Don Johnson & ‘SNL’s Chris Redd Join NBC’s Kenan Thompson Comedy Series With David Caspe As EP

Don Johnson and Saturday Night Live‘s Chris Redd are set to co-star opposite SNL veteran Kenan Thompson in NBC’s upcoming comedy series  Kenan. Both Thompson and Redd are expected to continue on SNL next season alongside their duties on Kenan, executive produced by SNL boss Lorne Michaels.

Also recently cast in Kenan is Single Parents‘  Kimrie Lewis. The comedy was originally piloted in 2019 with Jackie Clarke as writer and Chris Rock as director. The pilot was picked up to series but the project has since been redeveloped. Clarke co-wrote the new incarnation with Happy Endings creator David Caspe who serves as showrunner.

Thomson and child actors Dani Lockett and Dannah Lockett, who play his young daughters, are the only cast members from the original pilot that are continuing. Johnson is replacing Andy Garcia as Rick, Kenan’s father-in-law. (The character was previously named Percy.)

Also recast is the role of Erica, now named Mika, with Lewis taking over for Punam Patel who was part of the original pilot. Redd is playing a newly created character, Kenan’s brother, Gary.

In Kenan, a recently widowed host of Atlanta’s #2 morning show (Thompson), struggles to balance his job and his young daughters despite all the “help” he gets from his father-in-law (Johnson) and his brother/assistant/manager/house guest (Redd).

Caspe, Clarke and Thompson executive produce with Broadway Video’s Michaels and Andrew Singer, and Ken Whittingham. Caspe boarded the project at the beginning of the year under his overall deal at Universal Television, which produces Kenan in association with Broadway Video.

Miami Vice and Nash Bridges alum Johnson recently appeared in the acclaimed HBO drama Watchmen and the box office hit Knives Out. He is repped by CAA.

Redd, who has been on SNL for three seasons, and Thompson shared an Original Music and Lyrics Emmy Award for “Come Back, Barack.” Redd recently starred in the horror movie Scare Me. He is repped by ICM Partners, Artists First and Schreck Rose.

Lewis is with Seven Summits, Gregg Gellman of Morris Yorn, and she recently signed with Innovative Artists.