TV Bulletin Board (July 17) -- TBS is new go-to network for "urban comedy" of certain colors

Ice Cube and Tyler Perry are major players on TBS cable.
By ED BARK
TBS, the self-dubbed "Very Funny" network, has notably adjusted its color scheme in the past year.

Its ratings success with Tyler Perry's House of Payne prompted the network to recently add a spinoff, Meet the Browns. TBS also is readying a late night talk show for this fall starring comedian George Lopez.

This week's 10-episode order of Are We There Yet? -- with an option for 90 more episodes -- further solidifies TBS as a destination for "urban comedy" that used to have homes on the now defunct UPN and then The CW. The latter network's new fall schedule is barren of such shows after the cancellations of Everybody Hates Chris and The Game.

Drawn from the same-named 2005 feature film, Are We There Yet? is produced by Ice Cube's Cube Vision. Former Everybody Hates Chris co-star Terry Crews stars in the role Cube played on the big-screen. And one of the series' executive producers, Ali LeRoi, was the hands-on show-runner for Chris.

Are We There Yet? "will fit extremely well within TBS's popular and diverse comedy lineup," programming exec Michael Wright says in a publicity release.

House of Payne and Meet the Browns are this year's "top television programs in delivery of African-American viewers," TBS says.

The network's roster of homegrown comedies also includes My Boys, The Bill Engvall Show and The Very Funny Show. The latter two programs feature former Saturday Night Live regular Tim Meadows, respectively as a supporting player and host.

It should be noted that Fox, the onetime network of In Living Color, Living Single and Martin, also has decided to make space this fall for urban comedy.

The new series Brothers, slotted for Fridays, co-stars former New York Giants star Michael Strahan and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell. And The Cleveland Show, which will join Fox's Sunday night "Animation Domination" lineup, is built around a fractious black family.

Fox also has tabbed Wanda Sykes to host a new late night Saturday show that will replace the canceled MADtv.