NBC's 'Grand Crew' hearkens back to the great Black TV shows of the '90s
SFGATE columnist Rod Benson sees himself in the new hit show
Rod Benson
Jan. 7, 2022
NBC/Elizabeth Morris/NBC
The last time I watched a network TV comedy that was led by a young, entirely Black ensemble cast was “Living Single,” or as I like to call it, the original “Friends.” This isn’t to dismiss shows like “Insecure,” “I May Destroy You” or “Atlanta,” but those shows are streaming. They’re given more latitude to connect with a smaller audience. And shows like “Black-ish” are family shows. You’d be hard pressed to find a show for and about 30-something Black people on a network channel.
The fact that I can’t find examples more recent than the mid-1990s is exactly why a show like “Grand Crew” is making waves as the next great Black show. “Grand Crew” is the story of six 30-something friends who meet at a wine bar to discuss the everyday ups and downs of love, work, play and, of course, wine:
“LeBron drinks it. Wine is Black now!” says actor Carl Tart in one of the first episodes.
NBC/Elizabeth Morris/NBC
Creator Phil Augusta Jackson has experience with hit shows. He worked on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” with Dan Goor for four seasons and was one of the voices that helped produce “Insecure.” When asked to pitch a show of his own, Jackson defaulted to his own experience. He was becoming enamored with wine and had found a wine bar that suited his budding interest.
“I just kept mentioning that we hang out at a wine bar, talking about our lives and aspirations. That became the idea.” But this isn’t a show just about the ins and outs of wine, Jackson continues: “Wine isn’t a story line, but more of a setting. Wine is the backdrop.”
To make that backdrop feel as real as possible, Jackson shot at locations most Angelinos would recognize, like The Grove, The Americana and Gold Line bar, incorporated actual Black-owned wine brands like Darjean Jones Wines and made sure the set design incorporated work from Black artists. Those details serve to create a Black experience so real that it’s hard not to see yourself in that world.
“The more specific you get, the more authentic it feels,” Jackson explains, “Let's actually live in the space the show is supposed to exist in. It's easier to connect to the stories when it feels authentic.”