Has Wanda Sykes' Comedy Series, 'The Upshaws,' Been Renewed for Season 2?
Published May 13 2021, 1:34 p.m. ET
Families are often at the center of top TV comedies, and The Upshaws might soon join the ranks of recent fan favorites like the Pritchett-Dunphys on Modern Family, and the Johnsons on black-ish.
The Netflix series stars Mike Epps as Bernard "Bennie" Upshaw, the patriarch of a working class family in Indianapolis.
Though he's trying to work hard for his nuclear family, which includes his wife, Regina (Kim Fields), and his kids Aaliyah (Khali Daniya-Renee Spraggins), Maya (Journey Christine), Bernard Jr. (Jermelle Simon), and Kelvin (Diamond Lyons), he often gets pushback from his sister-in-law, Lucretia Turner (Wanda Sykes).
Soon after it was released on the streaming service on May 12, The Upshaws began to trend in the United States. Those who already watched all 10 episodes of Season 1 may be interested in finding out if the show has been renewed.
Has 'The Upshaws' been renewed for Season 2?
Netflix has yet to announce a decision regarding the future of The Upshaws, though the comedy's immediate place on the Netflix Top 10 list is a good sign.
The series only debuted on the streaming site in May of 2021. Based on the timeline of past original show renewals, Netflix could announce a Season 2 order for The Upshaws in the summer of 2021.
The first season did end with the introduction of a character who has the potential to upend Bennie's life (again). The cliffhanger conclusion could spark the main plot of a second season if the show does return.
When was 'The Upshaws' filmed?
Like many other shows that went into production in 2020, the filming of The Upshaws was interrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Production commenced on the comedy series in February of 2020, prior to the pandemic lockdowns. Some of the scenes were actually shot in front of a live studio audience at the Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood before production was halted.
Wanda said that filming part of the show with a live audience was a positive experience overall because the actors realized that their jokes were landing.
"When we first started, we were fortunate enough to be able to shoot in front of a live audience," Wanda told Today. "So, then we knew, 'OK, we have something special' just from the reaction of the audience. [That] made it a little bittersweet when we finally went back."
Though live audiences were no longer an option due to the pandemic, the actors and the crew members were excited to return to The Upshaws set in the fall of 2020.
"We were very happy that we were able to go back to finish the season up, this was in October [of 2020], but we missed that live audience," the comedian continued. "It was just so much fun to be able to do, and we were very blessed that we had no positive cases..."
With pandemic restrictions loosening around the U.S. due to widespread vaccine distribution, there's a chance that The Upshaws could be shot in front of a live audience if it is renewed.
Until a decision is made, Season 1 of The Upshaws is available to stream on Netflix.
