- Social:
actor, writer and comedian
PROFILE
Jerrod Carmichael
Guest
FROM Jerrod Carmichael
The Business
Jerrod Carmichael, ‘The Carmichael Show’ When the sitcom The Carmichael Show premiered on NBC late last August, it was with little fanfare and only a six-episode order. Jerrod Carmichael, co-creator and star of the show, took an old-fashioned format and threw in hot-button topics like Black Lives Matter, religion and gun control. And viewers reacted--the show drew the highest ratings for a summer comedy on a broadcast network in 8 years. The Carmichael Show is a family-centered multicam show, based largely on conversations Carmichael has had with his real friends and family. His parents’ names on the show, Joe and Cynthia, are his parents’ names in real life. The second season--13 episodes this time--aired this spring, and continued to take on timely topics, including an election-themed season finale that involved conversations about Donald Trump, violence at political rallies, as well as a sort-of marriage proposal. A third season seemed like a good bet, especially since NBC--the once king of TV comedy--has been lacking in that department for a while. But as the networks prepared to reveal their schedules in May, there was still no word from NBC chief Robert Greenblatt on the fate of the show. Recently Carmichael sat down with Michael Schneider and Joe Adalian of KCRW’s podcast The Spin-off , and he told them the delay came down to one thing: number of episodes. Carmichael wanted 13 again, but Greenblatt only wanted 10. Carmichael tells us why he thought NBC’s offer was “disrespectful,” considering what he believes his show has contributed to the network.
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.
Recommended
Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”
The Treatment
Kenya Barris: Black-ish Black-ish creator Kenya Barris joins Elvis Mitchell to discuss utilizing his show as a conversation starter.