TV Land Orders Fifth & Final Season of Hit Comedy THE SOUL MAN

TV Land's "The Soul Man," starring Cedric "The Entertainer," Emmy®-nominated actress, Niecy Nash and Wesley Jonathan, has been renewed for its fifth and final 12-episode season, the network announced today. The sitcom, which follows Cedric as R&B super-star-turned minister Reverend Boyce "The Voice" Ballentine, is the network's highest-rated original series among African Americans P25-54 and African American Women 25-54. Over the course of four seasons, the series averaged a 2.20 AA P25-54 rating and a 2.65 rating among AA W25-54. Last season, "The Soul Man" averaged a 1.07 rating among African American P25-54 viewers, up +365% compared to the TV Land prime average among the demo and among AA W25-54, Season 4 averaged a 1.32 rating, up +340% compared to the TV Land prime average.

Since the series launch in 2012, "The Soul Man" has followed Boyce after he relocated with his wife, hairdresser Lolli (the recently Primetime Emmy®-nominated Niecy Nash) from Las Vegas to St. Louis, where they're constantly caught between the pull of the glam celebrity life and the simple life of a reverend's family. They've always had plenty of obstacles in their way, including Boyce's brother Stamps (Jonathan), who is still trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, and their unruly cousin Nikki (recurring guest star Sherri Shepherd), who always finds a way to make trouble. "The Soul Man" has continued to evolve and become a fan-favorite, especially on social media, where memes from the show often see thousands of shares and have gone viral.

"It has been amazing working with Cedric, Niecy, Wesley and the rest of the cast and crew on what has truly been a memorable and fun experience," said Keith Cox, Executive Vice President of Development and Original Programming for TV Land. "We appreciate the fans and all the love the show has received over the years, and we plan to give the viewers something very special this season."

Cedric and Suzanne Martin ("Hot in Cleveland") are executive producers of "The Soul Man," along with Eric C. Rhone, Emmy® Award-winner Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills Productions. Bill Martin and Mike Schiff will serve as showrunners.

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