In ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,’ Tracy Morgan is in top form

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I recently watched Tracy Morgan make his return to TV in November with “Crutch” on Paramount+, a pretty classic sitcom where he played a grumpy businessman in Harlem juggling a big family. Now, he’s back again, this time in NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.” This one’s a mockumentary from the team behind “Parks and Recreation,” and it follows a former football player trying to rebuild his life after a fall from grace. Honestly, he’s not really looking for redemption, just a chance to start over.

This new show comes from a strong comedic lineage, starting with “30 Rock” and continuing with “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Girls5Eva” – all shows connected by co-creator Robert Carlock and writer Julie Means. These series share a similar fast-paced energy and style of humor. They’re essentially animated shows brought to life with relatable characters, offering sharp and playful commentary on media, pop culture, and consumerism. The jokes are cleverly constructed and delivered with a unique flair, which particularly shines when spoken by Morgan. He has a distinctive, conversational delivery – almost as if he’s thinking out loud. For instance, he might say something like, “Don’t even get me started on Vegas, because I’ve never been and would just be making things up,” or, “Jerry Basmati is two-faced, just like the Joker from Batman.”

The new show, “Reggie Dinkins,” which starts airing regularly on Monday after a brief preview following the football game, feels perfectly suited to its star, almost as if it was written just for him. The character is reminiscent of his role as Tracy Jordan from “30 Rock”—not the same person, but with a similarly unpredictable and illogical way of thinking. (“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is an even worse guy with two guns.”) Interestingly, Reggie’s character is also well-read and knows Latin, which he studied in college “because I thought it would help me meet Dominican chicks,” and has even read “Moby-Dick.”

Reggie was once a star running back, but his career ended twenty years ago due to a bizarre incident: he accidentally called a sports radio show, believing he was contacting his bookie. He maintains he only ever bet on himself to win. Now considered an outcast, he rarely goes out. Fortunately, his ex-wife Monica (Erika Alexander) still manages his finances and career, allowing him to fund a movie about his life. He hopes the film will lead to his reinstatement in the NFL and ultimately, induction into the Football Hall of Fame.

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‘Crutch,’ Tracy Morgan’s feel-good comedy series, has a strong cast that lifts familial jokes

Tracy Morgan leads the new Paramount+ comedy, which is a spin-off of the CBS show ‘The Neighborhood.’ He plays a dad whose life is turned upside down when his grown kids move back home after becoming empty nesters.

He’s brought on Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe, playfully referencing Elijah Wood) to direct the project. Arthur was once a successful documentary filmmaker, but his career faltered after a disastrous attempt to direct a Marvel movie. Now, he’s teaching at the University of Maryland’s Center for Documentary, Anime and Pornography and wants to create something substantial – much more than the simple promotional piece Reggie has in mind. Reggie consistently uses Arthur’s full name, a habit reminiscent of Tracy Jordan always calling Tina Fey’s character “Liz Lemon.” Arthur, sensing Reggie’s motives, quips, “Are you being nice or wiping fish grease on me?” Reggie replies with a shrug, “Two things can be true, Arthur Tobin.”

While Morgan and Radcliffe are the main stars, the show truly relies on its entire cast, with everyone contributing to the humor—there isn’t a single weak performer. Precious Way plays Brina, the fiancée of Reggie, who Monica playfully compares to a black Jessica Rabbit. Brina hopes to become successful with her music, ultimately aiming to launch a makeup line and retire from performing. Reggie’s loyal and comedic friend and former teammate, Rusty (played by Bobby Moynihan), lives with him and is so good-natured that he makes Reggie seem sophisticated. He even manages to get his head stuck in a washing machine at one point!

Carmelo, a teenage football player with dreams of being a singer, skillfully manipulates his divorced parents. Monica, a life coach whose diverse clients range from Serbian handball stars to a Fortnite player and even Geena Davis (specifically for archery lessons), seems to have become a permanent fixture in Reggie’s home. Arthur has been constantly filming Reggie, even while he sleeps, and may be living there as well. Despite their challenges, the show portrays them all with warmth and affection, mirroring the way they care for one another – their setbacks ultimately leading to growth.

The show isn’t short on antagonists. Despite harmony within Reggie’s family, there’s plenty of conflict elsewhere. Ronnie Chieng plays a successful agent who enjoys tormenting Monica. Craig Robinson is Reggie’s rival, Jerry Basmati—a competitive player and skeptical Christian—who ended up with the media career Reggie always wanted. And Corbin Bernsen portrays Reggie’s bitter former coach, whose career faltered after Reggie left the team. They all provide both laughs and a sense of menace.

This isn’t your typical fake documentary. Usually, those shows just use the documentary format as a backdrop for a story, but here, the documentary itself is the story. It begins as if we’re already watching the finished film, created by Arthur Tobin, who unexpectedly finds himself a character within it. Like another character, Reggie, Arthur hopes the film will revive his career, but the show subtly suggests that happiness isn’t solely about professional success – and that’s a storyline that develops over time!

There were a few extra bits that didn’t quite fit into the main story, and they really cracked me up. Like, Reggie joked that now that PBS is gone, Ken Burns is directing quinceañeras – seriously! Then there was this hilarious misunderstanding Monica had with a potential assistant. She thought she was hiring someone named Shaneequinniii, based on the email address, but it turned out to be Shane E. Quinn III – a total preppy guy! And get this, Reggie made an Epstein Island joke, quickly clarifying it was just his optometrist, Dr. Epstein, and then showed a picture of his office, playfully called ‘Epstein’s Eye Land.’ It was such a clever little moment.

There’s a lot more where that came from.

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2026-02-23 23:01