Tracy Morgan Talks Neighborhood Spinoff Crutch ('I'm Basically The Black Archie Bunker') And Juggling Two Sitcoms At Once

Tracy Morgan doesn't just answer questions — he performs them.

"When opportunity knocks, I don't just let it in; I tell it to get in the basement," he tells TVLine with his signature deadpan. "You ain't going nowhere until I get what I want."

That same energy fuels the new multi-camera comedy "Crutch," which hit Paramount+ on Monday. Morgan stars not as Calvin Butler's brother — as he did in a Season 4 episode of CBS' "The Neighborhood" — but as Calvin's cousin, an outspoken traditionalist with a big heart whose adult children (played by Jermaine Fowler and Adrianna Mitchell) return to the family home. Morgan refers to his namesake character as "the Black Archie Bunker," a nod to the show's old-school sitcom sensibility. 

As for that basement metaphor, it feels especially apt this year. In addition to headlining the "Neighborhood" spinoff, Morgan is also fronting a second new comedy — NBC's "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins," a single-camera series executive-produced by his longtime collaborator, Tina Fey. It marks his busiest TV stretch in years — and proof that when opportunity knocks, he really doesn't let it leave the house. If both series connect, Morgan will continue to headline two shows — something that wouldn't have been possible in a bygone era when sitcoms routinely produced 22 to 24 episodes per season.

On a personal note, our interview ends with a moment that hit close to home. Not two weeks before a 2014 car accident nearly took his life, I was seated inside the Apollo Theater watching Morgan pay tribute to the late, great Don Rickles — a night that would resurface unexpectedly as we wrapped our conversation over Zoom.

Below, Morgan opens up about "Crutch," returning to the multi-cam format for the first time since "The Tracy Morgan Show," guest-starring on "The Neighborhood" as his new character, and why juggling two sitcoms at once is "a cinch" compared to what he's already survived.

TVLINE | Viewers of "The Neighborhood" are no strangers to you. But the last time we saw you, you played Calvin's brother, Curtis — not his cousin, Crutch. Were you surprised when they approached you about a spinoff and told you you'd be playing a different relative?
Of course! But I thought it was an opportunity. When opportunity knocks, I don't just let it in; I tell it to get in the basement. You ain't going nowhere until I get what I want. "Crutch" is what I wanted. So I have an opportunity now, and I'm going to take advantage of it and try to do some good TV. I'm basically the Black Archie Bunker.

TVLINE | Crutch definitely feels like an old-school sitcom character — a little curmudgeonly, but he has a big heart.
That's where it was for us. [I grew up] watching "Mary Tyler Moore" and "The Honeymooners." I still watch "The Honeymooners" every night to this day because I love Jackie Gleason. He was the king.

TVLINE | Was Crutch a character you immediately related to?
Absolutely. I'm just mimicking my dad. When my brother came back to the house, I remember those battles. But I remember the love, too — and how my father handled it. Imagine Simba going back to Mufasa. Mufasa is going to let him know, "I'm the Lion King," but he still loves him.

TVLINE | This is also your first multi-cam since "The Tracy Morgan Show." Having started on "Saturday Night Live" in front of a live audience, was being in front of one something you missed doing "30 Rock" and "The Last O.G.," back to back?
That's my element. But whether it's multi-cam or single-cam, I'm in my element. This is what I do.

TVLINE | I have to imagine you're feeding off that audience energy on tape nights.
We're all excited in that building. You ride the wave. Because if you get anxiety, the comedy ecosystem will get rid of you.

TVLINE | The same day that "Crutch" premieres, you're returning to "The Neighborhood" for a crossover (CBS, 8/7c) — this time as Crutch. What was it like returning to that show as a completely new character?
I don't think the audience will even notice it. Tracy Morgan is coming back to TV — that's what it's about. Like Lorne Michaels told me when I was on "SNL," "Tracy, we didn't hire you because you're Black. We hired you because you're funny." That's what I keep in mind. Be funny. Stay in the moment. I've played many different characters in movies and on TV — this is just another one. It's all in the approach.

TVLINE | In success, "Crutch" could return for Season 2. You're also starring in NBC's midseason comedy "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins." How does it feel juggling two shows — and potentially continuing on both at the same time?
What do you think?

TVLINE | Well, it's certainly a big time commitment.
I'm taking it one scene at a time. Don't be overwhelmed. I'm just doing TV. I'm not working at a warehouse lifting heavy boxes. I'm not building rockets for NASA. I'm taking it one scene at a time.

TVLINE | It also helps that TV seasons are so much shorter now — eight or 10 episodes instead of 22. 
I don't mind doing 20+ episodes. On "SNL," we did live TV every week. This is a cinch. Most people's worst fear is public speaking. Now, imagine doing that in front of 15 or 20 million people a week. So my training's strong, man. I'm Iron Man. And on top of that, I got hit by a truck! An 18-wheeler doing 75 miles per hour, with 85,000 pounds of frozen food in the back. So everything else in my life is a cinch — besides parenting.

TVLINE | I actually saw you perform at the Apollo as part of a Don Rickles tribute not two weeks before that accident. I remember reading about it and thinking, "My goodness, I just saw the guy!" The way that you've pulled through is just incredible, man. 
Yeah, I did the Don Rickles special eight or nine days before the accident. [Takes a pause] You have to understand what you just said to me. I'm fighting right now not to break down. It was a beautiful night, and I got to tell Mr. Rickles I loved him to his face. 

Don't cry for me. There are people going through a lot worse, my friend. But to return to your question: You think it's hard to do two TV shows? No. It's not harder than getting hit by a truck.

What did you think of "Crutch" and Tracy Morgan's return to multi-cam comedy? Grade the premiere via the following poll, the leave a comment and share your thoughts on the "Neighborhood" spinoff below.