were never afraid to embrace contemporary issues head-on. Though Lear died in 2023 at the remarkable age of 101, he was still working to the end—including as an executive producer on Prime Video’s wonderful Clean Slate. The show, which premieres Feb. 6, maintains the style of a classic sitcom (minus a laugh track) with Lear’s signature touch, reflecting conversations many Americans are having right now.

Created by Laverne Cox and comedian George Wallace, Clean Slate follows Desiree (Cox), who’s returning to her small town in Alabama to reunite with her father Harry (Wallace) after 23 years away. Harry is excited to reunite with his son, and he has no idea that son is now Desiree—a proud trans woman. To say he’s surprised when she arrives would be an understatement. “It felt like an awkward thing to put in an email,” Desiree tells her father. “More awkward than this?” Harry responds.

Desiree and Harry have work to do in rebuilding their relationship, and there’s plenty of townsfolk to help on their journey. The cast of supporting characters is bright and inviting. Harry runs a car wash, and his employee Mack (Jay Wilkison) and his precocious young daughter Opal (Norah Murphy) become fast friends with Desiree. There’s also Louis (D.K. Uzoukwu), Desiree’s best friend from childhood, who’s the director of the local church choir and still in the closet, while his mother Ella (Telma Hopkins) waits patiently and lovingly for him to come out.

Clean Slate wisely challenges common conceptions of the American South. It’s a region that’s all too readily portrayed as a politically and socially backward, bible-thumping swampland. But the show is much smarter than that. This Alabama town is filled with people who love Jesus, of course, but they also love family and everything in between. Not everyone in town is eager to embrace Desiree, but the vast majority of locals welcome her like she’s their own daughter. It’s as welcoming as any other place, with people coming together to uplift and love. The series can feel a bit broad, but that doesn’t make it unsuccessful.

That said, sometimes it’s too broad. One episode turns its sights on voting in a way that’s forced and underdeveloped. The plotline about long voting lines comes out of nowhere, and for a show that’s about love and acceptance, it feels too on the nose without taking the time to give these statements the space they need to land an impact. And a stilted scene in the same episode with a police officer trying to prevent a group of older Black women from voting feels like it comes from an entirely different show, as Clean Slate never reckons with personal politics outside of this moment.

But overall, Clean Slate is largely a smooth, delightful ride. Cox is radiant in the lead role, and her charisma helps smooth over some of the show’s bumpier bits. Some of Cox’s previous roles have leaned more into drama over comedy, but Clean Slate is a reminder of her impressive comedic talents. Desiree is a larger-than-life character—particularly in comparison to some of the more subdued folks in a small Alabama town—and Cox amps things up just enough. It never feels over the top, in part because her screen presence is undeniable.

Desiree and her father’s relationship could easily fall into a trap of pointing out how out of touch older people are, but Clean Slate pokes fun at both generations in equal measure. The writing takes just as much joy in playfully mocking Desiree’s love of self-care and matcha as it does Harry’s inability to grasp contemporary talk. (”Don’t gaslight me, Dad,” Desiree tells him. ”I wouldn’t do that because I don’t know what that is,” Harry retorts).

They’re also both flawed. Desiree is far from some kind of martyr—she’s a mess, and makes bad decisions like everyone else. And Harry’s ignorance isn’t evil nor malicious but comes from a lifetime of experiencing life a certain way. The balance makes Harry and Desiree equals, which makes their growing bond during the season’s eight episodes more rewarding.

This show is the warmest hug in trying times, a welcome antidote that’s genuinely hilarious. Clean Slate has no interest in preaching. It has no interest in shaming those who may not know the right way to approach others' differences. Clean Slate is a show about how it’s never too late to learn, and never too late to grow. There’s so much love out there—you just have to be willing to give it and receive it.