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The Steve Harvey Show

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For his radio show, see The Steve Harvey Morning Show. For Steve Harvey's talk shows, see Steve Harvey (talk show) and Steve (talk show).
"Bullethead" redirects here. For a 2017 film by a similar name, see Bullet Head. For the Australian rock band, see Bullethead (band).

The Steve Harvey Show
File:Steve harvey show.jpg
Also known asSteve Harvey
GenreSitcom
Created byWinifred Hervey
Directed byStan Lathan
Starring
ComposerPatrice Rushen
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes122 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupVideotape; multi-camera
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkThe WB
ReleaseAugust 25, 1996 (1996-08-25)[1] –
February 17, 2002 (2002-02-17)

The Steve Harvey Show is an American television sitcom that aired on The WB from August 25, 1996, to February 17, 2002. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.

Synopsis

Steve Hightower (Steve Harvey) is a 1970s funk legend who is now a music teacher/vice principal at Booker T. Washington High School on Chicago's West Side. Budget cutbacks meant Steve also had to teach drama and art, much to his surprise. Cedric Robinson (Cedric the Entertainer) is a coach at the high school, and Steve's longtime best friend. The principal of Booker T. Washington High is Steve's former classmate, Regina Grier (Wendy Raquel Robinson), whom Steve affectionately calls "Piggy", because she was overweight in childhood.

Steve forms a strong bond with two of his students: Romeo Santana (Merlin Santana), a stylish, self-absorbed ladies' man, and the equally vacuous Stanley Kuznocki, nicknamed Bullethead (William Lee Scott) - acting as their mentor, and gradually, accepts them as friends.

In season 2, the show introduced a new character, a secretary named Lovita Jenkins (Terri J. Vaughn), a woman who is fundamentally in the good mood, but nonetheless, considerably unrefined in terms of disposition. Cedric and Lovita begin dating, and eventually marry and gave birth to a child. The show also featured a succession of young actresses who served as female foils to Romeo and Bullethead; the longest-lasting of these was Lori Beth Denberg as the overachieving, socially inept Lydia Gutman. Rapper The Lady of Rage also had a recurring role as Coretta "The Ox" Cox, a physically massive, brutish teenage girl in romantic pursuit of Romeo. Coretta would call Bullethead a "broke Brad Pitt" whenever he annoyed her, but would usually refer to Lydia as "Linda", "Lisa", or "Lucy" (correctly calling her "Lydia" only once).

Steve was part of a fictional music group called "Steve Hightower and the High Tops," who would temporarily reunite to perform on occasion. The members consisted of Steve, T-Bone (played by T. K. Carter, later by Don 'D.C.' Curry), Pretty Tony (played by Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers), and Clyde (played by Jonathan Slocumb). Two of their signature songs (performed several times on the show) were "When the Funk Hits the Fan" (and later on Harvey's eponymous talk show), and "Break Me Off a Piece of That Funk." Though Cedric was not an original member of the group, he usually sang with them on several events.

Minor recurring characters throughout the series included Cedric's grandmother named "Grandma Puddin'" (played by Cedric the Entertainer) and Regina's boyfriend, former NFL star Warrington Steele (played by Dorien Wilson). Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell appeared in several episodes as "Junior" and "Vincent" (which "All That" cast member Lori Beth Denberg starred in). Wayne Wilderson played Byron, a "bougie" type character who was a television producer and a member of the Onyx Club (a professional men's group that Steve and Cedric tried to join). Dwayne Adway played Jordan Maddox, a professional basketball player who was briefly married to Regina before dying during their honeymoon. Ernest Lee Thomas made a few appearances as the Reverend who eulogized Maddox, and who married Cedric and Lovita.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Steve Harvey Show episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
121August 25, 1996 (1996-08-25)May 18, 1997 (1997-05-18)
222September 10, 1997 (1997-09-10)May 13, 1998 (1998-05-13)
322September 17, 1998 (1998-09-17)May 20, 1999 (1999-05-20)
422September 24, 1999 (1999-09-24)May 19, 2000 (2000-05-19)
522October 8, 2000 (2000-10-08)May 20, 2001 (2001-05-20)
613October 14, 2001 (2001-10-14)February 17, 2002 (2002-02-17)

Cast

Main

Recurring

Special guest appearances

Running gags

There were a few recurrent gags throughout the series. For instance, Lovita had several relatives named after products or items (her brother's name was Duracell; she had cousins named "Kinko", "Bruschetta," "Clinique," and "Camay").

Steve also made several references to his popular hot spot "The Nasty Kitty" and his favorite working girl, Bubblicious, even though the strip club is never seen. Steve's topical humor of popular culture was also another recurring gag. One example of these puns: "When I see that woman, I'm like Shaq doing Shakespeare - I just don't know how to act!". Another recurring gag on the show was despite being a one-time famous musician in the universe of the show, Steve was always mistaken for being other famous musicians. For example, in an episode guest starring Jerry Springer, he refers to him as "That Cop from the Village People." Another episode featured singer Teena Marie, who when Steve went to introduce himself to see if she'd remember him, answers "Oh yes! Lionel! How are you? Give my best to the rest of The Commodores" (referring to her Motown labelmate Lionel Richie).

