Rhea Perlman to Star in YouTube Red’s ‘Me and My Grandma’ (Exclusive)

YouTube Red’s push for premium content is getting an infusion of sitcom royalty. Four-time Emmy winner Rhea Perlman has joined the streamer’s upcoming comedy Me and My Grandma.

Playing the grandmother in question, Perlman will star opposite series co-creator Eva Gutowski. Described as a buddy comedy, the six-episode series follows college grad Janey (Gutowski) and her grandmother as they move to Hollywood together and each attempt to forge an acting career.

Perlman, best known for playing caustic cocktail waitress Carla Tortelli on 11 seasons of seminal NBC sitcom Cheers, has had a prolific TV career. Her most recent series regular role was on TV Land original Kirstie. She’s followed that with a recurring gig on Hulu’s The Mindy Project and appearances on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mom and Getting On — to name a few.

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Me and My Grandma, set to bow in 2017, is the second big YouTube scripted effort for Gutowski. The streamer’s popular lifestyles vlogger (7.3 million subscribers; 574 million views) previously starred in 2015 effort How to Survive High School. Gutowski co-created Me and My Grandma with TV scribe Annie Stamell. The two serve as executive producers of the effort alongside SelectNext’s Adam Wescott and Scott Fisher and showrunner Jill Condon.

In addition to Perlman, Me and My Grandma has also added Oscar-winning director Luke Matheny (2011 short God of Love). He’ll helm all six episodes of the series. Other cast additions include Kayla Ewell (Vampire Diaries) and Shelby Rabara (Goliath).

Red has become a bigger priority at YouTube, where the premium service is now offered at $10 a month. SelectNext has another project on the streamer with its upcoming documentary starring another popular YouTube star — Gigi Gorgeous.

Perlman is repped by Innovative Artists.