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 a different personality, and the episodes were well put together. 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 that she wasn't a woman to be messed with. Steve courts Regina, but Regina does not fall for it at the beginning. 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 that 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 

30 Favourite Songs Featuring Jeanette Olsson On Backing Vocals

 

Jeanette Olsson, who describes herself as a 'session singer, 'is a singer-songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden. She has provided accompanying and backing vocals on various chart-topping songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, and Ariana Grande throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

(Source: Wikipedia) 

1. (You Drive Me) Crazy - Britney Spears, 1999

2. One Last Time - Ariana Grande, 2014 

3. What U See Is What U Get - Britney Spears, 2000- Features Jeanette, Max Martin, Nana Hedin & The Fan Choir 2

4. I'm Not a Girl (Not Yet a Woman) - Britney Spears, 2001

5. I'll Never Stop Loving You - Britney Spears, 1999 

6. Gotta Tell You - Samantha Mumba, 2000; debut singer from an Irish pop star, it was written by Bag & Arnthor

7. Baby Come on Over - Samantha Mumba, 2000

8. All Nite (Don't Stop) - Janet Jackson, 2004 

9. Deep in My Heart - Britney Spears, 1999

10. I Didn't Want You Anyway - Hear'Say, 2001  

11. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande, 2014  

12. Walk on By - Britney Spears, 2000 

 13. Beautiful Morning - Ace of Base, 2002 

14. It's The Way You Make Me Feel - Steps, 2000 

15. To Live and To Die For - Play, 2002

16. Emotional - Agnes, 2005 

17. I'll Remember - Kurt (Glee cast version), 2012 - a cover of the song by Madonna featured on Glee's Graduation Album 

18. Papi - Jennifer Lopez, 2011 

19. First Time - Jennifer Lopez, 2011  

20. Life - E-Type, 2001 

21. Closer to Perfection - A*Teens, 2002

22. That's The Way My Heart Goes - Marie Serneholt, 2006

23. It's The Hard Knock Life - Play, 2004; everyone is pretty familiar with Jay-Z's version, but who knew Play had their own version of the song? Not me until now 

24. Can't Stop My Love - Amanda, 2001

25. AM to PM - Christina Millian, 2001 

26. Far Up in the Air - E-Type, 2004 

27. Ordinary Day - Ace of Base, 2002

28. Bad Girls - Westlife, 2001 

29. Upside Down - A*Teens, 2000

30. EverGirl - Play, 2004 

Retro Review: The Bone Collector (1999)

The Bone Collector
1999
Cast: Denzil Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Luis Guzman, Leland Orser, Ed O'Neil 
Genre: Crime Thriller 
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $151 million

Plot: A quadriplegic ex-homicide detective and his partner track down a serial killer who is terrorizing New York City

'Sweet Little (Murder) Mystery'

Based on the novel by Jeffrey Deaver, The Bone Collector follows Lincoln Rhyme: a paraplegic forensic specialist, an NYPD homicide investigator and a team of police officers that include beat-patrol rookie cop Amelia (Angelina Jolie) and Paulie (Ed O'Neil) in their hunt and capture of a serial killer, after a string of mysterious murders in and around New York crop up.  

With a slow-moving plot, the film managed to keep me glued and engaged to the suspense that it had me on the edge of my seat despite the unravelling of the serial killer, which might have thrown a lot of people off. But it made the story even more intense and entertaining to watch. The more the film went on, the more I got into the plot, as you and I wondered what might happen next. Both Denzel and Angelina gave impressive turns in their roles, Lincoln and Amelia as we see in action two performers, way before they reached mega-stardom, looking assured as they carried this movie from beginning to end.

One of Angelina Jolie's earlier performances on the big screen, she was relatively unknown at this time, it is also one of her most impressive; as Amelia, she is given a lot to do and plays a significant role in the story, and whilst Denzel is bed-bound 99% of the time in this film, as Lincoln he still manages to dig deep and aid Amelia. Given that he spends so much time unable to move about, he has to rely a lot on his nurse, Thelma (Queen Latifah) and Amelia. This plot device enabled the film to be better and feel not as conventional as other serial killer-based crime thrillers.  

It's not as graphically shocking nor exceedingly violent as Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs, although The Bone Collector appears to be going for the typical movie-going audience demographic, given the strength of the main leads; the headline double act in Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie illicit good chemistry and they came across as believable and convincing as their characters. To this day, it still holds up well. Phillip Noyce (responsible for the Patriot Games & Clear and Present Danger, and lest we can forget, The Saint and the sleaze fest, Sliver) might have stated he wasn't a fan of this movie and felt as if he was part of an assembly line of 1990s psychological thrillers. 

