the comic's comic

Cedric The Entertainer's Urban Circus on TBS, with a cameo by Jerry Seinfeld #jflchicago

If you tune in tonight to TBS for Cedric The Entertainer's Urban Circus, then you'll probably wonder what in the world is going on when Cedric is shooing kids away from a picnic table, only to turn around and find Jerry Seinfeld amble onstage.

Why would Seinfeld be on an "Urban Circus"? If I told you that Cedric the Entertainer already had appeared on The Marriage Ref, would it make more sense to you then? The more you know...

Seinfeld, for his part, quips on the special: "I am urban. I was born in Brooklyn." He shares some very old jokes of his, then joins Cedric to re-enact his old bit about driving a space shuttle to the Moon (as pictured above).

What about the rest of the special, you ask? 

JB Smoove shares his philosophy on life, with talk about asses and God's pottery wheel #jflchicago

When is JB Smoove himself and when is he Leon Black? I guess that depends upon whether you can tell when "The Ruckus" is upon us.

As I learned the other day in Chicago, in the rock garden outside the Westin River North Hotel, it doesn't take much to get JB Smoove on a roll. Here he is delivering some life lessons to me, or should I say, handing me my ass in an interview. Know what I mean? Roll the clip!

I cut the clip into two parts, and as we continued, he also demonstrated why every person is unique, and instead of going with the snowflake metaphor, JB Smoove shows us how God uses his own pottery wheel. He also contemplates the difference between snot and tears. You have to see him to believe him!

If you enjoyed that, then you'll be sure to enjoy him when he performs June 23 on TBS as part of Cedric The Entertainer's Urban Circus, and in July, when he hosts Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up on Comedy Central.

JB Smoove also will be hosting a live video chat tonight -- 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific -- with fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm to talk about his character, Leon Black, and the TV Guide panels that discuss the Curb repeats. Go to: http://www.ustream.tv/tvguide

Def Comedy Jam crew gets Comedy Central series order, hosted by JB Smoove

They're not calling it "Def Comedy Jam" yet, or are they, but Comedy Central announced today it had ordered a six-episode series showcasing "urban and hip-hop stand-up" from Russell Simmons and Stan Lathan, the men who created Def Comedy Jam 21 years ago on HBO.

JB Smoove will host the half-hours, which are taping this week -- Feb. 24-25 at the El Ray Theater in Los Angeles -- and will air this summer on Comedy Central. Each half-hour will showcase three up-and-coming stand-ups and music from DJ Cassidy.

"We've been trying to get into business with Russell and Stan for a while now and this new stand-up series is an exciting first venture for us to partner with them," said Comedy Central's Elizabeth Porter, senior VP of specials and talent. "As someone who was a huge fan of 'Def Comedy Jam,' working alongside these two incredible visionaries on this series has been nothing short of amazing. With JB Smoove as our front man and all the fresh faces that Russell and Stan have discovered for the show, we'll be giving our viewers something really awesome each week."

"'Def Comedy Jam' made a significant contribution to American pop culture by introducing so many superstars," said Simmons. "Now, with COMEDY CENTRAL as our new partner, we're poised to present the next generation of star talent."