FayesVision/WENN.com

If you ever find yourself indulging in the very ratchet Maury, you’ll notice that on certain channels, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? comes on right after. It has been been hosted by only two people over the years: The very colorful Regis Philbin and the more dry but still lovable Meredith Vieira of The View and Today Show fame. But now you can add comedian and teddy bear Cedric the Entertainer to the list, because according to Shadow And Act, he’s taking over for Vieira, who helped launch the weekday version of the gameshow waaaaay back in 2002. He will start hosting the show’s 12th season and is sure to be immensely busy, as he will continue to star on the TV Land show Soul Man at the same time. Well all right playa, make that money…don’t let it make you! (Sorry, I just had to throw that in there).

While Cedric is probably very amped about another opportunity to get a check and reach a wider audience, someone equally as excited is Janice Marinelli, the president of Disney-ABC Domestic Television who said in a statement, “With his deep roots as a successful stand-up comedian and actor, Cedric will bring his fresh approach and unpredictable fun to the show.” And he most likely will, because this isn’t the first game show that Cedric The Entertainer has hosted. He was the host of the short-lived NBC game show, It’s Worth What? just a few years ago. He was good, it was just that the show wasn’t…

It’s very nice yet interesting to see so many black men hosting game shows these days. From Wayne Brady to Steve Harvey, who are actually very entertaining on their respective game show programs, and now Cedric the Entertainer. Black men are the new darlings of daytime television (just ask Michael Strahan). Sistahs, we need to get in on that! But congrats to Cedric, he’s definitely one of our favorite funny men.

Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

It’s official. The addition of Michael Strahan to the morning show lineup was a good idea. Live! With Kelly and Michael topped all talk shows for first time this season. The show even beat out Dr. Phil, which had been the top syndicated talk show for the past 13 weeks of the 2012-2013 TV season, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Live! With Kelly and Michael captured a 2.8 rating in total households, meaning about 3.6 million people tuned in during the week of December 16 to December 23. By comparison, 3.5 million watched Dr. Phil.

It was the show’s highest rating since early September when Strahan was announced as Kelly Ripa’s new co-host, replacing longtime host Regis Philbin. Strahan joined the show during a period when a record number of African-American men took hosting slots on TV shows, as we reported last September. Among the others were ex-106th & Park BET host Terrence J (Jenkins) who replaced Ryan Seacrest as co-host of E! News and Steve Harvey on The Steve Harvey Show.

At the time we asked if the addition of more African-American men on daytime TV would boost ratings? Well, now we have the answer.

Source: WENN

Michael Strahan is stay-at-home wives/mothers and morning people’s favorite new obsession as the co-host of “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” much to many people’s surprise. The former NFL player was known as a sports commentator but few expected him to land a spot on ABC’s favorite morning show for a number of reasons, not the least of which are his skin color and nasty rumors that have followed the athlete over the years.

In a revealing interview for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Michael talked about what he thinks sealed the deal for landing his new gig.

“I’m big and she’s small…” he said. “I’m a black man and here’s this cute white lady, hmmm. I’m an athlete but I’m not known to pop culture. I think all of those things made them think, hmmm this is something different.”

Different is right considering Michael’s nasty divorce from his ex-wife Jean Muggli and the damage she tried to do to his rep. According to News One:

When Strahan and Muggli parted ways back in 2006 after seven years of marriage, their separation became fodder for the press.  Rumors that were put out by Muggli raised suspicions about the former NFL player.  The ex-Mrs. Strahan accused her then husband of assault, videotaping her sister, neglecting their twin daughters, adultery and even alluded to him being gay.

The 6’5″ father of four confronted Muggli, who was his second wife, when he found out she withdrew $3.3 million from their bank accounts. It was then that he decided to divorce her.

In 2007, Strahan and Muggli stood before a judge and she tried to prove that her husband had physically abused her. Despite those claims being dismissed, the judge awarded the embittered ex a whopping $15 million settlement and $18,000 in child support every month.

Though in our social media age those incidents would have likely spelled death for any other public figure’s reputation, the case has been quite the opposite for Michael.

“I think early on when you’re reading all these things in the paper that aren’t true,” he trailed off to Brant. “I’m not an adulterer. I’m not gay. I mean, I didn’t beat anybody.”

When Bryant said it’s surprising Michael’s public image didn’t take a huge hit, he replied.

“People don’t care. Everybody has their own problems … I just kept going, being myself and it worked.”

Two ex-wives and a bitter divorce behind him, Michael is currently engaged to Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife Nicole, but recently rumors began swirling that they were yet another Hollywood couple that had bitten the dust. In true Strahan fashion he laughed off tales that he was inappropriately involved with R&B singer London simply because he appeared in her video “No Panties,” and Nicole tweeted: “Wow! Thats insane! Lol!” Looks like both of them know how to keep it moving.

Check out a snippet of Michael Strahan’s video here. Are you a fan of him on “LIVE”?

Image: NBC

It used to be folks in the African-American community would get excited just to see a black face on TV. While things have improved slightly, there still remains a dearth of positive black men on television. But now the airwaves have not one, but three African-American men on high-profile shows. Ex-106th & Park BET host Terrence J  (Jenkins) has replaced Ryan Seacrest as co-host of E! News. Former NFL player Michael Strahan was selected as co-host of the popular syndicated morning show Live!, replacing Regis Philbin and sitting alongside Kelly Ripa. Lastly, there’s The Steve Harvey Show.

African Americans are the largest minority segment of the U.S. television-viewing population. So will these additions lure more black viewers to their respective networks?

Media critic Paul Porter, co-founder of  Industry Ears, a nonprofit, non-partisan and independent organization focused on the impact media has on children and communities of color, isn’t optimistic.

