Tony Award winner Kecia Lewis (Hell’s Kitchen) has joined the cast of Paramount+’s upcoming multi-camera comedy series ‘Crutch,’ adding even more talent to the spinoff of CBS’s hit sitcom, ‘The Neighborhood.’
She joins previously cast Tracy Morgan, Jermaine Fowler, and Adrianna Mitchell. ‘Crutch’ is developed by Owen Smith, who also serves as showrunner.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Harlem, ‘Crutch’ expands ‘The Neighborhood’ universe with fresh comedic dynamics. Francois “Frank” Crutchfield, known simply as “Crutch,” is a widower and shop owner whose quiet life is upended by the return of his Ivy League-educated son, Jake (Fowler), and his free-spirited daughter, Jamilah (Mitchell). Together, they navigate the highs and lows of family life under one roof.
Lewis will play Antoinette, Crutch’s meddling sister-in-law. Described as elegant, worldly, and self-righteous, Antoinette is a divorcee whose life revolves around her weekly salon visits and job as a Rikers Island correctional officer. When Crutch’s children return to Harlem, she happily steps in as the de facto matriarch, much to Crutch’s annoyance.
Fowler’s character, Jake Crutchfield, is an Ivy League-trained lawyer who leaves a prestigious job offer to serve his Harlem community with low-cost legal services. Mitchell plays Jamilah, a witty, free-spirited woman whose suburban life in Minneapolis falls apart, prompting her to move back to Harlem with her two children.
Produced in collaboration with Cedric The Entertainer’s A Bird and a Bear Entertainment, Kapital Entertainment, TrillTV, and CBS Studios, the series marks a reunion between Morgan and Cedric, who previously worked together on ‘The Last O.G.’ Cedric, who stars as Calvin Butler in ‘The Neighborhood,’ expressed excitement about the new project. “I’m thrilled to produce a show with Tracy Morgan, a legendary comedian,” said Cedric. “Crutch and Calvin are close cousins, and audiences will enjoy the similarities between their characters.”
Production for ‘Crutch’ is slated to begin later this year.