The Neighborhood universe is increasing with a second collection, Crutch. Paramount+ has picked up the half-hour, multi-camera comedy headlined by Tracy Morgan. It’s set on the earth 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 firms, Cedric’s A Chicken 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 nicely – 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 collection The Final O.G., with Cedric as a collection common on Season 1 earlier than segueing to recurring when The Neighborhood was picked as much as collection.
The thought 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 venture didn’t transfer ahead. The brand new thought, which landed a collection order by Paramount+, comes from a brand new author, Smith, who’s reuniting with Morgan and Cedric after serving as showrunner and govt producer on The Final O.G.. It options Morgan as a special 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 mentioned. “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 kids and a few grandchildren want to maneuver again house, and let’s simply say there will likely be a number of comedic issues.”
Cedric and Eric C. Rhone govt produce Crutch through A Chicken and a Bear together with Smith, Kaplan for Kapital Leisure; Trilling for TrillTV; and Morgan. Filming on the CBS Studios collection is slated to start later this yr.
“Crutch will likely be navigating the ups and downs of getting his youngsters and grandkids again beneath one roof, and you already know if I’m doing this, there will likely be loads of laughs alongside the best way,” Morgan mentioned. “I’m so joyful to have the ability to do that with my brother Cedric The Entertainer, Owen Smith and the remainder of the superb crew now we have put collectively. Prepare in your new favourite present!”
That is the second present hit CBS collection 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 collection starring Kelsey Grammer.
“Our subscribers love CBS’ The Neighborhood, so it’s a pure match to convey Crutch to Paramount+,” mentioned 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 collection.”
Crutch, distributed by Paramount World Content material Distribution, marks Kapital’s return to Paramount+; the corporate produced thriller anthology collection Inform Me A Story for predecessor CBS All Entry. At CBS, Kapital additionally has the upcoming drama collection Watson.
