The Upshaws is an American television sitcom created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes. The series stars Sykes, Mike Epps, Kim Fields, Diamond Lyons, Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine, and Jermelle Simon. The series premiered on Netflix on May 12, 2021.[1][2] In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, with the first part being released on June 29, 2022.[3][4] The second part of the second season premiered on February 16, 2023.[5][6] In October 2022, the series was renewed for a third season,[5] which premiered on August 17, 2023.[7] In December 2023, the series was renewed for a 10-episode fourth season, also called part 6. The six-episode fifth part of The Upshaws, the second half of season 3, premiered on April 18, 2024.[8] In June 2024, the series was renewed for a 12-episode fifth and final season, also called part 7.[9]
Premise
This comedy series follows an African-American working class family from Indiana, as they struggle to make ends meet as they pursue the American dream without a clear path to get there.
Cast and characters
Main
Mike Epps as Bernard "Bennie" Upshaw Sr., patriarch of the Upshaw family, Regina's high-school sweetheart and eventual husband. He is the owner of Bennie's Garage.
Kim Fields as Regina Upshaw (née Turner), the matriarch of the Upshaw family; Bennie Sr's wife and mother to Bernard Jr., Aaliyah, and Maya.
Wanda Sykes as Lucretia Turner, Regina's older sister who has an antagonistic relationship with Bennie
Diamond Lyons as Kelvin Upshaw, Bennie and Tasha's son who is the same age as Aaliyah, who calls Kelvin her "Ghetto Twin". He was conceived when Bennie thought he and Regina were on a break.
Khali Spraggins as Aaliyah Upshaw, Bennie and Regina's eldest daughter
Journey Christine as Maya Upshaw, Bennie and Regina's youngest daughter
Jermelle Simon as Bernard "Bennie" Upshaw Jr., Bennie and Regina's eldest child and only son together. He has a strained relationship with his father, who wasn't there for him until he was 16.
Sharifa Oliver as Monique Robinson, Bernard's ex-girlfriend and mother of their daughter, Sydney. She is a police officer.
Ayaammi Sledge as Sydney Robinson, Bernard's daughter. She comes looking for him in the First season finale and when she mentions Bernard Upshaw is her father, Regina accuses Bennie of being so until matters are cleared up.
Bennie's two kids: Kelvin and Aaliyah have a birthday at the same time. Bennie tries to find time to be at both parties, worried that he won't get to spend time with his kids, so he goes back and forth to make sure he has time to go from one party to the other. Eventually, he is caught and realizes he has to confess the truth.
Bennie takes Regina to a fancy restaurant and meets the manager of the establishment. He later takes her out in the hopes of breaking their dry spell, which they've had for a long time. Bennie gets an unexpected surprise when he realizes that the meal wasn't free.
Teleplay by : Mark Alton Brown Story by : Michael J. S. Murphy
April 18, 2024 (2024-04-18)
38
12
"Do I?"
Regina Y. Hicks
Teleplay by : Devon Shepard & Dino Shorté Story by : Annie Levine & Jonathan Emerson
April 18, 2024 (2024-04-18)
Production
Development
On August 20, 2019, Netflix gave production a series order. The Upshaws is created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes who are expected to executive produce alongside Mike Epps, Niles Kirchner, and Page Hurwitz. Push It Productions is the production company involved with producing the series.[1] The series was released on May 12, 2021.[2] On June 24, 2021, Netflix renewed the series for a 16-episode second season which is expected to be split into two parts.[3] The first part of the second season was released on June 29, 2022.[4] The second part of second season premiered on February 16, 2023.[5][6] On October 26, 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a third season which was released on August 17, 2023.[5][7] On December 1, 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a fourth season.[8] On June 7, 2024, Netflix renewed the series for a 12-episode fifth and final season, also called part 7.[9]
Upon series order announcement, Sykes and Epps were also cast to star.[1] On March 4, 2020, Kim Fields joined the cast in a starring role.[11] On December 2, 2020, Gabrielle Dennis, Page Kennedy, Diamond Lyons, Khali Daniya-Renee Spraggins, Jermelle Simon, and Journey Christine were cast in starring roles.[12]
Reception
For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 63% based on 8 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7/10.[13]Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on 5 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[14]
