Comedian and actor Tracy Morgan is starring in a spin-off of CBS's The Neighborhood called Crutch, and the premiere date was just announced via a teaser trailer. The Neighborhood, starring Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold, Max Greenfield and Beth Behrs, debuted in 2018 and is about to premiere its eighth season beginning October 13.
Morgan appeared in one episode of The Neighborhood in 2022 as Curtis, the brother of Cedric the Entertainer's character, Calvin. In his upcoming Neighborhood spin-off, though, the former Saturday Night Live star will actually be playing a completely different character: a widower named Francois "Frank" Crutchfield, though his friends call him Crutch. The premise is that Crutch's two children move back in with him.
Along with Morgan, Jermaine Fowler, Kecia Lewis, Adrianna Mitchell, Adrian Martinez, Braxton Paul and Finn Maloney also star in the spin-off.
Paramount Plus released a 15-second teaser trailer for Crutch that revealed a November 3 premiere date.
The quick teaser begins with Crutch telling someone in a unicorn costume, "You need a fist?" after the man asks if he wants a hug. There are several shots of characters saying Crutch's nickname, followed by The Neighborhood's Calvin asking if Crutch needs anything. After Morgan's character says he has one question, Calvin rebuffs him. The video ends with the announcement of the November 3 premiere date.
All eight episodes of Crutch season 1 will drop at once on November 3. Morgan will also appear as Crutch in the episode of The Neighborhood that airs that same day.
What Crutch Means For The Neighborhood Franchise
There have been attempts in the past to create a spin-off of The Neighborhood, but Crutch is the first one that has actually materialized. Morgan has a ton of comedic experience on such shows as SNL, The Tracy Morgan Show, 30 Rock and The Last O.G., so it's not surprising at all that Paramount is giving him the opportunity to star on his own show again.
Crutch is more of an indirect spin-off of The Neighborhood since the producers have created a brand-new character set in the same universe instead of taking someone from the original series and basing a new show around them. However, the casting of Morgan should draw in viewers excited to see him back on their TV screens.
Our Take On The Neighborhood Spin-Off Crutch
Hopefully, Crutch performs well enough to receive multiple seasons in the same way The Neighborhood has. Interestingly, Crutch will be a Paramount Plus exclusive instead of airing on CBS, the same network as the flagship series. Morgan's casting could be a great way to get fans to subscribe to the streaming service, especially those not already subscribed for all the Star Trek shows and the brand-new Tony & Ziva spin-off of NCIS.
Crutch premieres Monday, November 3 on Paramount Plus.