The Upshaws: A Modern Classic You Need To Watch

The Upshaws might be one of the most overlooked sitcoms Netflix has ever made. After watching all 60 episodes of the Netflix comedy series starring Mike Epps, Kim Fields, Wanda Sykes, and the entire Upshaw family, I wanted to take a complete look back at the show and explain what made The Upshaws such a special modern sitcom. In this The Upshaws retrospective, I break down the history of the Netflix sitcom, Mike Epps' original idea for the series, the influence of classic working-class family sitcoms like Roseanne, and how Wanda Sykes and Regina Hicks helped turn that idea into something completely its own. We also get into The Upshaws cast and characters, including Bennie Upshaw, Regina Upshaw, Lucretia, Bernard, Kelvin, Aaliyah, Maya, Tasha, Tony, Duck, Frank and some of the show's incredible supporting characters. More importantly, I wanted to look at how these characters actually changed throughout the series and why the show's long-form character development worked so well. The Upshaws took the traditional multi-camera family sitcom format and modernized it for Netflix. The show combined an old-school sitcom structure and live studio audience with TV-MA comedy, adult language, modern family dynamics and serialized storytelling. At a time when many popular 2020s sitcoms have moved toward single-camera comedy and mockumentary formats, The Upshaws proved that the traditional family sitcom could still work. I also discuss the show's Indianapolis setting, behind-the-scenes production, cast chemistry, Emmy recognition, supporting characters, pacing, later seasons, character arcs and The Upshaws series finale and ending. After finishing the series, watching interviews, bloopers, behind-the-scenes footage and the final table read, I started to understand why Kim Fields repeatedly described The Upshaws as “lightning in a bottle.” ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: This video discusses the complete series and The Upshaws finale. #TheUpshaws #Netflix #Sitcoms #MikeEpps #KimFields #WandaSykes