The Steve Harvey Show is an American television sitcom created by Winifred Hervey about former R&B star Steve Hightower who gives up his wild times for school ties, becoming an inner-city Chicago music teacher – and eventually a vice principal – with a ragtag bunch of classroom charges.
Mixing it up with laugh-out-loud comedy, youthful appeal and a likable namesake lead, The Steve Harvey Show crackles with high school hijinks and teacher entanglements in a hip urban setting.
The series' successes as a multiple NAACP Image Award winner and as one of The WB's hit flagship series underscore its enduring longevity, popularity and far-reaching influence.
In the series, former R&B star Steve Hightower (Steve Harvey) gives up his wild times for school ties, becoming an inner-city Chicago music teacher – and eventually a vice principal – with a ragtag bunch of classroom charges.
Headlining the Hi-Tops soul group – who opened for the likes of Gladys Knight and the Pips – Hightower's touring career never quite hit the high note he expected.
Down on his luck, and totally out of money, he decides to let go of his carefree lifestyle and pin down a real job.
With an assist from his longtime friend and eventual roommate, the gym coach with the insatiable appetite Cedric Robinson (Cedric the Entertainer), Steve enrolls in a new type of performing and makes a classroom at Washington High School his stage.
Initially grappling with the students' penchant for baggy clothes, bad attitudes and baffling slang, Steve soon realizes that a compassionate spin will help him tone down his shock and contend with the kids' problems... be they hard knocks or humorous woes.
Steve's also initially stunned by his boss, no-nonsense Principal Regina Grier (Wendy Raquel Robinson). Once the overweight butt of Steve's practical jokes when they were classmates years ago, Regina has no intention of letting him forget his place now – at least most of the time.
But her newly-svelte persona wows Steve, and they actually dance around each other in a love/hate cha-cha-cha.
Cedric has his own love subject, falling for Grier's new, overtly outspoken assistant Lovita (Terri J. Vaughn), who also takes outlandish opportunities to rattle Steve.
Office romances aside, Steve tries reining in a class headed by Romeo (Merlin Santana), a fast-talking ladies' teen who takes his name seriously; Stanley "Bullethead" Kuznocki (William Lee Scott), a street-savvy tough guy whose brawn outweighs his brain; the group's honours student Lydia (Lori Beth Denberg) who, despite knowing she's smarter than them all, gets pulled into crazy schemes hoping to cash in on some coolness; and Sophia (Tracy Vilar) and Sara (Nefta Perry) who each fall for Romeo's seemingly-indestructible charm.
During the series' six-season run, The Steve Harvey Show won 13 NAACP Image Awards for the show as well as stars Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and Terri J. Vaughn.
The Steve Harvey Show is executive produced by Bernie Brillstein and Brad Grey, series creator Winifred Hervey, director Stan Lathan and Jeff Duteil. Walter Bennett, Jr. is co-executive producer.
The series is from Brillstein-Grey Communications, Winifred Hervey Productions and Stan Lathan TV.
Broadcast Notes
The broadcast details for Sony Channel are incomplete due to unavailability of information from the broadcaster.