News / TV

Netflix orders Astronomy Club sketch series

Astronomy Club, the first all-black house team at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, is moving from digital series at Comedy Central to half-hour TV sketch comedy series at Netflix.

Netflix announced the six-episode order today.

Why the jump to Netflix?

Kenya Barris. He’s bringing the NYC-based improv and sketch group to Netflix as part of his overall deal with the streaming giant and his production shingle Khalabo Ink Society.

· As the group has done successfully with its improv and sketch performances, the series will use comedy to discuss complex and nuanced real-world topics. Combining honesty with levity, sketches will explore an array of topics ranging from pop culture and social issues to the Black experience.

Astronomy Club members are Shawtane Bowen, Jonathan Braylock, Ray Cordova, James III, Caroline Martin, Jerah Milligan, Monique Moses and Keisha Zollar.

Braylock told Variety: “Instead of doing the normal sketch show, we kind of have a show within a show. So our interstitials will be kind of a heightened fake reality show with all of us living in one house together because Netflix doesn’t have money to give us a bigger house. So we kind of have all these wonderful characters that are heightened versions of ourselves. And we have very, very loose plot lines that take us through each episode. So that way people can have a break from the sketches, they get to know us.”

Barris is executive producing, alongside Daniel Powell and Irony Point.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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