Dewayne Perkins to Launch YouTube Skitcom I Swear We’re Friends

Dewayne Perkins is launching his six-episode digital series titled “I Swear We’re Friends” exclusively on YouTube this fall, variety.com reported. The independently released skitcom acts as a tribute to television, with each episode taking inspiration from a beloved show such as “Girlfriends,” “Succession,” “24,” “My Wife & Kids,” “Charmed” and “Touched By An Angel.”

Dewayne Perkins Expands Comedy Slate With YouTube Skitcom

The series addresses a distinct gap in television comedy by placing Black gay male friendships at the center of the narrative. According to a release described by variety.com, the project asks why Black gay male friendships remain rare at the center of comedy twenty years after “Noah’s Arc.” The show does not aim to explain Black queerness to an outside audience, instead giving Black queer men the space to be funny, messy, and complicated friends.

Dewayne Perkins leads the main cast alongside Devere Rogers, Brian Jordan Jr., Philemon Chambers, and Cameron J. Ross. Guest stars featuring in the series include Daryl Stephens, Steven G. Norfleet, Courtney Taylor, Tracie Thoms, Justen Ross, and Jermelle Simon, while Grammy winner Durand Bernarr performs the show’s theme song. Dewayne Perkins directed all six episodes, working with Sade Ndya as director of photography.

Release Schedule And Production Details For YouTube Series

Variety.com reported that the rollout begins with the first two episodes debuting on October 14. Episodes three and four follow on October 21, and Season 1 concludes with episodes five and six on October 28. Dewayne Perkins co-wrote the scripts with James Rogers III, Rogers, and Higher Ground’s Mark Wright.

Production on “I Swear We’re Friends” is handled by Nance Messineo and Cole Santiago of Ex-Girlfriend Co. Production Company alongside Natasha Forouzannia. Post-production services are provided by Skapa Films. Feedzop.com noted that the project arrives as Dewayne Perkins prepares for additional screen projects and writing commitments.

Concurrent Television And Film Projects Highlight Prolific Career

Dewayne Perkins is returning to the ensemble cast of Apple TV’s Emmy-winning series “The Studio” and is currently developing “The Blackening 2” for Lionsgate, variety.com reported. The 2023 horror-comedy predecessor, which Dewayne Perkins co-wrote with Tracy Oliver, grossed more than $18 million on a $5 million budget. In addition, Dewayne Perkins joined the cast of Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi’s upcoming horror-thriller directorial feature, “Wrong Number.”

Variety.com also exclusively revealed that Dewayne Perkins is developing a new comedy series at Hulu, where he is attached to write, executive produce, and star pending a green light. Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett are executive producing that project via Unanimous Media. On November 9, Dewayne Perkins brings his one-man show, “How Being Black & Gay Made Me Better Than You!,” to Brooklyn’s Bell House for the New York Comedy Festival following a sold-out performance at the Netflix Is a Joke Fest.