The Spin-off
Jerrod Carmichael Brings Heart Back to the Multi-Cam Sitcom
Jerrod Carmichael grew up loving multi-camera sitcoms, especially the ones on NBC. Now he’s created and stars in one of his own. Carmichael tells us why he opted to go the retro, multi-cam route to tell personal stories and tackle tough topics.
By Michael Schneider • • 38m ListenFor a minute there, the world didn't know if The Carmichael Show would live to see another season. Jerrod Carmichael, the creator and star of the show, tells us what was behind the delay of the announcement of Season 3, and why he wasn't happy with NBC's initial offer of 10 episodes. The show will indeed come back, and while we don't know the date yet, there will be 13 episodes, which is the number Carmichael was hoping for.
Carmichael takes us through the rigorous schedule of shooting live -- each episode gets performed twice in front an audience, and shares why he elected to go the old school route of having a comedy on a broadcast network instead of going to Amazon or Netflix.
The Carmichael Show has grabbed attention for its fearlessness in addressing tricky topics -- everything from depression to pornography addiction to current issues from the headlines like Bill Cosby and Donald Trump. Carmichael tells us why he wants to go there, and how a multi-cam sitcom can sometimes be the perfect medium for breaking down a complicated issue.
Photo: Comedian Jerrod Carmichael at KCRW.
