"Grand Crew" Is A TV Game Changer, And Let Me List The Reasons Why

Grand Crew is the answer to your TV prayers.

With fewer than 10 episodes under its belt so far, I am already convinced that Grand Crew is a television gem.

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The NBC show is a comedy about a group of friends who are young professionals living in Los Angeles. The characters dive into their personal lives and career journeys at a local wine bar as they navigate their experiences and support each other along the way. The stars of the show are Nicole Byer as Nicky, Carl Tart as Sherm, Grasie Mercedes as Fay, Justin Cunningham as Wyatt, Echo Kellum as Noah, and Aaron Jennings as Anthony.

There's laughter; there's a great cast; there's wine...are you in yet?

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I hope so! Whether you've seen every episode already or are new to Grand Crew, there are many facts that reveal why the series deserves some praise.

Here are 20 reasons why Grand Crew is an awesome show to try out.

1. The chemistry between the cast is authentic.

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While she was a guest on The View in January 2022, Nicole said acting in Grand Crew has "been a dream" due to the closeness of the cast and crew.

"Phil Augusta Jackson, who created the show, we improvised together, like, 10 years ago. Carl Tart, Echo Kellum, Aaron Jennings, we’d all worked together before, so it’s like working with my friends," she said. "And then Justin Cunningham and Grasie Mercedes, who joined us, are also incredible ... It’s a party. We have so much fun.”

In fact, the cast is so close that several of them recently got matching tattoos, Nicole and Echo told Bossip. 

2. Phil Augusta Jackson used lessons from working with Issa Rae while creating Grand Crew.

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Phil wrote two episodes of Insecure from 2020–21, and he called upon Issa Rae's approach to her work while developing Grand Crew. 

“Looking at Issa and really just seeing her trust her instincts and her gut when it comes to the stories that she wants to tell…inspired me to just be a little bit more willing to accept what I find interesting and then the right people will find the show hopefully," Phil said in a 2022 interview with Let's Argue With Prince Carlton.

3. Phil also based parts of the show on his own friends and experiences, so it feels genuine for viewers.

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In the same interview, Phil was asked if any Grand Crew characters possess qualities of people he's encountered in his life.

"The short answer is yes," Phil said. "It's an amalgamation of conversations, dynamics, and experiences...that I do have."

4. An executive producer of the show, Dan Goor, was behind another great comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

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Dan co-created Brooklyn Nine-Nine and wrote for the series. He has also written for The Daily Show, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and Parks and Recreation. 

5. The show is changing the landscape for Black characters on television.

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Justin told Hollywood First Look that Grand Crew is showcasing complex Black roles, which allows him to incorporate true parts of himself in his character, Wyatt.

“[Grand Crew] talks about ... breaking the stereotypes of what it means to be Black men and Black women," Justin said. "We get to explore being human, and so there’s many facets of being Black. And one of the main things is, just, there’s a humanity inside. We are human. And so we don’t have to fit those molds."

"I’m an extremely goofy country person, and so I get to live inside that. For basically the first time in my career, I get to play things that are closer to myself," he added.

6. There are plans to explore Fay’s Afro-Latina identity if a second season happens.

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Grasie is Afro-Latina in real life and has said she hopes to further represent for the Afro-Latinx community if Grand Crew gets a second season.

"When I was cast...no one knew I was Afro-Latina. They just saw me as a Black woman," Grasie told BlackTree TV in January 2022. "But, we have had talks about, and if we do get a Season 2 ... we do want to explore Fay's character as being Afro-Latina and that Black experience, which is a different Black experience than being African American."

7. Phil's success with creating the show is proof that it's never too late to achieve your dreams.

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Before writing professionally, Phil worked in advertising throughout his 20s, and he didn't get his first writing gig until turning 30. One piece of advice he said he would give up-and-coming writers is to not set a time limit on achieving success.

"It's never too late to find your creative path. I'm 37, and I feel like I'm just now kinda hitting my stride," Phil said in his Let's Argue With Prince Carlton interview. "I think society sometimes makes us feel like you have to be 22 and [have it figured out]... It takes time, and it's OK to take the time to figure it out, as long as you're working on something."

