The Upshaws, created by Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes, is all about a family in North Side Tulsa, Oklahoma. They juggle life and bills like pros. With a cast that includes Mike Epps and Kim Fields, this show nails humor and realness of working-class African-American life. It’s got a sweet mix of touching moments and laugh-out-loud chaos. If you like family sitcoms, this is your new favorite.

Meet the characters from The Upshaws

Bennie Upshaw

Bennie is the loud, grumpy heart of the house — but like, in the best possible way. He’s stubborn as a mule, constantly dispensing “wisdom” that may or may not be a little outdated, yet somehow it works. He grumbles about drama but will absolutely start a family feud at 2 a.m. (and then fix it with pizza). He works hard, jokes around, and has a ridiculously soft spot for the kids even if he pretends not to; also he claims to hate country music but you’ll catch him humming old-school R&B when he thinks no one is listening.

Regina Upshaw

Regina is the no-nonsense backbone: equal parts steel and bedtime lullaby. She runs the household with a whip-smart eye for fairness and a low tolerance for nonsense (do not test that patience). She can be dry and sharp one moment and embarrassingly sentimental the next — yes, she cries at commercials, okay? She protects her family fiercely and uses sarcasm as both sword and shield, and somehow always has snacks but loses her keys every single morning.

Kelvin Upshaw

Kelvin is ambition in a fitted suit; polished, smooth, and trying very hard to adult. He wants respect, status, and also to be liked, which sometimes makes him a little performative — but he’s genuinely loyal underneath. He’ll drop a corporate buzzword and then immediately apologize and ask how everyone’s day was, which is… a vibe. There’s a softer side buried under the swagger that comes out in tiny, embarrassing ways (he keeps a childhood toy in his car — true story, maybe).

Lucretia

Lucretia is the big personality whose entrance is basically an event — loud shoes, louder laugh. She’s spicy, unfiltered, and will call you out fast, but she also shows up with casseroles and unsolicited life advice. Dramatic in the best way, she loves gossip and somehow balances being the chief tease with being the warmest hug-giver. Sometimes she’s annoyingly practical and sometimes she is a walking romance-novel cliché — she can’t pick a lane, and I respect that; also, random detail: she collects teacups and will insist on a formal pour for cereal.

Aaliyah Upshaw

Aaliyah is the sharp, socially-aware teenager who speaks like she read three books and a manifesto before breakfast. She’s fierce, principled, and doesn’t suffer fools, but she also has that soft, goofy side that melts the room when she laughs. She gets into Big Feelings and then phrases them like a law student (is she secretly studying law? who knows), always dragging the family into Important Conversations. She loves fashion but will recycle the same hoodie for comfort, and slightly contradictory: she hates attention but low-key posts the funniest little vids online.

Duck

Duck is that lovable chaos friend who shows up with a half-baked plan and somehow it almost works. He’s goofy, loud, impulsive, and so, so loyal — he’ll defend the group with ridiculous enthusiasm. He has a million hobbies (card tricks? hot sauce collecting? a terrible podcast?) and none of them fully stick, which is adorable. He can be reckless but also a weirdly reliable shoulder at 3 a.m., and apparently owns seventeen hats that none of them match, but he makes it work.

Maya Upshaw

Maya is the small-but-ferocious kid who will argue Shakespeare and then demand a snack like she’s the CEO of snack-time. Precocious, hilarious, and with an inner monologue that’s basically the show’s commentary track, she swings between being wildly brave and dramatically theatrical. One minute a tiny warrior, the next hiding under a blanket for hours — mood swings are her superpower. She’s softer than she lets on and asks the smartest questions at the worst possible times, and is inexplicably obsessed with dinosaurs and glitter, simultaneously.

Tony

Tony is the charming, schemy guy with an infectious grin and a habit of speaking before thinking. He loves a hustle, whether it’s selling concert tickets or fixing someone’s love life — his confidence is both endearing and mildly alarming. Deep down he’s sentimental, keeps mixtapes (real CDs? maybe), and will show up when you least expect it with something earnest. He’s messy, prone to excuses, apologizes with elaborate brunch plans, and also insists on grilling despite not being able to cook to save his life.