‘The Soul Man’: TV Land’s hit keeps viewers in stitches

By: Eleanor L. Smith

Cherish the Soul Entertainment                                                                             

The cast of ‘The Soul Man’
Wednesdays at 9pm CST/10pm EST on TV Land

 

With the art of storytelling presented in various forms, television is one of the primary sources of entertainment throughout the world. Already being compared to the classic ‘The Cosby Show’, ‘The Soul Man’ is the second highest rated series debut in the TV Land network’s history giving audiences an extreme case of the giggles when tuning in every Wednesday night.

“We did get those comparisons….I have no problem with that. But to be honest, ‘The Cosby Show’ was for America. It was a great show for everyone to sit down and watch and I enjoy those comparisons…we have a strong writing staff,” said Cedric the Entertainer, who plays the main character ‘Rev. Boyce ‘The Voice’ Ballentine’, a former R&B singer that had a successful career in Las Vegas then decides to become a minister relocating his family to St. Louis and serving as pastor of his father’s church—simply put, a major lifestyle adjustment. The king of comedy is also the executive producer and Stan Lathan lends his directorial proficiency to the project.

“I love the idea of telling stories that represent our community and I wanted to show the transition of a guy who’s married, we wanted to depict a real family. I’m showing that when you get the calling and change in life, that means everyone gets the change and has to go through that at some point and not everyone is happy and ready to be on the holier than thou train. But we are loving each other, getting better and growing,” said Cedric, whose wife ‘Lolli’ is played by Niecy Nash of ‘Reno 911’ and ‘Clean House’ fame.

Cedric couldn’t see anyone else playing ‘Lolli’ and confessed that he had to ‘put the charm on her’ in order for her to accept the role. “I wanted an actress that represented natural beauty and glamour. Someone who could hold a scene and that was real and people could relate to, someone who could deliver and she had her own fan base from her TV shows and projects she had in the past,” he beamed.

Nash who could relate to her character via personal experience, makes it clear that she enjoys her job and that coming to work every day is ‘a gift’. “It’s amazing working with Cedric. I got an ex husband, a new husband and a TV husband! It makes me proud to be able to have something on TV that my children can watch,” said Nash. “This is a traditional sitcom and I’ve lived being a first lady, so I completely understand her. ‘Lolli’, I’ve lived it and now that I am here, I feel that now I can’t imagine not being a part of this cast. The brown girls are getting a bad rep for fighting, cutting up…I am happy as an African American woman to show something different,” she continued.

The sitcom also stars John Beasley (‘Everwood’) as Boyce’s father Barton, Wesley Jonathan (‘What I Like About You’) as his brother, Stamps and Jazz Raycole as Boyce and Lolli’s daughter Lyric. “I definitely couldn’t miss this opportunity to work with such an incredible cast, and when I found out that Niecy Nash was going to play my mom, I literally screamed,” laughed Raycole, the youngest cast member. “Lyric is a 16 year old typical teenager who is still a kid, but wants to be an adult and I love the dynamic of her being this rock star kid who is now living in a Christian based family. I get to learn and grow so much every single day,” said Raycole.

“The Soul Man” is a spin-off of the network’s hit sitcom ‘Hot in Cleveland’ and deals with real life issues such as infidelity, alcohol abuse, interracial marriage and even alternative lifestyles. Actress Tamala Jones (‘The Wood’, ‘The Brothers’, ‘Two Can Play That Game’) made a guest appearance and even shared an on screen kiss with Nash during an episode where she was receiving pastoral counseling because of a problematic marriage—a scene that sparked dialogue with viewers. “It was not uncomfortable for me, kissing Tamala. At the end of the day, I kiss a strong black man in real life! (laughs)…I got so many comments and I wasn’t shy about it at all. It helped show the brokenness that the character was in,” said Nash.

From a creative point of view, Cedric wanted to showcase stories that are happening in the world, and at the same time give the values and morality sense of each situation. “We’d like to be careful about being too preachy, but we’re not afraid of approaching taboo subject matter. I’m not trying to paint this picture of someone who is so heavenly bound, and not being real,” he said.

While ‘The Soul Man’ gives an authentic and relative look into the African American family, it will incorporate other ethnicities as time goes on. “Yes, of course….there is an opportunity to do that. We want it to be very clear that we have established this as an African American family and what they are going through, but we are able to bring in friends and relationships…show diversity and attract an audience in a more natural way, said Lathan.

Along with Tamala Jones, the show had notables such as actor Anthony Anderson and comedienne/actress Sherri Shepherd guest starring and this Wednesday, recording artist Cee Lo Green will appear as the former backup singer turned mega preacher ‘J.C. Carpenter’ who wants to get away from religious showbiz—but asks Boyce to give the bad news to his congregation.  Definitely, must see TV!

Watch ‘The Soul Man’ Wednesdays at 9pm CST/10pm EST on TV Land! Check your local listings.

Follow on Twitter at #TheSoulMan