Created by and starring comedy duo Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin, IFC’s new variety sketch show “Sherman’s Showcase” travels through time via music and clips drawn from the 40-year library of a fictional legendary musical variety show. Executive produced by John Legend’s Get Lifted Film Co. and RadicalMedia, the series is inspired by shows like “Solid Gold,” “Soul Train,” and “Laugh-In,” and features a who’s who of movies, music, sports and entertainment — including two EGOT winners — and multiple award-winning artists, actors and entertainers.
Each week on the eight-episode series, the show’s host, Sherman McDaniels (played by Salahuddin), opens up the vault for viewers to experience the comedy and musical numbers from the made-up 40-year history of the show. Whether it’s a real artist playing a fake character, or a comedian playing a real artist, the series promises to be always unconventional, irreverent, and most of all, funny.
Guest stars throughout the first season of “Sherman’s Showcase” include Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor, Common, Morris Day, Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rel Howery, Quincy Jones, Mike Judge, Kenny and Keith Lucas, John Legend, Nigel Lythgoe, Curt Menefee, Vic Mensa, