As The Neighborhood on CBS wraps its seventh season and prepares for what will be the hit show’s final installment, star Cedric the Entertainer is reflecting on curating a community through television.
To make it to seven, let alone eight seasons, in today’s television landscape is no small feat. But for Cedric, someone true to sitcoms and not new to them, the beauty of The Neighborhood is its focus on the things that make us, as humans, different.
What is the heart of ‘The Neighborhood’?
“We come from different backgrounds, and yet we live in community,” he told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview. “We live in a space where we have to share it with others. And so sometimes people can be different from you, but if we learn to meet them, get to know them, say hello, take a little bit of time to kind of find out what they’re all about, you’ll be surprised at the commonalities that you have. The show started out being an exposition into that world.”
“Through seven seasons, we’ve been able to experience so much life, problems, situations, you know, what affects people,” Cedric continued. “And so I just feel blessed that this was the space we got to tell our stories in. It was unique. It was fun, and we put together a great cast. I felt it was relevant and important.”
His rise to sitcom royalty
Early in his career, Cedric’s first television break came through his fellow Kings of Comedy star and longtime friend Steve Harvey. He credits The Steve Harvey Show with helping him stake his claim as sitcom royalty.
“Steve’s a great friend, a great mentor,” he said. “He always did it from a high level, like a professional. He approached the show like a pro, and so I took that attitude when I started developing my shows. It was all about the kind of attitude you lead from the top down. You lead with leadership, and then people follow suit. That’s what I’ve been really lucky to do.”
Cedric added, “I’m very involved in the writing. I usually executive produce every show. That means I’m involved from top to bottom, from casting to writing. I just know the storylines we want to tell, and then on The Neighborhood, I even had the opportunity to get into directing. I’ve directed a few episodes again that allow me to curate the story. That’s what I love about The Neighborhood, and just my overall experience in television. A lot of people forget my show, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, it was on Fox, but that was one of my favorites. I love that show.”
Bringing his hometown to ‘The Neighborhood’
Cedric, who made his way to Hollywood from a small town in Caruthersville, Missouri, shared that his character, Calvin, is inspired by his upbringing.
“That’s kind of the core of Calvin’s background,” he explained. “In Caruthersville, there is that patriarchal character. I remember Mr. Shelby. He was the man, and he had the big house, and he was respected. Everybody who saw him, near and far, knew Mr. Shelby was the man. You respected him as such. He was kind, good with the kids, a sharp dresser, and he had a beautiful home and family. He was a solid dude.”
“Frank Shelby. Everybody knew him and was like, ‘Yeah, that’s the man right there.’ So that’s the window in which I created Calvin Butler as a man who doesn’t have it all, but all that he has is more than enough. That’s the attitude Calvin brings to the table. So, I use a lot of Caruthersville in there.”
How ‘The Neighborhood’ adds to Cedric the Entertainer’s legacy
As fans and cast members who have turned to family prepare to say goodbye to The Neighborhood during its next and final season, Cedric said the goal is to close out the show in a way that allows fans to imagine where the characters will go next in their respective journeys. He also said he hopes viewers are able to see themselves or other people they know in his beloved character, Calvin.
“I hope people see Calvin Butler as I saw Mr. Frank Shelby. I hope they see a character that’s a strong leader, great father, great husband, businessman, you know — a person who had a large degree of intolerance at one time and through allowing himself to experience, to try things, to grow, to learn, another person grew into something greater than he already was.”
He concluded, “Hopefully people see that in future generations, like, ‘Yo, this guy started in one place where he just wasn’t having it.’ And then, eventually, through learning, allowing and growing, he was like, ‘Hey man, life is alright. This is a new experience. I like camping. I will go and eat some sushi. I didn’t know bicycling was so fun.’ Things that you’re just like, ‘I ain’t doing that. I ain’t getting on no canoe. I ain’t gonna whitewater raft.’ Try it.”
The Season 7 finale of The Neighborhood aired on CBS on Monday, May 5, and is now streaming on Paramount+
