NBCUniversal Press Tour, January 15, 2023 - NBC’s “Grand Crew” Panel -- Pictured: Phil Augusta Jackson, Executive Producer / Creator / Showrunner
Grand Crew creator Phil Augusta Jackson considers wine as the ultimate social drink for the way it slows us down and brings us together.
By design, Jackson explains to Los Angeles Confidential, wine is meant to be appreciated. You take your time savoring the glass. Whether you opt for a Syrah or rosé, you choose your favorite, take it easy and relish in the company of the people you’re with.
The kind of bliss that comes from these sorts of moments proliferates through Grand Crew, especially in the forthcoming new episodes.
“I think the overall theme for season 2 is just about exploring the joy of life, the joy of figuring things out, and even when there's tension, [you have] the joy of having your friends there to support you,” Jackson says.
Season 2 premieres on March 3 with more to come from Nicky (Nicole Byer), Noah (Echo Kellum), Sherm (Carl Tart), Fay (Grasie Mercedes), Anthony (Aaron Jennings) and Wyatt (Justin Cunningham). Set in Los Angeles, the crew navigate careers, love, family and identity and always make sure to come together at their favorite wine bar.
With season 1 squared away, Jackson is glad that the audience has gotten to know the characters, just as he is glad for the writers to know better about the performers they are writing for.
“We just have a lot of fun in store,” Jackson says. “A lot of the season is about that thirst for more [and] wanting more for your life, wanting to find more direction. And so [it’s about] having fun and finding the funny in becoming your fullest selves as you're in your 30s.”
Returning fans of Grand Crew will be happy to know the first episode of the new season ties into one of the finale cliffhangers. Called “Wine & Traffic,” Jackson doesn’t reveal too many details, but hints that we’re in for an adventure in the aftermath of the marriage proposal to Noah.
He also won’t divulge too much about Anthony realizing Fay has feelings for him, but promises they are “going to answer the questions about their dynamic and whether or not they're going to be romantically involved.”
Even with all the changes, growth and surprises, you can count on the crew staying loyal to their wine bar homebase. A wine bar is, after all, where the idea for the show was born.
When Jackson first moved from New York to L.A. for his job as a writer on Key & Peele, he met some other writers before the big first day at Bar Covell in Los Feliz. It became a regular meet up spot where he also picked up a better understanding of wine.
“The ambiance of that space is nice, dim lighting, very comfortable,” Jackson says about Bar Covell. “They don't really have a menu, so you tell them what you like in a wine and they'll present you with a couple options, and then all of a sudden you go a couple of times and you start to know [more].”
“It was nice to learn about wine and realize that I liked wine, but I think it was more about my friends that I was talking to in that space,… really getting closer with this group of friends,” he adds. “Then all of a sudden it just felt like, ‘oh, this alchemy together is what makes the place special.’”
See more of Jackson’s favorite places for a drink in Los Angeles below.
View this post on Instagram
Website/ 4628 Hollywood Blvd. 90027
The place that started it all for Grand Crew. Named after the street in Oklahoma where owner Dustin Lancaster bought his mom a home, Bar Covell serves up wines by the glass, craft beer and bites. It lives up to Lancaster’s mission to make wine unpretentious with a cozy interior and no real menu.
View this post on Instagram
Website/ 1637 Silver Lake Blvd. 90026
When you need oysters to accompany your happy hour libations, L & E Oyster Bar is the spot to be. The Silver Lake outpost receives fresh oysters daily and are joined on the menu by other seafood staples like lobster rolls, fish and chips, crab cakes and more. Open at 5 p.m. daily, it does not take reservations.
View this post on Instagram
Website/ 751 N Virgil Ave. 90029
Inside a Virgil Village bungalow, going to Melody really feels like coming home. The neighborhood wine bar hosts nightly pop-ups and welcomes vino fans to join its wine club, order from its bottle shop or to hang out over a glass of wine. Also, the Melody food menu is constantly rotating, so be sure to check the website before you head in to get extra excited for the featured dishes of the night.
View this post on Instagram
Website/ 4500 Los Feliz Blvd. 90027
Though an American restaurant, Jackson assures this beloved Los Feliz eatery has good drinks. Messhall’s lineup includes a number of classic and innovative cocktails, beers and wine, and as it celebrates 10 years, the team has launched an all-new menu of film-inspired drinks that nod to movies like Jaws, Jackie Brown and Almost Famous.
See also: Why 'South Side' Season 3 Is Its Best Yet
Photography by: Trae Patton/NBC