The Bone Collector has become one of my favourite thrillers that doubles up as a reasonably tense, solid and satisfying cat-and-mouse murder mystery with insightful characters, an impressive cast, and a somewhat convincing villain to boot. It works thanks to the kills, surprising plot twists and gripping tension. It needed real panic and urgency, and the kills, which, whilst they were all right, required to have been more gory and gruesome. I was also a little baffled by the killer's motivations after his identity was revealed; it resulted in more questions than answers. 

Final Verdict:

The 1990s was an interesting period for film, especially for thrillers and they were all the rage; lots of great ones, some not-so-good ones, and some films that flew under the radar and went unnoticed. Whilst The Bone Collector is no masterpiece and is also cliched, it is a different spin on the serial killer concept, further elevated by Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington.

Overall:

30 Favourite StarGate Songs (2023 edition)

StarGate is a European record-producing and songwriting duo made up of two Norwegians, Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, originally from Trondheim, who currently resides in New York City. They first started out writing songs for artists in 1997 in Norway. 

The team's earlier successes originated in the UK market with songs like 'S Club Party' for pop act S Club 7, Hear'say's 'The Way To Your Love' and 'One Night Stand' for Mis-Teeq. During the late 1990s to early 2000s, their records leaned more towards Euro-pop, rather than R&B, harking back to Swedish hitmaker, Max Martin and Cheiron Studios. Stargate were best known for producing material for the UK boyband, Blue on every major album of theirs. 

I was familiar with some of their work at the time, and as enjoyable as their UK efforts were, many of them weren't groundbreaking, nor were they huge hits. There were a couple of hit songs making it to #1 and the top 10, but they were not at the same level as the songs that later came out during the mid-2000s from this team. By that point, they reached the top 10, four times with Ne-Yo's So Sick and Sexy Love, Rihanna's Unfaithful, Beyonce's Irreplaceable.  

Since 2006 and their worldwide breakthrough hit, Ne-Yo's 'So Sick', the pairing has set the U.S. & global charts alight with their brand of R&B music. Their sound changed dramatically (and for the better), once they moved to the U.S. with a more American- sound to them, thanks to a meeting with Shaffer Smith who goes by the moniker of Ne-Yo. In the last few years, musically Stargate's signature sound has gravitated more towards reggae & Caribbean- soca -beats fused with Electropop, due to the influence of Reggaeton. They are heavily noted for their extensive work with Ne-Yo and Bajan pop songstress, Rihanna. 

The New York Times Ben Sisaro described Stargate's musical production style as 'sugary, lilting R&B in the style of Michael Jackson, leavened with a melody-rich European pop'. 

Their work carries on from the tradition of Scandinavian pop artistry that goes as far back as ABBA, Ace of Base and Max Martin. Whilst Max Martin has since made the transition from bubble gum teen pop to rock/contemporary pop, StarGate has stayed true to its Scandinavian R&B roots. 

In the midst of an R&B scene that is and has been constantly dominated by Black African- American music producers, Eriksen and Hermansen offer something completely different to what is already out there, not just in contemporary and mainstream R&B, but R&B and music in general. 

Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (2007)

Ne-Yo - Sexy Love (2006)

Rihanna featuring Drake - What's My Name? (2011)

Rihanna - Te Amo (2010)

Beyonce - Broken-Hearted Girl (2008)

Chris Brown - With You (2007) 

Ne-Yo - Mad (2008) 

Sean Kingston feat. Nicki Minaj - Letting Go (Dutty Love) (2010)

Sean Paul feat. Kelly Rowland - How Deep is Your Love? (2012) - I like this one slightly more than Got 2 Luv U 

Sean Paul feat. Alexis Jordan - Got 2 Luv U (2011) 

Keri Hilson feat. Nelly - Lose Control (Let Me Down) (2011)

Coldplay featuring Beyonce - Hymn for the Weekend (2015)

Mary J. Blige - I Am (2009) 

Fifth Harmony featuring Kid Ink - Worth It (2015)

Fifth Harmony - Write on Me (2016) - part-produced by Kygo 

Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)

Jordin Sparks - Tattoo (2007) 

Charli XCX Feat. Lizzo - Blame It on Your Love (2019)

Beyonce - Irreplaceable (2006) - written by Ne-Yo and Stargate & Beyonce

Rihanna - Cry (2007)

Samantha Mumba - Always Come Back to Your Love (2001)

Brandy and Ray J - Another Day in Paradise remix (2001) 

Ester Dean - Take You to Rio (2011)

Stephen Gately - Stay (2000)

Hearsay' - The Way to Your Love (2001)

Khalid - Better (2018)

En Vogue (2000) - Riddle (StarGate Radio Mix) 

