Grown Folks aired on #BOUNCETV October 2, 2017, for a fantabulous worldwide debut.
The show is actually a spin-off from the Honeymooners with a lil Urban Swag.
Grown Folks encircles the circumference of two blue-collar couples and their quirky friends.
Gary Thompson (Gary “G Thang” Johnson) is married to Jillian (Tracey Cherelle Jones). The Thompson's share an apartment sized duplex with James (Jay Phillips) and Brenda (Caryn Ward) Finley.
Show creator, Bentley Kyle Evans said the series is exactly what it it says.
“It’s about some 'grown folks.' It’s written for grown folks to enjoy. Developing ‘Grown Folks,’ it was like, ‘How could I come up with something that would fit the space that the Honeymooners had at one point in time, where you do a basic show about blue collar people, living regular blue collar lives, that don’t know anything about Hollywood or Social Media,” he clarified.
“They don’t care about any of that [social media] stuff. They’re just interested in getting along from day-to-day, and living the American Dream, which is to own a piece of property and living for the weekend. That’s what Grown Folks is all about. It’s about couples. It’s about relationships. It’s really about these grown people who exist in each others lives, and deal with grown peoples problems and situations. I think that’s the best way to really lay it out. It’s Grown Folks.
When I was growing up, parents and grown people dealt with the grown folks things. The kids were not really allowed to be a part of that. When you would hear the term, ‘Stay out of grown folks business, ' that’s what this is... This is grown folks business. These characters came right out of the line of aunts and uncles, my grand parents, my parents, and taking little bits and pieces of what I learned watching them as a youth. That’s what Grown Folks is.”
Let’em know how you really feel, Mr. Bentley.
Jay Phillips gives a description about his overzealous character, James Finley.
“James Finley is a free loving guy. He’s kinda happy-go-lucky. He looks at the positive side of the world. He’s the goofy friend that we all kinda have, that has a real serious side. So, he tries to hide it with jokes and humor. He’s the family Man. He loves his family. He’s absolutely into his wife. He’ll take a bullet for her in the way that he acts. It’s just about that. You don’t get a lot of shows that present black love in the way that we’re going to do that on our side. We’re just the goofy, fun-loving couple.
We have an older son that falls right in line with us, [he’s] just as goofy and fun-loving as we are. We’re just trying to guide him and give him the tools he needs to be a grown folk, himself, one day. You know, my relationship with Gary and Jillian, we’re living in the main duplex. We just happen to be really good friends. We have a different outlook on life just by tenants, so we were able to take our differences and mend them, and use those to become better friends than what we already were. We’re thick as thieves. We kinda do everything together. They all intertwine and kinda make great stories, and great fun. I think everyone can relate to that.”
Caryn Ward shares the same sentiments about the monogamist relationship between her character Brenda, and television Beau, James— And how they share the imperfect love that sweeps you off hour feet and dazzle your life essence with adornment.
“Ditto to everything my amazing TV husband, James Finley, said. I’m playing Brenda Finley. Brenda loves, loves, loves her husband. We have a great connection. We have a great sex life,” Ward laughed.
“We get eachother on every level. James and Brenda may be [a couple] since high school. My character is so pure and she has a child-like innocence, so a lot of times, grown up jokes go over her head cause she doesn’t quite get it. But she is really sweet. She means well, and she has the greatest heart ever. She has a bleeding heart.
Even when Gary is dissing her, she sees it as a compliment because she’s just so pure in her intentions. You know, Mama Bear does come out when it comes to her son. As Jay mentioned, James and Brenda have an older son. She’s just like the heartbeat of the dynamics. She’s the bleeding heart.
She loves Jillian Thompson, our old, wonderful, landlord. She’s just sees life through Sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.”
“So, I play Gary Thompson. I own the duplex that Brenda and Jay stay in. I’m very proud of this duplex,” Johnson bragged.
“You know, any black person that got a piece of furniture or a piece of anything that they own, they cherish it. To be honest with you, Jay and his wife, they [are] our friends by default. That’s just because we stay in the building. They’re my wife’s Best-friend.”
Darn, Gary! Throw ole Jillian under the bus just like a typical man!
To watch this crazy and bluntly hilarious comedy, tune-in to BOUNCE TV on Monday evenings at 9:30 PM ET
Clip from the show