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Suzanne Martin got the chance to work with Cedric the Entertainer, and her first thought was: Let's do a show about a minister.
"I've been wanting to do a show that's set in a church for a long time," said Martin, the creator/executive producer of "Hot in Cleveland" whose credits include "Frasier" and "Ellen." "And when the opportunity to work with Cedric came up, I just thought, 'OK, I'm going to try that idea.' "
The results is the loud, over-the-top sitcom "The Soul Man" (Wednesday, 10 p.m., TV Land). Cedric the Entertainer stars as a former R&B singing star who takes over his father's church, while his vivacious wife (Niecy Nash) defies stereotypes.
Like "Cleveland," "Soul Man" feels like a '70s sitcom transplanted to 2012. And Martin insists it came out of some of her own experiences, as her grandfather was a minister. "I spent a lot of time in church," she said. "Man, if you could get a minister that was funny, it was so [much] more fun."
She added: "It's a world that is a part of so many people's lives, and yet it's just not on TV."
There have been other TV shows about clerics. There was even a 1997-98 sitcom titled "Soul Man," which starred Dan Aykroyd as a minister.
Here's a look back at the Top 10 fictional clerics on TV:
10. Father Guido Sarducci • Don Novello, on various shows including "Saturday Night Live," 1970s-present: He's clearly not a good priest, but he's a great laugh.
9. Deacon Ernest Frye • Sherman Hemsley, "Amen," 1986-91: His schemes weren't exactly holy, but he kept the church afloat. And he was a lay person, not ordained.
8. The Rev. Daniel Webster • Aidan Quinn, "The Book of Daniel," 2006: The Rev. Webster had a problem with painkillers, talked directly to Jesus and had all sorts of personal and family problems. The show was so controversial NBC yanked it after airing just four episodes.
7. Father Frank Dowling • Tom Bosley, "Father Dowling Mysteries," 1987, 1989-91: He may have been comforting, but he was much better at solving murders than tending to his flock.
6. Father Ted Crilly • Dermot Morgan, "Father Ted," 1995-98: He was one of three priests exiled to Craggy Island because of financial improprieties, but Father Ted — along with Father Dougal McGuire and Father Jack Hackett — was consistently hilarious.
5. The Rev. Timothy Lovejoy • voiced by Harry Shearer, "The Simpsons," 1989-present: He definitely suffers from self-righteousness, but he's going to get into heaven just for putting up with his wife — and Ned Flanders.
4. Sister Bertrille • Sally Field, "The Flying Nun," 1967-70: She had a good heart, she tried hard to be a good nun — and she could fly!
3. Father Murphy • Merlin Olsen, "Father Murphy,"1981-83: The Utah native and football star played TV's best fake priest — a frontiersman who pretended to be a cleric to keep orphan children out of the workhouse.
2. The Rev. Eric Camden • Stephen Collins, "7th Heaven," 1996-2007: A good man who never violated his principles, Eric also lived in the real world — more or less — and dealt with real family problems.
1. Father Francis Mulcahy • William Christopher, "M*A*S*H," 1972-83: Whether he was offering comfort, exhibiting righteous indignation or participating in jocularity, Father Mulcahy was a man you liked having around and could turn to for help.
'The Soul Man'
The new sitcom that stars Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash premieres Wednesday, June 20, at 11 p.m. on TV Land.