The Neighborhood universe is increasing with a second sequence, Crutch. Paramount+ has picked up the half-hour, multi-camera comedy headlined by Tracy Morgan. It’s set on this planet of the favored CBS sitcom starring Cedric the Entertainer, which has been renewed for a seventh season.
Crutch hails from Owen Smith, who penned the pilot script, and The Neighborhood‘s manufacturing corporations, Cedric’s A Chook and a Bear Leisure, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Leisure, Wendi Trilling TrillTV and CBS Studios.
It facilities on its titular character Francois “Frank” Crutchfield (Morgan) – or “Crutch” to those that know him effectively – a Harlem widower whose empty-nest plans are placed on maintain after his millennial son and free-spirited daughter transfer again house.
Morgan and Cedric starred collectively on Morgan’s TBS comedy sequence The Final O.G., with Cedric as a sequence common on Season 1 earlier than segueing to recurring when The Neighborhood was picked as much as sequence.
The concept for an offshoot of the CBS sitcom constructed round Morgan has been percolating for a few years. Throughout Season 5 of The Neighborhood, the SNL alum visitor starred within the episode “Welcome to Bro Cash, Bro Issues,” written by then-showrunner Meg DeLoatch, as Calvin’s (Cedric) wealthy youthful brother, Curtis. Whereas not a proper backdoor pilot, the episode had been envisioned as proof of idea for a possible spinoff.
CBS
That mission didn’t transfer ahead. The brand new thought, which landed a sequence order by Paramount+, comes from a brand new author, Smith, who’s reuniting with Morgan and Cedric after serving as showrunner and government producer on The Final O.G.. It options Morgan as a unique character, Crutch, who’s Calvin’s cousin.
“I’m excited to be increasing our The Neighborhood universe by producing a present with the legendary comic Tracy Morgan,” Cedric The Entertainer stated. “This new character is the shut cousin to my character Calvin Butler, and you’ll take pleasure in a few of their many similarities. Morgan performs Crutch, a ‘say-it-like-it-is’ widowed father who’s challenged when his two grownup youngsters and a few grandchildren want to maneuver again house, and let’s simply say there will probably be a number of comedic problems.”
Cedric and Eric C. Rhone government produce Crutch through A Chook and a Bear together with Smith, Kaplan for Kapital Leisure; Trilling for TrillTV; and Morgan. Filming on the CBS Studios sequence is slated to start later this yr.
“Crutch will probably be navigating the ups and downs of getting his children and grandkids again beneath one roof, and you already know if I’m doing this, there will probably be loads of laughs alongside the best way,” Morgan stated. “I’m so completely happy to have the ability to do that with my brother Cedric The Entertainer, Owen Smith and the remainder of the wonderful crew we now have put collectively. Prepare on your new favourite present!”
That is the second present hit CBS sequence to get a derivative on Paramount+, becoming a member of NCIS, whose Tony and Ziva offshoot was just lately greenlighted by the streamer. With Crutch, Paramount+ is increasing its portfolio of multi-cam originals, including to a different franchise extension, the brand new Frasier sequence starring Kelsey Grammer.
“Our subscribers love CBS’ The Neighborhood, so it’s a pure match to convey Crutch to Paramount+,” stated Jeff Grossman, EVP of Programming, Paramount Streaming. “We will’t wait to see what the immense abilities behind Crutch – Tracy Morgan, Cedric The Entertainer and Owen Smith – convey to this new sequence.”
Crutch, distributed by Paramount World Content material Distribution, marks Kapital’s return to Paramount+; the corporate produced thriller anthology sequence Inform Me A Story for predecessor CBS All Entry. At CBS, Kapital additionally has the upcoming drama sequence Watson.