David Alan Grier, Loretta Devine, Jerrod Carmichael, Amber Stevens West and Lil Rel Howery in "The Carmichael Show"

Prime time has changed a lot in recent years. From zombies and fairy-tale characters to socialites and superheroes, there is a vast array of characters to entertain TV viewers. But the current deluge of shows has taken its toll on traditional network comedies. A sitcom has to be a real gem to stick around, and NBC may have a diamond in the rough.

Jerrod Carmichael ("Neighbors," 2014) returns in season 3 of the semi-autobiographical comedy "The Carmichael Show," premiering Wednesday, May 31, on NBC. Created by Carmichael, Nicholas Stoller ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall," 2008), Ari Katcher ("Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store") and Willie Hunter ("Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle"), the show premiered in August 2015 to nearly five million viewers and has since earned a loyal following.

Inspired by Carmichael's standup routine, the series chronicles the lives of Jerrod and his live-in girlfriend, Maxine (Amber Stevens West, "Greek"), who sometimes find themselves at odds with his old school father, Joe (David Alan Grier, "In Living Color"), and devoutly religious mother, Cynthia (Loretta Devine, "Boston Public"). Standup comedian Lil Rel Howery ("Last Comic Standing") stars as Jerrod's recently separated brother, Bobby, and Tiffany Haddish ("Keanu," 2015) rounds out the cast as Bobby's ex, Nekeisha Williams-Carmichael.

While the series is undeniably a comedy, it is far from fluff. Set in North Carolina, the show follows the characters as they discuss issues faced by many American families, from police protests and gun violence to religious differences. The diverse cast of characters offers a mixed bag of opposing views, providing a glimpse of modern-day life in America that hearkens back to Norman Lear's classic TV series "All in the Family," which broke the mold for television comedies in its time with depictions of racism, rape, women's liberation, the Vietnam War and much, much more.

During a January Television Critics Association (TCA) session about the series, Carmichael referred to Lear's "fearless" work as inspiration for the NBC comedy. At the time, he revealed that season 3 would feature such hot button topics as rape, mass shootings and body image. Such subjects may not be typical network sitcom fare, but they are par for the course for "The Carmichael Show," which hasn't shied away from big issues in the past. Previous episodes have dealt with LGBT issues, the rape allegations against Bill Cosby, gun violence and the presidential election.

Approaching serious issues with humor seems to be part of a larger trend. After years of quirky, goofy comedy ruling the airwaves, the genre is getting serious once again as writers and performers use the medium to offer commentary on the state of the world, from politics to pop culture. "Saturday Night Live" has recently seen a ratings revival thanks to its political sketches, and CBS's "Mom" has earned critical praise for its depiction of addiction and other heavy topics.

Loretta Devine as seen in "The Carmichael Show"

Balancing comedy with serious issues isn't easy to do, and Carmichael is proving himself capable. He grew up in North Carolina and in his standup routines often jokes about how poor his family was. At the tender age of 20, he moved to L.A. to pursue his dream of becoming a comic and, after paying his dues in comedy clubs, had a breakthrough moment when he was featured in the New Faces showcase at the 2011 Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. He followed up this success with roles in movies such as "Neighbors" and two HBO comedy specials as well as, of course, his own sitcom on NBC.

The first season of "The Carmichael Show" performed well in the ratings and caught the attention of critics, who praised it for its smart comedy. Even though season 2 averaged fewer viewers, with a little more than four million per episode, the sophomore effort received even more positive reviews. Despite the slightly lower ratings, season 2 also earned higher marks than the first on popular online review aggregator sites Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. The show's second season also earned a 2017 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Grier garnered a second consecutive nomination in the supporting actor category.

Other accolades include a 2016 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character), and two 2016 Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actress (Devine) and Supporting Actor (Grier).

Such high-profile recognition has earned "The Carmichael Show" another season, despite the dip in ratings for season 2. NBC is putting its faith in the comedy by giving it a prime Wednesday night time-slot against such network series as ABC's critical and audience favorite "Modern Family," CBS's hit drama "Criminal Minds" and Fox's new foodie show "The F Word." As far as critics seem to be concerned, it appears "The Carmichael Show" is improving with age, so don't miss the season 3 premiere Wednesday, May 31, on NBC.