There won’t be a second season for “Mr. Robinson,” starring South Side native Craig Robinson in a show closely based on his own life before he made it in show business. Though the sitcom did have decent ratings (which slipped after its pretty positive debut), it has been somewhat eclipsed by the network’s better-reviewed “The Carmichael Show” with Jerrod Carmichael, which NBC is renewing.
Robinson, who gained a national audience thanks to his years starring on “The Office,” had a tough time even getting “Mr. Robinson” on the air. Originally, the show was picked up by NBC as a pilot in 2013. A year later it was ordered to be turned into a full series with a new creative team — different from the people who created the pilot. The revamped project was completely recast with basically Robinson being the only main actor remaining.
“Mr. Robinson” was set in a Chicago school much like where Craig Robinson taught, back in the day. On the show, he played a teacher who also is a musician — similar to his real life.