Occasional gags referenced Bullethead's trailer park lifestyle, and Romeo's full name (he has used his full name Romeo Miguel Jesus Pele Rojas Alejandro Santana). In one episode, he wrote all of his names on paper but not prepared his assignment, resulting in an "F". Lydia almost always displayed an obsession for her classmate (and alleged lover), Arthur Rabinowitz (whom Steve referred to as "that polite Jewish boy that does his taxes"), and for her favorite entertainer, Barbra Streisand; however, she had total disdain for classmates "Heather the cheerleader" and "Jennifer the cheerleader". One other gag was that teachers would explain to a student (amongst themselves) because of a condition or appearance ("Helmet Boy" for wearing a special helmet in gym class; "Au Natural Girl" for having a strong body odor, and "Firestarter" for one kid who kept setting items on fire).

Seasonal ratings in the United States

Season Network Season premiere Season finale Rank Viewers
(in millions)
1 The WB August 25, 1996[1] May 18, 1997[2] #147[citation needed] 2.7 household rating[citation needed]
2 September 10, 1997 May 13, 1998 #144[3] 3.4 household rating[3]
3 September 18, 1998 May 20, 1999[4] #125[citation needed] 4.1[citation needed]
4 September 24, 1999 May 19, 2000 #146[citation needed] 2.2[citation needed]
5 October 8, 2000 May 20, 2001 #138[citation needed] 2.1[citation needed]
6 October 14, 2001 February 17, 2002 #141[5] 3.0[5]

Series end

In 2001, Harvey decided to pursue other projects. He wished to end the show after the fifth season, but at the insistence of the WB network, reluctantly filmed a 13-episode sixth season.[6]

The series ended with Regina mulling over a job offer to be a principal at a private school in California. Steve, who refused to go with Regina, acts supportive despite his feelings. Regina ends up taking the job; with encouragement from Lydia, Bullethead, and Romeo, Steve decides to go after her to reveal his true feelings. Lydia, Romeo, and Bullethead have all graduated by the series' finale. Meanwhile, Cedric and Lovita win the lottery and Lovita goes into labor (Terri J. Vaughn's real-life pregnancy was written into the show that season).

Syndication

The series was first distributed to syndication to The WB, FOX, UPN, and independent affiliates in the United States by Columbia Tristar Television Distribution in September 2001, and remained airing in broadcast syndication in some U.S. markets on various local stations (such as WCIU and Me-TV in Chicago) as late as 2008. From 2001 to 2005, reruns aired on New York's UPN station, WWOR-TV. From 2014 to June 2016, after Bill Cosby's rape allegation, The Cosby Show reruns were replaced on WPIX by reruns of The Steve Harvey Show. The show has started airing again in syndication as of 2015.

The series aired on BET until March 2009, and was on TBS in the United States until September 24, 2011, UK Channel Trouble. It was broadcast on Ion Television until March 16, 2009.

As of 2019, reruns of the show can be seen on BET Her and getTV.

Home media

In 2003, Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment released The Best of the Steve Harvey Show, Vol. 1, on Region 1 DVD. The disc features five episodes of the series.[7]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Result Category Recipient
1996 NCLR Bravo Awards Nominated Outstanding Individual Performance in a Comedy Series Tracy Vilar
Nominated Outstanding Individual Performance in a Comedy Series Merlin Santana
1998 ALMA Award Nominated Outstanding Comedy Series
-
Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Tracy Vilar
Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Merlin Santana
1999 Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Merlin Santana
1998 NAACP Image Awards Nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Steve Harvey
Nominated Outstanding Comedy Series
-
1999 Nominated Outstanding Comedy Series
-
Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Cedric the Entertainer
Won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Steve Harvey
2000 Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Terri J. Vaughn
Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Wendy Raquel Robinson
Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Cedric the Entertainer
Won Outstanding Comedy Series
-
Won Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Steve Harvey
2001 Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series William Lee Scott
Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Merlin Santana
Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Wendy Raquel Robinson
Won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Terri J. Vaughn
Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Cedric the Entertainer
Won Outstanding Comedy Series
-
Won Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Steve Harvey
2002 Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Merlin Santana
Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Wendy Raquel Robinson
Won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Terri J. Vaughn
Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Cedric the Entertainer
Won Outstanding Comedy Series
-
Won Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Harvey
2003 Won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Terri J. Vaughn

See also

References

  1. ^ a b TV.com. "The Steve Harvey Show: Back to School". TV.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  2. ^ TV.com. "The Steve Harvey Show: Can't Buy Me Love". TV.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Final Ratings for '97–'98 TV Season". San Francisco Chronicle. May 25, 1998.
  4. ^ TV.com. "The Steve Harvey Show: My Left Gator". TV.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "How did your favorite show rate?". USA Today. May 28, 2002.
  6. ^ "`The Steve Harvey Show' ends after six seasons". Jet. March 18, 2002. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  7. ^ "The Best of the Steve Harvey Show, Vol. 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
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