Cedric The Entertainer

In an odd prime-time programming twist, Fox has already pulled the plug on "Cedric the Entertainer Presents," although it's still returning to the fall lineup for its second season. Production has been shut down on the sketch comedy-variety series starring the popular comedian from "The Original Kings of Comedy." Some staffers were told by e-mail from producers days ago that they should look for other work.

Written by Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez and not so much directed as vaguely steered by Michael Tiddes, "A Haunted House" is a ramshackle parody of recent found-footage horror movies in the vein of the "Scary Movie" movies. If you already saw the titles referenced here, mostly the "Paranormal Activity" films, the otherwise forgotten "The Devil Inside" and kind of "The Exorcist" - the crucifix but not the pea soup - there may be a certain passing feeling of being in on the joke. The problem is that's all the joke there is. "A Haunted House" revolves around Malcolm (Wayans)

It's the first day of the Chinese New Year and dancers dressed as Cantonese lions wind their way through the lobby of the Universal City Hilton to portend good luck for the coming year. But Cedric the Entertainer, who has decamped to a couch on the mezzanine en route home from work to talk about his career, already knows good fortune lies ahead.

On a recent Sunday at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, an overflow crowd gathered hours after services to see a screening of TV Land's "The Soul Man," starring Cedric the Entertainer as a Las Vegas singer who uproots his family and moves to St. Louis after hearing a divine calling to become a pastor. The well-dressed congregants gave a hero's welcome to Cedric, costar Niecy Nash and TV Land head Larry Jones. Their accomplishment? Putting on one of the few television shows that spotlights an African American family.

Think the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants had butterflies in their stomachs before the Super Bowl? They had nothing on Cedric the Entertainer. The actor-comedian, 36, who aggressively guards his legal last name and is billed exclusively with the three-word pronouncement, was at a Super Bowl party at the Tampa, Fla., home of Los Angeles Dodgers left-fielder Gary Sheffield with other friends and athletes.

Written by Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez and not so much directed as vaguely steered by Michael Tiddes, "A Haunted House" is a ramshackle parody of recent found-footage horror movies in the vein of the "Scary Movie" movies. If you already saw the titles referenced here, mostly the "Paranormal Activity" films, the otherwise forgotten "The Devil Inside" and kind of "The Exorcist" - the crucifix but not the pea soup - there may be a certain passing feeling of being in on the joke. The problem is that's all the joke there is. "A Haunted House" revolves around Malcolm (Wayans)

On a recent Sunday at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, an overflow crowd gathered hours after services to see a screening of TV Land's "The Soul Man," starring Cedric the Entertainer as a Las Vegas singer who uproots his family and moves to St. Louis after hearing a divine calling to become a pastor. The well-dressed congregants gave a hero's welcome to Cedric, costar Niecy Nash and TV Land head Larry Jones. Their accomplishment? Putting on one of the few television shows that spotlights an African American family.

Like "Hot in Cleveland,"the show from whence it sprung, TV Land's new comedy "The Soul Man" is positioning itself to be retro-cool - a backlash against the high-concept, sardonic and/or emotionally strung-out comedies that have become so ubiquitous that "Nurse Jackie" is considered, technically, funny. Instead of three middle-aged women finding peace and occasionally wisdom once they abandon L.A. for Cleveland, "The Soul Man" sends former R&B star Boyce "The Voice"Ballentine (Cedric the Entertainer)

Continuing: The Fox network has picked up its freshman comedy "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" for the full season.

The Wes Craven horror film "Cursed," starring Christina Ricci and Joshua Jackson, and the comedy "Man of the House," with Tommy Lee Jones and Cedric the Entertainer, also open today in general release. Because Dimension Films and Columbia Pictures, respectively, did not make the movies available for screenings, the reviews will appear in Monday's Calendar.

Like "Hot in Cleveland,"the show from whence it sprung, TV Land's new comedy "The Soul Man" is positioning itself to be retro-cool - a backlash against the high-concept, sardonic and/or emotionally strung-out comedies that have become so ubiquitous that "Nurse Jackie" is considered, technically, funny. Instead of three middle-aged women finding peace and occasionally wisdom once they abandon L.A. for Cleveland, "The Soul Man" sends former R&B star Boyce "The Voice"Ballentine (Cedric the Entertainer)

It's the first day of the Chinese New Year and dancers dressed as Cantonese lions wind their way through the lobby of the Universal City Hilton to portend good luck for the coming year. But Cedric the Entertainer, who has decamped to a couch on the mezzanine en route home from work to talk about his career, already knows good fortune lies ahead.

In an odd prime-time programming twist, Fox has already pulled the plug on "Cedric the Entertainer Presents," although it's still returning to the fall lineup for its second season. Production has been shut down on the sketch comedy-variety series starring the popular comedian from "The Original Kings of Comedy." Some staffers were told by e-mail from producers days ago that they should look for other work.

Think the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants had butterflies in their stomachs before the Super Bowl? They had nothing on Cedric the Entertainer. The actor-comedian, 36, who aggressively guards his legal last name and is billed exclusively with the three-word pronouncement, was at a Super Bowl party at the Tampa, Fla., home of Los Angeles Dodgers left-fielder Gary Sheffield with other friends and athletes.

Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks will not attend tonight's NAACP Image Awards because the event's host, Cedric the Entertainer, made jokes about her in the film "Barbershop" that she considered offensive. In a letter dated Thursday, the co-founder of the Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, Elaine Steele, said they appreciated the invitation from the NAACP. But she said that the jokes in the film represent "a sensitive area to us."

David Mamet's "American Buffalo," a robbery tale set in a Chicago junk shop, has found its third partner in crime: Haley Joel Osment, who will be making his Broadway debut in the production. The 20-year-old Osment, who was an Academy Award nominee for "The Sixth Sense," joins John Leguizamo and Cedric the Entertainer in the revival that opens Nov. 17 at the Belasco Theatre in New York. "American Buffalo" is one of two Mamet revivals on Broadway this fall. The other is "Speed-the-Plow," starring Jeremy Piven, Raul Esparza and Elisabeth Moss.