Crutch canceled at Paramount Plus after one season
Deadline reports Tracy Morgan’s Crutch will not return as Paramount+ shifts away from original multi-camera comedies.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Crutch canceled at Paramount Plus is the final score for Tracy Morgan’s comedy after one season, according to Deadline, which reported that the CBS Studios series will not get a second run.
The eight-episode first season was released on Paramount+ on Nov. 3, 2025, after filming before a live audience in fall 2024, Deadline reported. The cast options expired at the end of last year, which Deadline said effectively brought the show to a close.
The decision follows a broader programming change at Paramount+ after Skydance acquired Paramount, the parent company of Paramount+ and CBS Studios, according to Deadline.
Why was Crutch canceled on Paramount+?
Deadline tied the show’s end to Paramount+ moving away from original multi-camera comedy. Cindy Holland, chair of direct-to-consumer and the executive overseeing Paramount+, said shortly after the Skydance deal closed that multi-camera sitcoms would not be a focus for the service, according to Deadline.
Holland’s reasoning, as reported by Deadline, was that CBS already performs strongly in that format and that the network’s sitcoms are available on Paramount+ the day after they air.
Deadline also reported that Crutch had been the last remaining original comedy series on Paramount+. The service has not made comedy purchases or orders, and it does not currently have a dedicated head of comedy, though Deadline noted that Jane Wiseman, executive vice president and head of originals for direct-to-consumer, has a comedy background.
What was Crutch about?
Crutch was set in the same world as CBS’ The Neighborhood. Morgan played Francois “Frank” Crutchfield, known as Crutch, a Harlem shop owner whose home life changes when his son and daughter move back in.
The comedy was created by Owen Smith, who also served as showrunner and executive producer, according to Deadline. Cedric the Entertainer and Eric C. Rhone were executive producers as well.
The cast included Jermaine Fowler, Kecia Lewis, Adrianna Mitchell, Adrian Martinez, Braxton Paul and Finn Maloney alongside Morgan. Deadline reported that Aaron Kaplan for Kapital Entertainment, Wendi Trilling for TrillTV, Mike Mariano and Morgan also served as executive producers.
The show had a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, Deadline reported, making its short life a sharp little twist for fans who did find it.
What is Tracy Morgan doing next?
Morgan had already lined up another sitcom while Crutch was still in the picture. Deadline reported that in March 2025 he was tapped to star in an NBC pilot from 30 Rock veterans Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.
That project became The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. Deadline reported that Morgan was initially in second position to that NBC series, but by the show’s May 2026 renewal for Season 2, he was in first position after his Crutch option had lapsed.
The rest of the Crutch cast has also moved on to other projects, according to Deadline.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.