Why Damon Wayans Jr. Is Glad Poppa’s House Makes CBS ‘Uncomfortable’

Damon Wayans Jr. is looking forward to breaking ground on CBS with his and father Damon Wayans‘ new show, Poppa’s House.

“The goal of this show is to push the envelope. We make CBS uncomfortable a little bit, and they’re letting us have fun,” Wayans Jr., 41, told TV Insider on Monday, October 21. “That’s what they signed up for. You get two Wayans, we’re going to do gross stuff sometimes.”

The father-son duo have balanced humor and heart with their CBS sitcom. “We also make sure that the episodes are heartfelt and that you fall in love with these characters and that they feel like real people,” Wayans Jr. added. “We’re trying to find that balance, and I think we find it more and more each episode.”

Poppa’s House, which premiered on Monday, follows legendary talk radio host Poppa (Wayans), who has his point of view challenged at work when a new female cohost (Essence Atkins) is hired. At home, meanwhile, Poppa finds himself still parenting his adult son, Damon (Wayans Jr.), who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband.

“All the episodes start as personal stories, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be from me or from my dad. It can be from somebody in the writers’ room. But we make sure that every episode starts in some truth because I feel like people can tell when stuff is manufactured,” Wayans Jr. told TV Insider. “And so that’s the goal. It’s an amalgamation of everybody’s experiences in the writers’ room and my experiences and my dad’s experiences and our experiences with each other.”

Wayans Jr. praised the tone of Poppa’s House. “I like that old school vs. new school competition we’re having,” he continued. “Like who’s right as far as discipline? Is it right to discipline your kid the old school way, or is it better to do it the new school way, or is there a happy balance? Stuff like that I think is fun to explore. And I think it’s relatable.”

Poppa’s House is the first project Wayans Jr. and Wayans, 64, have headlined a show together. Wayans made an appearance on his son’s Happy Endings and Happy Together while Wayans Jr. was a writer and guest star on his dad’s sitcom My Wife and Kids.

“It’s so much fun [working on Poppa’s House with the cast]. Essence is a comedic powerhouse and a wonderful actress. And Tetona [Jackson], this was her first time doing comedy. She’s grabbing it by the horns. This is her first time. She is phenomenal,” Wayans Jr. noted. “It’s a pleasure to work with her and seeing her mind work. I like to do a lot of improv, so I can see it in her eyes. She’s ready, especially if it’s a scene with just her and I. She brings it, man.”

According to Wayans Jr., a lot of improv has taken place on set.

“What’s funny is everybody’s easily broken in this show except for me. I feel like I’m really good at holding it together, even if it’s really funny because I want it to get in the show,” he concluded. “And I know that sometimes it’s like that first time is the best performance of it. So I try to hold it together. I bite the inside of my mouth, I’ll pull a pubic hair out, just anything to keep me from laughing. And it usually works for me.”

Poppa’s House airs on CBS Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.