This may not be incredible news, but it's certainly worthy news. Fox has ordered two seasons of The Cleveland Show. Mike Henry's brainchild is a spin-off of The Family Guy. The Cleveland Show will follow the animated Cleveland Brown to Virginia where he settles down with a high school sweetheart and a collage of other folks. This will not be a traditional family, folks. It's what some like to call "blended family". You know, new wife, her kids; new man, his babies' mommas. Let me say it like this: it's the REAL DEAL and I hope people are ready for animated "average black folk" on TV. Actresses Sanaa Lathan and Reagan Gomez wil bring their voices and some momentum to The Cleveland Show, however, I just hope Hollywood doesn't get happy and think animated black life is far more interesting [and profitable] than real black life. With the CW disengaging from black programming next season, it sure seems like Hollywood is heading that way.
Keith Josef Adkins is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and social commentator.