Netflix has renewed “The Upshaws,” a sitcom starring Mike Epps, Wanda Sykes and Atlanta’s Kim Fields.
The streaming service has given the show 16 episodes, split into batches of eight. The first season ran 10 episodes.
“Wanda and Regina have created a fresh entry in the tradition of Black sitcoms that’s real, relatable, full of heart and incredibly funny,” said Tracey Pakosta, Netflix’s Head of Comedy. “We’re thrilled to see where they, along with their talented cast, take the Upshaws in the second season.”
>>RELATED: Atlanta’s Kim Fields finds sitcom success a third time with ‘The Upshaws”
Netflix does not provide usable ratings numbers, but “The Upshaws” landed at the top of the service’s most popular shows for several days after its debut last month.
Most of Netflix’s multi-cam sitcom efforts have not gone beyond one season with “Fuller House” and “The Ranch” relative exceptions to date. “Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!” starring Jamie Foxx, for instance, debuted in April and was nixed last week after just one season and significantly worse reviews than “The Upshaws.”
In “The Upshaws,” Fields plays Regina, the wife of Bennie (Epps), a charming, well-meaning mechanic, and mother to three kids. Bennie also has a son from another woman, which causes tension with Regina. There is also tension between Bennie and Regina’s sardonic sister Lucretia (Sykes), who roast each other constantly. Regina is in health care, trying to move up the ladder, but is hindered for various reasons and considers going back to school to boost her educational credentials.
The sitcom feels very much like comparably successful ones from the 1990s and 2000s like “The Bernie Mac Show” and “Martin” but, because it’s on Netflix, features language you’d never hear on network television.
