‘Judge Steve Harvey’: Comedian wields gavel of justice

Steve Harvey has been a humorist, a recreation present host, an writer, and even a motivational speaker, and now, he’s including one other career to his lengthy resume.

“Choose Steve Harvey,” premiering on ABC, has him following within the footsteps of “Choose Judy” and an extended record of others.

The star mentioned he didn’t go into this present attempting to duplicate something or anyone. He admits he doesn’t have the wealth of data Choose Judy has, however he’s an entire lot funnier.

Harvey doesn’t have a regulation diploma and doesn’t even put on judges robes on the brand new present, however he nonetheless manages to play to his strengths.

“I’m within the make-people-laugh enterprise,” he mentioned. “I’m within the blissful enterprise.”

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The case are actual — and so is the bailiff, former Douglas County, Georgia, bailiff Nancy Value.

“Nancy’s from a court docket the place persons are in there for kidnapping, drug costs, violent crimes,” Harvey mentioned. “So she has a knack of realizing when to step in.”

However she and everyone else are nonetheless there for laughs.

“(I’m) not likely within the verdict,” Harvey mentioned. “I’m within the story. How we obtained right here.”

The spectators within the court docket play an even bigger function on “Choose Steve Harvey” than they’ve in related exhibits.

“That was a requirement of mine,” Harvey mentioned. “I want an viewers for me to carry out to my fullest and the very best of my capability.”

His maintain on the viewers has lengthy been apparent, and it’s exhausting to consider it’s been 20 years since he was featured in Spike Lee’s documentary “The Unique Kings of Comedy.”

It’s been a full decade since his final stand-up routine.

“Yeah I miss it slightly bit,” he mentioned. “However , on this tradition that we in right this moment, I obtained out on the proper time as a result of political correctness is killing comedy…The liberty of claiming what you wish to say is gone.”

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He maintains too many individuals are too simply offended.

“All people’s emotions is damage instantly,” he mentioned. “As quickly as you inform a joke, any person’s emotions someplace is damage, and it’s a tragic factor as a result of what would you like a man to do as a comic? A jokes obtained to be about one thing, and it’s normally folks. We will’t write jokes about puppies all day lengthy.”

Nonetheless, Harvey manages to seek out the humorous in primetime. As he says on the present, “In my courtroom, I converse the reality.”

“Choose Steve Harvey” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on this ABC station.