Alexis Jordan - Shout Shout (2011) - interpolates Shout from Tears For Fears 

Tinashe - All Hands on Deck (2015) 

Billie Piper - Day & Night (2000) - has shades of Britney Spears' You Drive Me Crazy 

Notable mentions: Sometimes You Hit, Sometimes You Miss - Girl Thing, You Can Run But You Can't Hide - Girl Thing

10 Favourite *NSYNC Songs

 

Formed in Orlando, Florida, N*SYNC were named after taking the last letter of the initial members' names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LaNce and J.C to create the acronym as I take a look at my favourite *NSYNC songs from one of the best-selling boy bands of all-time. The group tore up the charts in the late 1990s when I Want You Back was released in Germany in 1996, right through to the early 2000s with their second studio album effort, No Strings Attached, which clocked over 2 million copies in its first week. Working with Max Martin, they enjoyed immediate success. The follow-up, Celebrity became the second fastest-selling album of all-time. After the release of Celebrity in 2001, N*SYNC went on indefinite hiatus. Justin Timberlake went on to purse a solo career, thus finding success & eventually became a 10-time Grammy-award-winner. In 2018, the group achieved a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   

1. That Girl (Will Never Be Mine) (2001) - some would argue this is their best song, it hits hard right from the start and is my favourite. A bonus track on the European version of Celebrity, it should have made the cut on the North American edition too. It screams single every way and it is disappointing it didn't get a look in in that department. It would have been a top 10 hit for sure. It's Bye Bye Bye part II

2. It's Gonna Be Me (2000) - the only *NSYNC song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with an effortless five-part harmony bridge. It was released at the very peak of their pop success and was the follow-up hit to the edgy, Bye Bye Bye when NSYNC were huge & they were pitted against their boyband rivals, the Backstreet Boys. It was written by Max Martin and produced by Rami Yacoub, who also wrote some of the Backstreet Boys songs from their debut album all the way through to the Black & Blue era   

 

3. I'll Never Stop (2000) - I was only 19 when this came out, and it is still a belter over 20 years on; has flashes of Tearin' Up My Heart as it has a similar beat. When the Backstreet Boys released The One off Millennium with a music video containing excerpts from concerts, NSYNC did just that with I'll Never Stop as a single release; in fact, if you listen to both songs, The One and I'll Never Stop they do have a not- to- similar chord structure  

4. Just Don't Tell Me That (2001) - when it comes to upbeat songs, *NSYNC has some of the best ones for a boy band, and Just Don't Tell Me that is no exception and is overlooked. From start to finish, this is another great uptempo number. They have so many songs that get you dancing to choose from in contrast to other boybands that came before and after them. 

5. If I'm Not the One (2000) - featured as a bonus track on the European version of No Strings Attached, it has a catchy mid-tempo sound and beat and is one of my favourites from this group 

6. This I Promise You (2000) - stands as the best slow jam of *NSYNC's by a long shot, written and with arrangements by Richard Marx who sang 'Right Here Waiting' and edges out I Drive Myself Crazy off their debut LP, with leads Justin and J.C delivering impressive vocal ranges on this song. Earned them their 5th top 10 on U.S Billboard Hot 100, although it didn't find much success internationally with the song only hitting #21 on the UK top 40

7. Could It Be You (2000) - B-side to Bye Bye Bye and was on the U.K version of No Strings Attached, that should have been a standalone single perhaps. A song that some NSYNC fans might be unfamiliar with but it is still a goody

8. I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You (1998) - was on their Christmas themed album, Home for Christmas and is a slow modern ballad with a great chord structure. My personal pick from their LP with rousing vocals throughout 

9. Girlfriend (2001) - produced by The Neptunes, penned by Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, probably the first song of JT's he has recorded that he has written and it is a very mature- sounding record, so unlike anything they put out before with its pop- R&B sound. 2001 was peak *NSYNC taken from their final studio LP

10.Tell Me, Tell Me... Baby (2001) - follows in the same vein as Bye Bye Bye and It's Gonna be Me from No Strings Attached LP, Tell Me Tell Me is the follow-up from Celebrity

Honourable Mentions: Tearin' Up My Heart, Think About That, All I Do, Down to Earth, This is Where the Party's At, I Feel the Love, (God Must've Spent A Little)Time On You, I Drive Myself Crazy (Thinking of You) (J.C version), Everything I Own, Bye Bye Bye, No Strings Attached, If Only Through Heaven's Eyes, One in This World, I Want You Back, Down to Earth, Pop, Gone, Selfish, That's When I'll Stop Loving You, I Never Knew The Meaning of Christmas, Kiss Me at Midnight      

10 Favourite Steps Songs

 

Steps was formed in 1997 by Steve Crosby and Barry Upton after the members answered an advert in The Stage newspaper to attend an open audition for a 5-piece British line dancing pop group; originally with Ian ''H'' Watkins, Lisa Scott-Lee, Maddy Chan and two other male members, the latter three members left and were replaced with Tozer, Latchford-Evans and Richards. The final line-up consisted of Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards, Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer and H; Steps got their name from the marketing premise that their songs were choreographed, and the steps would be included in the CD sleeves. 

