Damon is an American television sitcom starring Damon Wayans that ran for thirteen episodes on Fox in 1998. It was created by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick and Damon Wayans and directed by John P. Whitesell.
The series received negative reviews from critics, who praised Wayans' comedic work but criticized the show's writing and overly-crass humor.
Two brothers, one a bachelor and undercover detective, the other a married rent-a-cop, are reunited in Chicago. Things come easily to Damon, a clever but politically incorrect undercover cop. He has a quick wit, beautiful women and a challenging job. His older brother Bernard is a rent-a-cop home security officer who longs to be the real thing. Down on his luck and separated from his wife, he spends most of his time on Damon's couch. Down at the precinct, Captain Carol Czynencko is Damon's hard-as-nails boss who is trying to get in touch with her sensitive side; Stacy Phillips is a strong career-driven Latina who has a "no dating cops" rule; Carrol Fontain is a hypochondriac who makes his co-workers cringe with graphic descriptions of his problems; Jimmy Tortone is a Cuban con-artist who walks a fine line between shady and legit; and Billy McCarthy is a gung-ho, gullible new kid in the department who falls prey to everyone's practical jokes.
Wayans signed a deal with Fox to create two shows for the network. Following the launch and cancellation of his first show, the hour-long drama 413 Hope St., he began working on a half-hour sitcom. Damon, then untitled, was announced in January 1998. The title and premiere date of the show was revealed in February.
Damon premiered on Fox on March 22, 1998. The series aired on Sundays at 8:30 PM for its first three weeks, before pivoting to Mondays at 8:00 PM on April 6.
Bruce Fetts of Entertainment Weekly described the show as "the crassest sitcom in history" and said that the "lowlights are too numerous to list". The Standard-Times described Wayans as "brilliant" but the overall show as "amateurish". Similarly, Rick Lyman of The New York Times lauded Wayan's caricature work, but criticized the show's writing. The Hartford Courant praised the cast's "substantial talents", specifically the dynamic between Wayans and Grier, but criticized the show as "lowbrow" and "raucous".