The Soul Man

one of the decade's best, The Soul Man is currently streaming in the US on Paramount Plus Premium and Bet+ Amazon Channel with a 6/10 audience score that speaks for itself. 54 episodes — the right length to tell the story it is telling. Television that earns its era label is rarer than the number of shows attempting it suggests — most of what gets called prestige TV is really just expensive TV. The Soul Man is one of the genuine examples: the craft is there in the writing, the performances, and the way it handles its subject matter. Cedric the Entertainer's involvement signals the kind of production that attracts serious talent and uses it properly. Available now on streaming — no excuses left for not watching it.

The Soul Man does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. R&B superstar-turned-minister Reverend Boyce "The Voice" Ballentine was living the high life in Las Vegas at the top of the music charts when he gets the calling to go from soul singer to soul saver. Relocating to St. Louis with his wife, Lolli and his daughter, Lyric to take over the preaching duties in his father's church, his family is not exactly eager to give up the fabulous superstar life for a humble one. Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. The series ran for 5 seasons (2012–2016), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and The Soul Man holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-season curiosities.

The kind of show you put on in the background and find yourself actually paying attention to. It earns every laugh across its entire run — no coasting on goodwill. The comedy comes from character rather than situation, which means it holds up on rewatch in a way that pure farce never does. Cedric the Entertainer sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. If Joey is already in your rotation, The Soul Man fits naturally alongside it.