Having had a listen of their discography via YouTube and Wikipedia, it turns out that Steps are a pop group who are unfairly dubbed as being cheesy that caters to teenyboppers and kiddies alike; the general consensus may be that 5,6,7,8 and Tragedy is Steps, yet thorough listens of their other songs, including non-singles that didn't chart on the top 40, reveal Steps' discography is far more varied than what might one would imagine, and as such they have plenty of great material. For me, they are a guilty pleasure, much like listening to any Stock Aitken and Waterman- produced song. 

2022 sees Steps celebrating 25 years of being in pop industry; the group's sting in the late 1990s/early 2000s', under the Pete Waterman partnership & through Max Martin's Cheiron studios musical output, is still etched in pop lovers' & Steps Fans' memory. 

1. Say You'll Be Mine (1999) - one part of the double- A sided single with Better the Devil You Know as its sister counterpart, this was the better and chirpier single release compared to that of Heartbeat of Heartbeat/Tragedy. Still underrated today, complete with a video that has the group paying homage to, & re-enacting scenes from various Hollywood movies of the nineties. 

2. Deeper Shade of Blue (1999) - surprisingly not one of the group's biggest chart successes, which is truly saying something; the song that even some of the biggest detractors and non-fans of Steps begrudgingly admire. Originally stated as a Tina Cousins' release, it came out of nowhere, but the biggest surprise was it came from a group that did the cover of Tragedy by the Bee Gees. Musically, with its club beat, this edgier- and superior bop is a world away from the cheesy 5,6,7,8 and Last Thing on my Mind. The most un-Steps song, and yet still one of their very best.  

3. Here and Now (2001) - rarely considered by so many as one of Steps' finest & is one of the group's lowest selling singles, Here & Now is great than one would give credit to as a Steps' song; it definitely has that same up-tempo feel as Britney Spears' early 2000s output - it was penned by Andreas Carlsson (who did the Backstreet Boys' I Want it That Way) & Ali Thompson. Was part of the group's 4th double-A side single release when paired with You'll Be Sorry  

4. Stomp (2000) - '70s disco-inspired bopper that riffs on Chic's 1978's Everybody Dance with a catchy chorus that became the group's second consecutive chart topper. Yes, that rhymes. 

5. No More Tears on the Dance Floor (2017) - cowritten by ex-Savage Garden's Darren Hayes, No More Tears... is an Anders cover that deserved a single release and a music video to go with it. Vocally, Claire is at her peak, whilst it allows male counterpart, Latchford-Evans to step forward and deliver a verse on his own.  

6. Paradise Lost (2000) - if Ace of Base's The Sign & Madonna's La Isla Bonita had a love child, then Paradise Lost would be it; this often-overlooked mid-tempo, Latino-inspired offering was performed as a medley on their tours with H & Lee's rendition of Luis Fonsi & Justin Bieber's Despacito and Summer of Love. Really impressive and one of the 'must've been single' releases.    

7. Summer of Love (2000) - Euphoric Latin-fueled summer dance banger, which came out in the midst of the Ricky Martin, J-Lo and Enrique Iglesias dominance of the pop charts in the same year & reached #5 in the U.K with When I Said Goodbye as a double-A sided single 

8. Happy Go Lucky (2000) - another Ace-of-Base-ish -sounding song; song featured on The Princess Diaries movie soundtrack; is incredibly infectious 

9. Better the Devil You Know (1999) - cover version of the Kylie Minogue hit that whilst composition-wise and vocally, brings nothing new, it is still an overly decent song 

10. To the Beat of My Heart (2021) - taken from their 6th studio album To the Beat of My Heart, this one was cowritten by Sarah Thompson, Brian Higgins, MNEK and The Saturdays' Molly King. A drastic change from their much earlier efforts of the 1990s, it is edgier, more club-based and hipper, and plus, it is not bad as a record.   

Notable Mentions: Last Thing on My Mind, Love's Got a Hold of my Heart, To Be your Hero, You'll be Sorry, Buzzz, Too Busy Thinking 'Bout My Baby, Words Are Not Enough, Dancing With A Broken Heart, Human Touch, Scared of the Dark, Take Me For a Ride, Kiss of Life, The Slightest Touch, High, In It For Love, Turn Around