Network: Fox; Genre: Variety, Sketch Comedy; Content Rating: TV-PG (for language and scatological humor); Available: DVD; Classification: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4); Season Reviewed: Complete Series (2 seasons) The tombstone was built on the head of "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" the minute Cedric the Entertainer uttered the words "variety show". Many have tried to resurrect the long-dead prime-time variety show and all have failed, notably Dana Carvey in a short-lived 1998 sketch series.There are moments in "Presents", such as an opening dance number where the comic emerges from a troop of scantly-clad dancers, "The Sensations", when the show briefly hearkens back to the days of Donnie and Marie Osmond but gives it a new millennial twist. The host on stage, in front of a visible audience, doing whatever he wanted for the half hour. There is something admirable in the attempt. Much of the time however, "Presents" is more "Mad TV" with silly, grotesquely unfunny sketches filled with 4th wall breaking musical numbers. Second only to a daytime talk show (Wayne Brady knows that), nothing is quite as stifling to talent or lowering in dignity as a variety series. And the pressure to fill 22 minutes worth of slam-bang, all different, quality sketches or risk the audience changing the channel is enough to drive anyone insane. Coming off of his "Kings of Comedy Tour" movie, the blisteringly funny Cedric the Entertainer seems like a strange fit for a variety show. The guy , in fact, a renaissance man. He sings, he dances, and he does more than a lot of both in this show. Probably more than contemporary audiences want to see. Like his "Kings" co-star Bernie Mac, he is neutered to broadcast network television standards here, forced to mellow out and appeal to demographics while paired with a troop of ensemble players whom he has little chemistry with. Of the group J. B. Smoove is the funniest - often upstaging Cedric. The problem (and I hate to use that cliché) is that the Entertainer just doesn't make this show his own. He doesn't use the platform to bring us his vision, through his voice. The show was going to be canceled anyway, people just don't watch variety shows each week the way they did decades ago, he should have said "to hell with it" and shaped the show into whatever outrageous thing he wanted - this sure doesn't seem like it - and gone down with the ship. Instead, we've got him running through the same annoying character sketches, such as a regularly appearing Cafeteria lunch lady and a musical therapist Dr. Love. Many have tried and all have failed, so the prime-time sketch comedy series still remains an archaic genre. (Well, as of this writing Dave Chappelle has done it and done it in spades, but transporting back to when this show was running in 2002, "Chappelle's Show" has yet to take off). "Presents" is almost cringe-worthy and not worth the time except for those who want to see Cedric the Entertainer embarrassing himself and hear tire racial stereotype jokes. Zero laughs.* / 4

Not as funny as Dave Chappelle's show but a lot better than Wayne Brady's, Cedric's show made me chuckle a few times, but he and his ensemble can't carry a whole half-hour show. Characters like the Cafeteria Lady got old before the sketch ended. However, it was good for Jerry Minor to get work again after getting fired from SNL. Still, the Flip Wilson days have come and gone, you know what I mean?

This show is truly a "In Living Color" wannabe. I was not entertained nor did I laugh once while watching this show. Cedric is a funny guy, but I think he should stick to stand up. If Fox wants to entertain us or make us REALLY laugh, maybe they should show reruns of "In Living Color".

I checked out "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" last night for the first time, at the behest of several co-workers of mine. Well, what can I say? Do the words "In Living Color" ring any bells? Except, "In Living Color" was more of an ensemble cast, whereas "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" merely serves as a self-indulgent ego stroke to an already obviously inflated ego- "Original Kings of Comedy"??? GET REAL!!! Not only is "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" not funny, it's not even entertaining! It's been done before, and done WAY better by the Brothers' Wayans.Oh, and a note to Cedric...people who usually refer to themselves by what they "do" (i.e. Cedric the Entertainer), usually it means that they aren't very good at it and need to convince people that they actually are...some food for thought.