These days, drama and catfights by way of basketball jump-offs, entertainment industry exes and hip-hop baby mamas are what most networks bank on to corner the African-American market. But The Soul Man – a spin-off of the hit show Hot In Cleveland – couldn’t be more different. The sitcom stars Cedric The Entertainer and Niecy Nash as the core of a black family rooted in faith.
Cedric anchors the show as Boyce “The Voice” Ballentine, a former R&B star turned Vegas act who finally answered the call to preach. His renewed faith means returning to his St. Louis roots – and filling his father’s shoes as pastor of his family church.
“We tried to create a show that was reflective of black life – of real black life,” said The Soul Man Executive Producer Eric Rhone. “Ced and Niecy are married. They have a daughter. Ced’s dad is still around – and his little brother – and they are the nucleus of the family.”
They also wanted to show the reality of the pulpit.
“He’s just a normal guy – like most preachers,” Rhone said of the main character. “When you get beyond the sermon and all of the day-to-day responsibilities, they are normal people.”
The show is rooted in St. Louis. Even before the viewer is introduced to the characters, The Soul Man gives a non-verbal shout out to the city with an aerial shot of the Gateway Arch in the opening frame of the show when it debuted on Wednesday night (June 20).
“When we were coming up with the show and writing the initial pilot we were like, ‘The show has to take place in St. Louis,’” Rhone said.
“That’s where we are from and that’s what we represent everywhere we go – it’s all about that STL love. And we wanted the show to mirror what happens in the STL – our culture and our upbringing in St. Louis. Those are the kind of things that we are after in each script.”
Nash’s St. Louis “street cred” was not what landed her the role, it was the charm, talent and upbeat energy that have made her a mainstay in Hollywood for more than 15 years.
Rhone and Cedric met her when casting the film Codename The Cleaner. “We wanted Niecy, but we didn’t realize she was from St. Louis until the cast meeting,” Rhone said. “And we were like, ‘You’re from the Lou? Aw, yeah, this is a match right here.”
The cast also includes Wesley Jonathan, Jazz Raycole and John Beasley.
Cedric and Rhone hope to use The Soul Man as a compass to lead television in a new direction for African-American material.
“We want shows that we can be proud of and characters that we see ourselves in,” Rhone said. “Hopefully, this show will set the tone and networks will be picking up shows that represent family and represents real family. And I hope the show will continue to push Hollywood to do more black shows – there aren’t a lot of black people on TV here.”
Rhone offers an economic argument for inclusion.
“We are constantly in that struggle of trying to convince Hollywood that black people matter, that our dollars matter and we are loyal,” Rhone said.
“If you put something on that we like, we’re going to watch it. If you put something on we don’t like, we’re not going to watch it. Don’t take us for granted. We are loyal; we are intelligent. Through this show I really want for the industry to see African Americans as valuable and put a lot more people to work.”
And of course, they want to offer a major plug for our city.
“I want St. Louis to know that we love them,” Rhone said. “And that we are ALWAYS representing the Lou.”
“The Soul Man” airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. CST on TV Land. For more information, visit http://www.tvland.com/shows/the-soul-man.
