The Upshaws Return to Netflix With New Antics and Same Family Love in Upcoming Third Season

Third time is a charm with the upcoming third season of The Upshaws. This Netflix comedy returns to warm hearts, bring new antics and share lots of laughs, with the Upshaw family once again at the center.

The series follows a working-class black family in Indianapolis as they navigate everyday life and the ups and downs it entails. At the head of the Upshaw family are Bennie (Mike Epps), the well-meaning, but a waste of a lifetime, mechanic and dad, and Regina (Kim Fields), the ambitious and focused mom. And watching (or causing) all the chaos on the show are their children, daughters Aaliyah and Maya (Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine), eldest son Bennie Jr. (Jermelle Simon), and second son Kelvin (Diamond Lyons).

But the family drama needs more family, so hairdresser Tasha (Gabrielle Dennis), Kelvin’s mother, and Regina’s sardonic sister Lucretia (Wanda Sykes) join the fun.

The Upshaws is an example of how blended families work, but also what working-class black families look like today. The series takes notes from classic noir sitcoms over the years, like Good time, Family matters, Martinand My wife and my childrenand puts its own spin on the genre.

Additionally, the show takes on identities that aren’t always seen positively on black sitcoms, one of them being queerness. Oldest son Bennie Jr. went through “coming out” later in life, being a single parent, and his first relationship with a man, played by gay comedian Dewayne Perkins, during the show. But his family support has been there along the way, with harrowing “coming out” stories shared between him and his parents.

Created by Sykes and Regina Y. Hicks, who are both queer black women, they ensure that homosexuality is displayed and celebrated in a working-class black family, but is also an integral part of any dynamic. family. It’s refreshing to see on TV and hopefully we’ll see a lot more of it when The Upshaws come back next year.

Part 3 of The Upshaws premieres on Netflix on February 16, 2023.