Retro Review: The Steve Harvey Show (1996) #Throwback

Duration: 1996 - 2002 (WB) 
No of seasons: 6
Release date: (U.S) 25 August 1996
DVD release by Visual Entertainment 
Produced by Winifred Hervey Productions 
Cast: Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Merlin Santana, William Lee Scott, Terri J. Vaughn, Lori Beth Denberg 

By Waiching 

It's surreal to think that the current host of Family Feud had his own makeshift, self-titled sitcom in the late 1990s on the U.S. WB network, spanning six seasons and 122 episodes aired. 

A down-on-his-luck funk musician & frontman of a fictitious soul group named The Hi-Tops, who opened for Gladys Knight and the Pips, Steve 'Big Daddy' Hightower (Steve Harvey) enlists as a music teacher/vice principal at Chicago's inner-city high school named Booker T Washington and no sooner gets reacquainted with a former classmate Regina 'Piggy' Greer (Wendy Raquel Robinson) who is now a principal: and is coincidentally the girl he used to make fun of due to her weight. Cedric the Entertainer played Cedric Jackie Robinson, Steve's long-time friend and gym coach, whilst Terri J Vaughn is the outspoken, goofy assistant, Lovita Alizay-Jenkins. Aside from the office and romantic shenanigans, Steve lends a helping hand to students Romeo the smooth-talking ladies' man (played by the late Merlin Santana), the street-savvy but not so smart Stanley 'Bullethead' Kuznocki and geeky Lydia Liza Gutman.

The partnership duo of Bullethead and Romeo worked well, but the addition of Lydia in Season 3 made it even better IMO. Some people didn't take to the two female characters in Latina Sophia and Black girl Sara; I could give and take those two even though they didn't add much.  

The series was created by Winfred Hervey, who wrote and produced for the likes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, several episodes of The Golden Girls, The Cosby Show, In The House starring L.L Cool J and Half and Half; she is no stranger to the sitcom world. It was executively produced by Bernie Brillstein and Brad Grey, the former credited with Just Shoot Me!, Newsradio, as well as films such as Ghostbusters 1 and 2, Happy Gilmore and 1996's The Cable Guy starring Jim Carrey.  

In total, The Steve Harvey Show amassed 13 NAACP Image Awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Steve Harvey and Supporting Actor and Actress nods for Cedric The Entertainer and Terri J. Vaughn.

Combining elements of a teen sitcom, i.e Saved By The Bell with a lead title character and workplace setting, The Steve Harvey Show bears an uncanny resemblance to ABC's Hangin' With Mr Cooper in that respect: Mark and Steve were both teachers, Lovita and Regina were to Vanessa and Robyn, Both Hangin' and The Steve Harvey Show were set in inner-city high schools; however, The Steve Harvey Show wasn't geared towards teenagers, and personally, it was miles apart compared to Hangin' and it had so much going for it. As the series progressed it was better, thanks to the additions of Terri J. Vaughn and Lori Beth who added an extra hilarity factor. Unlike many other sitcoms, it all seemed to gel together and develop well in terms of characterisations and storylines from season 3 onwards.

Each character had different personalities, and the episodes were put together so well. They stress the importance and value of education while dealing with issues related to race and relationships of all types and depicting and reinforcing positive images of urban youth and African-Americans.       

The on/off tension and chemistry between Steve Hightower and Regina Grier is evident as former high schoolmates; traits-wise they are very much alike, and they are smooth-talking and flirtatious although Regina has an acid-tongue, feistiness going for her. You could tell by watching Wendy's character she wasn't a woman to be messed with. Steve courts Regina, Regina not falling for it at the beginning but eventually, she does and Steve gets his girl.

But I do see why Steve and Regina were destined to be together & settle for each other as this was a relationship that had so many layers to it: from former childhood friends to work colleagues to friends and later on as a couple. This isn't just them taking six seasons to finally get together... they had a history, and they have known each other from high school beforehand so it's not as if they were strangers who first met at work. Plus they were so alike and were the perfect match: Steve was an alpha male, Regina was the alpha female, they were strong-minded individuals who knew one another so well it was as if they could read each other's minds. They were also very competitive. They had so much in common. But it worked because the onscreen chemistry, which hit home for me & the playful banter between Steve Harvey and Wendy Raquel felt believable and real. As sitcom couple pairings go I could vouch for them. 

Their casting was ideal and they were fantastic in their roles; everyone was great, but Steve and Wendy were top-tier, they complemented one another and I just loved the series finale.    

There wasn't a season that I thought was bad or I disliked or it hasn't dated. Originally I never got into The Steve Harvey Show when I was a teenager (I was into Hangin' With Mr Cooper which aired a lot on Channel 4).... but now, it seems to me that it (The Steve Harvey Show) is a show that with several watches is easy to get into, the characters are likeable, the writing as witty as it is, as well as Steve and Regina's quips and their back-and-forth interactions still holds up four decades later.    

Season ratings:

Season 1: 8
Season 2: 8
Season 3: 8.5 
Season 4: 8.5
Season 5: 8.5

Season 6: 8.5

Final score (out of 10): 8.5