“Black men as TV hosts is a strong positive,” he said. “Unfortunately many of these positive images don’t translate to the younger demographics where black male images consistently take a visual beating. Harvey’s, Terrence J’s and Strahan’s new positions are admirable. But unfortunately black America is tuned in for Love & Hip Hop.

“Since Harvey is the sole star it will take time to see if he can survive the test of time,” Porter added. “Strahan has been lucky enough to join a proven ratings winner. Terrence J on E! will be no ratings boost but a great career move for a young man who has talent,” said Porter.

In all likelihood, Harvey was hired because he already has a following, reaching millions of listeners to his radio program. But African Americans have strides to make. “There has only been one ‘Oprah,’” said Porter. “Blacks and daytime television are still a test market.”

Emmy- and NAACP Image Award-winning producer P. Frank Williams, who has produced shows for BET, TV One and other networks, predicts a rating increase. “I think Steve Harvey’s controversial and irreverent tone will be a ratings winner for NBC,” he said. “Same goes for Michael Strahan with Kelly Ripa. Strahan is charismatic and likable for people of all walks and races. Terrence Jenkins still has some proving to do since he has mainly honed his skills at BET Networks. Still, he has always appeared classy and smart. Plus, that nice job he did in Think Like a Man sure did boost his stock,” he speculated.

Usually a ratings jump is followed by increased advertising for networks and shows. Williams isn’t sure whether these new hosts will drive ad dollars, but money will ultimately do the talking. “Hopefully advertisers will see the light and realize how smart and attractive black men on TV means more money,” he said. “But we still live in a sometimes racially polarizing society where race matters more than talent to advertisers and, more importantly, to a lot of viewers in middle America,” says Williams.

Beyond ratings, Williams feels the additions will have a positive effect on the image of black men. “Anytime positive and smart black men represent on TV and film it’s a great thing for our little black boys and girls. We have plenty of chest pumping images of brothers grinding up against scantily clad women, so it’s refreshing and offers crucial balance. And for society in general, Steve Harvey, Michael Strahan and Terrence Jenkins are shining in more mainstream TV slots than we usually see,” he notes.

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Source: thegrio.com

From The Grio

With Steve Harvey and Michael Strahan both scoring new daytime TV hosting gigs, it seems America has placed a wanted ad on the dating sites and is desperately seeking a black man over 6 feet tall who is charming, smart, and has a great sense of humor.

Steve Harvey’s eponymous new daytime talk show just premiered, and of course he kicked it off with the topic of relationships. His surprise best-selling book (surprise to me anyway) with the outrageously patriarchal title Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, shot to the top of every chart, he got a box-office smashing movie out of it, a couple follow-up books and he appeared on many shows from Oprah to Ellen Degeneres hawking his three-times-married relationship advice. His new daytime talk show is like a black male version of the Tyra Banks Show, but with a lot more intentional humor.

Read more at: The Grio

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Source: thegrio

From The Grio

Former football star Michael Strahan is getting a permanent job in morning television as Kelly Ripa’s co-host.

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Image: EOnline.com

-Missouri Rep. Todd Akin is still in the race for Senate but he’s going to “respect wishes from party leaders who want him to skip the Republican National Convention in Tampa.” Also, the Republican Convention might be hit with a hurricane. And over on the Democratic side, we have the list of women who will be speaking in Charlotte, which will include Massachusetts Senatorial candidate Elizabeth Warren; the subject of Rush Limbaugh’s rant earlier this year, Georgetown Law student (and now public advocate for birth control inclusion in insurance coverage policies) Sandra Fluke; Caroline Kennedy; and campaign co-chair Eva Longoria (?).

-Speaking of insurance, more than 1,000 people have gone on Twitter to say they’ve dropped Progressive Insurance after comedian Matt Fischer claimed the insurer defended the driver who killed his sister in an accident. Another 1,600 people have said they no longer want to work with the company. After Fischer wrote his column with his accusations, the story appeared in a number of media outlets including CNBC and Gawker.

-Word is that former New York Giants football player Michael Strahan will be in the co-host seat on Live! with Kelly Ripa. The Super Bowl winner will start his new job on September 4. In other morning TV news: After two weeks atop the rating due to its Olympics coverage, the TODAY show fell back to Earth, coming in behind Good Morning America last week. GMA beat TODAY in the five weeks leading up to the Olympics.

-President Obama is getting help from two huge groups: MoveOn.org Political Action, which has seven million members, and Workers’ Voice, the superPAC side of the 12-million member AFL-CIO. The groups will be focused on grassroots, get-out-the-vote efforts.

-The debate over same-sex classes in public schools goes to court in West Virginia.

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VH1 may finally have a reality show lined up that doesn’t feature cat fight for days. The network is reportedly getting ready to begin filming for a new series titled “The Ex-List” starring Eddie Murphy’s former wife, Nicole, and Will Smith’s ex, Sheree.

Nicole has always been classy when seen in public and is probably doing the show for the money, with no plans to ruin her image. I’m guessing her financial struggle after being conned out of $7 million by her former financial manager, as well as her relationship with fiance an NFL commentator Michael Strahan, will be the center of her plot.

Will Smith’s ex-wife Sheree has also been in the no-drama zone, often appearing with Will, Jada, and the kids to show blended families can work. She’s also a pastor’s wife and goes by Mrs. Fletcher so hopefully it’s safe to assume she won’t call any women out of their names or toss a drink their way.

There’s no word yet on who else will star in the series since Wendy Williams spilled the beans on her show yesterday but taping is expected to begin in March. I’m actually a little excited about this one.

Will you tune in?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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