Crutch comes from Owen Smith, who wrote the pilot script, and The Neighborhood production companies Cedric's A Bird and a Bear Entertainment, Aaron Kaplan's Kapital Entertainment, Wendi Trilling TrillTV and CBS Studios.
It centers on the main character Francois 'Frank' Crutchfield (Morgan) - or 'Crutch' to those who know him well - a widower from Harlem whose plans for an empty nest are put on hold when his millennial son and free-spirited daughter return home.
The idea for an offshoot of the comedy series around Morgan has been percolating for a few years. During season five of The Neighborhood, he guest-starred in the episode Welcome to Bro Money, Bro Problems, written by then-host Meg DeLoatch, as Calvin's (Cedric) wealthy younger brother, Curtis. Although not a formal backdoor pilot, the episode was intended as a pilot for a possible spin-off.
Dat project ging niet door. Het nieuwe idee, dat een serieorder kreeg van Paramount+, komt van een nieuwe schrijver, Smith, die weer samenwerkt met Morgan en Cedric nadat hij showrunner en uitvoerend producent was bij The Last O.G.. Morgan speelt een ander personage, Crutch, de neef van Calvin.
“I’m excited to be expanding our The Neighborhood universe by producing a show with the legendary comedian Tracy Morgan,” Cedric The Entertainer said. “This new character is the close cousin to my character Calvin Butler, and you will enjoy some of their many similarities. Morgan plays Crutch, a ‘say-it-like-it-is’ widowed father who is challenged when his two adult children and a couple of grandchildren need to move back home, and let’s just say there will be several comedic complications.”
Cedric and Eric C. Rhone produce Crutch via A Bird and a Bear with Smith, Kaplan for Kapital Entertainment; Vibration for TrillTV; and Morgan. The CBS Studios series will begin filming later this year.
“Crutch will be navigating the ups and downs of having his kids and grandkids back under one roof, and you know if I am doing this, there will be plenty of laughs along the way,” Morgan said. “I am so happy to be able to do this with my brother Cedric The Entertainer, Owen Smith and the rest of the amazing crew we have put together. Get ready for your new favorite show!”
This is the second current hit CBS series to get a spinoff on Paramount+, following NCIS, whose Tony and Ziva series was recently greenlit by the streamer. With Crutch, Paramount+ expands its portfolio of Originals and adds another franchise extension, the new Frasier (2023) series starring Kelsey Grammer.
“Our subscribers love CBS’ The Neighborhood, so it’s a natural fit to bring Crutch to Paramount+,” said Jeff Grossman, EVP of Programming, Paramount Streaming. “We can’t wait to see what the immense talents behind Crutch – Tracy Morgan, Cedric The Entertainer and Owen Smith – bring to this new series.”
Distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution, Crutch marks Kapital's return to Paramount+. The company produced the thriller anthology series Tell Me a Story (2018) for predecessor CBS All Access. At CBS, Kapital also has the upcoming drama series Watson.