8. Actor Melissa Fumero from Brooklyn Nine-Nine directed an episode of the show.

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Melissa, who played Amy in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, directed an episode of this show in its sixth season.

She recently returned to directing for the Grand Crew episode “Wine & Hip Hop,” which was released on Jan. 18.

9. Grand Crew highlights the importance of having positive, supportive friendships in your life.

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Phil made sure Grand Crew includes a group of companions who are there for each other through all of the ups and downs of life.

“We were very intentional about the themes that we wanted to hit,” he told the Winston-Salem Journal. “One recurring theme is friendship and just having your friends there by your side for whatever you are going through.”

10. The show is normalizing mental health discussions in the Black community and amongst all races.

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Grand Crew character, Wyatt, encourages Noah to try therapy in the episode "Wine & Therapy." Justin says he feels this subject should be normalized for men of color and people everywhere.

"Historically, specifically men of color have not necessarily been allowed to be vulnerable or express feelings that sort of encompass what it means to be weak," he said to EUR Web. "And people see going to therapy as weak but you need to confide in somebody ... I think therapy is extremely helpful for any individual in spite of race."

11. The cast is really skilled at improv.

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While speaking to EUR Web about the cast's comedy roots, Nicole said that she and Phil not only did improv together, but were once on the same improv team. In addition, she said the rest of the cast has carried their individual improv skills onto the Grand Crew set.

"We play around a ton, and it’s just been a blast," Nicole said.

12. It's a Black sitcom that's for everyone.

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"For me, growing up in the inner city of Chicago, we watched a lot of those all black shows and, you know, they always felt like they were just for us in a lot of ways," Echo told The Nerds of Color in December 2021. "[Grand Crew] ... is definitely for Black folks to tune in and...connect, but it's really universal. It really expands beyond that, and it's really just a human story about a group of friends just trying to find love, figure out life, [and] be there to support each other."

13. Oscar-winner Matthew A. Cherry directed an episode.

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Matthew directed the Grand Crew episode "Wine & Headlines." He also won an Academy Award for Hair Love in the category Best Animated Short Film in 2020.

14. One of the show's lead actors is an Emmy-nominated host.

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Nicole is a three-time Emmy nominee through her role of hosting Nailed It! on Netflix. Two of these noms were for the category of Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.

15. Episodes of Grand Crew have been penned by multitalented Black writers.

From left: Photo by Paul Archuleta / Getty Images, Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for New York Magazine, Photo by Michael S. Schwartz / Getty Images

Black writers like Ify Nwadiwe, Lamar Woods, and Charla Lauriston, who are all performers as well, have written for the series. Charla and Lamar have also produced for the show, and Ify appeared in an episode.

16. One cast member's past credits include an NAACP Award-winning production.

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Aaron participated in theater in his youth and went on to star in the play Elmina's Kitchen, which won an NAACP Award for Best Ensemble in 2013.

17. Carl Tart also contributes to another great sitcom, Kenan.

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Carl has served as a writer and co-producer of the series Kenan, which stars talented actors like Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd.

18. It has some awesome music.

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Phil has created his own music in the past and is a big music fan, he said on Let's Argue With Prince Carlton. He brought along Nick Lee, a music producer he's worked with before, to compose songs for Grand Crew.

"I love music so much, and I think tonally it can do so much to just enhance what you watch onscreen," Phil said about the music composed for the show. "We are very intentional about the songs that we have in there to complement the score as well," he added.

19. Nicole Byer's real-life pole dancing hobby was incorporated into the show.

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When asked to name the craziest real-life story that made it into an episode during an Access interview, Nicole named her Grand Crew scene that included pole dancing. This is a hobby the actor learned during quarantine. "Wine & Serendipity" is the episode it was featured in.

20. Garrett Morris makes an appearance in the pilot.

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Legendary comedian, actor, and original SNL cast member Garrett Morris opens the first episode of Grand Crew as a narrator.

Feel free to check out the show, either with your own crew or solo — you'll have a blast!

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