Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps on Netflix's The Upshaws first look
Comedians Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps are bringing the laughter as bickering in-laws on the upcoming Netflix sitcom The Upshaws, and EW has the exclusive first look at the family comedy.
Sykes, a scene stealer on everything from Curb Your Enthusiasm to Black-ish, created the show with writer Regina Hicks, who has spent decades behind the scenes writing for iconic Black sitcoms like Sister, Sister, Girlfriends, and Insecure.
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The pair both serve as showrunners on The Upshaws, which centers on a Black working class family in the midwest making it work through shaky times and a knotty family dynamic. They also executive produce the series with Epps, Niles Kirchner, and Page Hurwitz, co-founder of Push It Productions.
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Taking place in Indianapolis, the show follows charismatic patriarch Bennie Upshaw (Epps), who manages to hold things down as a car mechanic with his own shop, but is still working on balancing being a good husband to his wife Regina (Kim Fields), and being a good father to the son he had outside his marriage with a woman named Tasha (Gabrielle Dennis).
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Sykes plays Regina's sister Lucretia, who is fed up with her brother-in-law seemingly squeaking by without any consequences. She pairs well with Regina and Bennie's eldest son Bernard (Jermelle Simon), born when his parents were still teens, who's not the biggest fan now of his neglectful father.
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Bennie does alright though with his young daughters Aaliyah (Khali Spraggins) and Maya (Journey Christine), and even his break baby Kelvin (Diamond Lyons), who's now a teen close in age to Aaliyah.
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With his ex-con, newly religious friend Duck (Page Kennedy) to help him out as well, Bennie is determined to keep the peace, and make it to the next level as one big happy family.
See exclusive first-look photos of the series above.
The Upshaws premieres on Wednesday, May 12 on Netflix.
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