First off, let me say that I thought the two Barbershop movies were fairly amusing and enjoyable movies. At the same time, I don't consider them great films that simply must be seen.Barbershop the series is a whole different level. Trust me when I say this show is not some trite and corny UPN-type series. It is pure comedy in the mold of Arrested Development or Curb Your Enthusiasm, with a little Def Comedy Jam thrown in. Hectic, witty, and blunt, the show tackles issues from relationships to politics to family with the delivery of a stand-up comic.Omar Gooding far exceeds Ice Cube as the sarcastic centerpiece and many of the other characters have been upgraded as well. In fact, it seems that each character (with the exception of Cedric the Entertainer's) has not only been replaced by a funnier and better looking counterpart, but the actors are much more skilled as well. There is an abundance of eye candy for both sexes. As far as acting, Toni Trucks nails Terri as the demanding, yet vulnerable female presence in the shop. Leslie Elliard's spastic, hopelessly ambitious Jimmy provides the most audible laughs.Watch a couple episodes expecting a lot of silliness, intelligence, and sexiness and enjoy yourself.

As an writer, I'm ashamed of John Ridley for creating something so culturally poisonous as the HBO series barber Shop. And I'm ashamed of the entire cast of actors for allowing themselves to become iconic puppets for someone's racial or political agendas. Notoriety is not worth your dignity. After watching 2 shows. (all I could stand) I was sickened at the callous handling of serious social issues. I laughed at a few thing but all of that was easily overshadowed by truly offensive content. It seems all of Mr. Ridley's talents were applied liberally into creating a socially demeaning disgrace. I still can't believe he, as a black man wrote this trash. While listening to the actors uncomfortably recite someones badly scripted ideas of black humor and consciously demeaning an entire race. It sounded just like it had been written by some purebred 250,000 a year, middle age white mans vision of what a black person would say. Do. Put up with. No basis in reality at all. Just a long list of slanderous perceptions handed out as freely as you would penny candy. All the "Strong Black Men" (They sure use that word a lot too) men are either criminals or idiots. But sensitive idiots so it's OK. Sex is not even a surprise in this neonazi misrepresentation of black culture. Each of the actors must have a mandatory nudity clause in their contract because promiscuous romps with any and everyone is standard fare. With predictable white bred humor it usually comes full view right after discussions of someone's mother. No depth, no pride and no respect. This series should be yanked from the air as soon as possible and all the institutions involved with creating or promoting it should be boycotted. Just knowing they are a part of such a destructive act of hypocrisy and social degeneration will haunt these struggling actors long after the series is gone. And I sincerely regret being witness to the moral judgment of the female cast in particular. The precedents you set now are not yet in stone. Speak up and out before you doom another generation of young minority women into mandatory nudity clauses. Even Sherly Lee Ralph lent her name and body to this shameless venture of comedic propaganda campaigns. A beautiful, intelligent actress with years of experience. I won't even ask why. To watch this series is to contribute to a cultural disgrace. A blatantly racist and sickeningly offensive diatribe of garbage. There may be some gems inside but the vehicle they reside in is completely unlike it's successful predecessor and far from any roots.A quote from Mr. Ridley when asked about his movie Undercover Brother and it's potential to "help" the black artists:{{{ I don't know if white people would have made this movie. I don't know if white people would have had the same kind of love of the blaxploitation movies that we sent up. But also we weren't trying to put down anybody. We were trying to make fun of the stereotypes that everyone has. By nature, coming from two black guys, it has a different feel. The white version is the Austin Powers movies, which are about having fun, and being funny, those are really funny movies but we wanted to add a different layer to it. }}}I don't think they would have either. Only an insider could ignorantly achieve such deep betrayal and get away with it.

Think Arrested Development but with political satire. Think Blazing Saddles. B-Shop the series is quick, smart and damn funny - and its especially good to see a comedy that mostly features a cast of color delivering some jokes that require a little thought Any show that can move among comedic dirty talk, anger issues, abortion and urban female sexuality in a half hour is doing more than most comedies can pull of in three weeks of airing. The performances are great all around, particularly Omar Gooding and Toni Trucks who are both filling in difficult roles. With respect to Cube and Eve, those to make the characters their own. The show has style, and like The Simpons, it has enough jokes that on multiple viewings you can catch the ones you missed the first time around. With the movies winding down - THANKFULLY - the franchise is actually reinvigorated, and I can't wait to see where B- Shop the series is going.

It's an uncomfortable feeling, watching talented actors (the awesome Barry Shabaka and others) and writers (John Ridley, the man who wrote the awesome Three Kings) strain and strain for a joke and never entirely land one. Dismayingly two-dimensional characters, tired routines (guy coaching guy about how to talk sexy to a girl, somebody walks in and thinks it's a romantic/sexual moment between the guys, ha ha ha), strained plotting--something about a woman being hounded by a broadly drawn completely non-real anti-abortion activist and a broadly drawn completely non-real pro-choice activist--an old fashioned nudge-nudge wink-wink attitude to sex--a ridiculously caricatured would-be politician with a fake expensive watch--all adding up to a mish-mosh of wannabe. Where will it all go? Will the innate talent of all these players make it work as the series progresses? Will this be the old quality-challenged Showtime or the new?