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TV critics who have seen clips of TV One’s new sitcom “The Rickey Smiley  Morning Show,” premiering Tuesday, Sept. 18, have suggested it’s cut from the  same cloth as small screen product from Tyler Perry. Well  there’s a reason for that.

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As previously reported, the premise is loosely based on  the on-air personality’s own life. Smiley plays a comedian and radio host having  to balance his career with being a single father of several adopted  children.

“In the show they’re his biological children, but in real life he actually is  a single father to quite a few children that he pretty much raises on his own,” says executive producer Roger Bobb, “which is why we thought  this subject matter was so interesting.

Ray J plays Smiley’s producer and Roz Ryan  stars as Rickey’s live-in aunt who helps take care of the kids. J.  Anthony Brown rounds out the cast.

“The unique thing about the sitcom is that it stars three established  comedians: Rickey Smiley, J. Anthony Brown, and there’s another young man named Little JJ, who had his own sitcom on Nickelodeon,” Bobb continued. “So I would venture to say this is probably the only sitcom  out that stars three established comedians. And that’s one of the other reasons  why we think it’s going to be hilarious, because it stars real, funny  people.”

One of the show’s biggest similarities to Tyler Perry’s fare is the presence  of church scenes. “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show” has its share, based on  Smiley’s real life experience as a deacon and trustee at his own church in  Birmingham.

Also, Perry is to Madea what Smiley is to Sis. Bernice Jenkins – his longtime  standup character who will make appearances in the series, as will Smiley’s  fictional Joe Willie of Joe Willie and the Deuteronomaires and Pastor  Bartholemew.

Roger Bobb, executive producer of TV One’s “The  Rickey Smiley Morning Show”

Smiley’s show may also seem Tyler Perryish because Bobb used to be the  executive vice president of Tyler Perry Studios – and served as the producer of  Perry’s TBS shows “House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns.”

Below, Smiley shares a memory of the first time he ever met Tyler Perry – at  baggage claim in a New York airport several years ago. [Scroll down to watch  the Madea/Sis. Bernice Jenkins clip mentioned by Smiley in the audio  clip.]

Read more at  http://www.eurweb.com/2012/09/tv-ones-ricky-smiley-sitcom-and-its-tyler-perry-connection/#bRcvUA4G8lomJW7J.99