Television

First there was Def Comedy Jam. Then came The Bad Boys Of Comedy. Now get ready to experience the most fearlessly funny comedy that the U.S. Constitution will allow! Host Doug Williams, ATL's Griff and heavyweight funnyman Ralphie May highlight this special 2 Disc Set, featuring over six hours of uncensored stand-up that takes free speech to its very limits. This is 1st Amendment Stand Up: You have the right to laugh like a &^#%*@!

The weekly, 60-minute Blade: The Series was inspired by the popular Blade action-movie trilogy, which in turn was based on a Marvel Comics character introduced in the 1970s. Rap star Sticky Fingaz, billed under his (sort of) real name, Kirk "Sticky" Jones, starred as Blade, a half-human, half-vampire immortal warrior engaged in an endless battle against demonic and supernatural villains on behalf of humanity (Wesley Snipes was, of course, seen as Blade in the original films). Neil Jackson co-starred as Blade's perennial nemesis, Marcus Van Sciver, a handsome, charismatic vampire bent on world domination, while Nelson Lee was seen as Blade's weapons-savvy, wise-ass sidekick, Shen. New to the franchise was the character of Krista Starr (Jill Wagner), who teamed up with Blade to avenge her twin brother's death at the hands of Marcus Van Sciver, who in addition to his nocturnal bloodsucking also held court over a well-organized cartel of fellow vampires. Boasting a pilot scripted by executive producer David S. Goyer and comic-book veteran Geoff Johns, Blade: The Series premiered June 28, 2006, as the first scripted live-action series on cable's Spike TV channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Tracy Morgan features the most representative moments from his career on the show. Included are sketches involving many of his most loved characters like Dominican Lou, his impression of Star Jones, and the mentally challenged animal-show host Brian Fellows. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Based on the critically-acclaimed film of the same name, SOUL FOOD - THE SERIES reunites the Joseph family in an hour-long drama series, which chronicles the lives of a tight-knit African American family living in Chicago. The series explores, in an honest and touching way, the relationship between three sisters, the men in their lives and their children. The Joseph family faces everyday struggles to which all families can relate. SOUL FOOD is not your typical family - it is simply the drama of a family.

Season one of Chappelle's Show is highlighted by one of star Dave Chappelle's most inspired character creations: Clayton Bigsby, a blind man who doesn't know he is black and has become a race-bashing member of the Ku Klux Klan! Also good for laughs are Dave's faux "outtakes" from the miniseries Roots; a dramatization of what will happen when blacks finally get all that "reparation" money; the bigoted viewpoints of Hollywood's biggest animal stars; a crack addict's anti-drug speech at a grade school; the time-traveling "Player Haters"; Dave's recurring feature "Great Moments in Hook-Up History"; and funky revisionist versions of Ghost, Pretty Woman, and The Matrix. Guest stars include comedian Chris Rock, talk show host Carson Daly, musical performers 50 Cent and Mos Def...and Stephen King (!?!?). ~ Rovi

After a string of box-office failures, actor-comedian Martin Lawrence bares his soul -- and tells the stories behind some of his more troubling run-ins with the police, the media, and the movie industry -- in this feature-length stand-up performance film. Interspersing some behind-the-scenes documentary footage with a live recording of his packed-to-the-rafters concert at Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall in January, 2002, Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat returns Lawrence to his roots: broad, bawdy, expletive-laden, slang-influenced monologues. But this time, the comedian's work takes on a personal slant, as he addresses the incident where he brandished a gun in a busy Los Angeles street during the filming of A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), as well as the severe health problems he suffered just before cameras were ready to roll on what would be one of his biggest successes, Big Momma's House (2000). Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat was produced by MTV Films, the company responsible for bringing 2000's four-man stand-up documentary Original Kings of Comedy to the screen; unlike Lawrence's previous performance film, the unrated You So Crazy, Runteldat was granted a "R" rating by the MPAA. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Based on the critically acclaimed film of the same name, Soul Food reunites the Joseph family in an hour-long drama series that chronicles the lives of a tight-knit African-American family living in Chicago. The series explores, in an honest and touching way, the relationship between three sisters, the men in their lives, and their children. From relationships on the rocks to friends in real trouble, kids caught in the middle, and jobs that take over your life, the issues the Joseph family faces every day are problems to which all families can relate. The 20 episodes of Soul Food Season 3 aired from 2002-3 on cable network Showtime.

The toll that drugs and crime have taken on an economically-depressed African-American neighborhood in Baltimore paints the backdrop for this miniseries produced for and initially aired by the premium cable network HBO. Gary McCullogh (T.K. Carter) was once a hard-working man with an education and a solid career, but after succumbing to the lure of heroin, Gary has lost his job, home, and wife -- and now steals whatever he can find to support his habit. Gary lives with his girlfriend Fran Boyd (Khandi Alexander), who is also addicted to heroin. While she's all too aware of the pitfalls of her life and wants to clean up, she has trouble getting medical help and her willpower is too weak for her to kick the habit by herself. Fran's 15-year-old son DeAndre (Sean Nelson) has seen enough of his mother's troubles to be wary of using drugs, but while he would prefer to stay on the straight and narrow, dealing crack is one of the few job options open to him in his neighborhood, especially after his allergy to seafood causes him to lose a job in a restaurant. The Corner was based on the book of the same name by Edward Burns and David Simon, which examined one year in a real-life Baltimore neighborhood; Simon collaborated on the teleplay with David Mills, and noted actor Charles S. Dutton directed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Focusing on a family full of love, disagreements and a fair amount of drama, SOUL FOOD: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON follows the lives of Teri Joseph (Parker), the oldest sister and a successful lawyer who is overwhelmed by her own success, Maxine (Vanessa Williams), the middle sister who is a stay-at-home mom aching for something more, and Bird (Malinda Williams), the youngest sister and hairdresser who is married to an ex-con who can't seem to get away from his past. All in all a fairly typical American family with issues just like everyone else: they bicker over small problems, and then pull together when confronted by a big crisis which they must work together to overcome.

The Chris Rock Show host and former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Rock brings his critically acclaimed brand of social commentary-themed humor to this 1999 standup comedy presentation from HBO. Also released as an album, Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker features Rock on-stage extolling his razor-sharp wit and wisdom on such topics as gun control, President Clinton, homophobia, racism, black leaders, and relationships. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Chris Rock's first HBO comedy special proved to be a breakthrough for the stand-up comic, who at the time was best known for his stint on Saturday Night Live. Filmed in front of a live audience in Washington, D.C., Bring the Pain revived Rock's then-stagnant career and made him the face of black comedy in America seemingly overnight. Opening with a montage of comedy albums by Rock's influences -- Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, and Richard Pryor are among those name-checked -- the show finds Rock in top form as he moves nimbly from topical cracks (a bit on O.J. is a highlight) to relationship jokes to biting commentary on the state of black America. The fearless set drew some controversy at the time, but despite (or perhaps because of) the furor, Rock was able to ride Bring the Pain to a more successful career, eventually landing his own series on HBO. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi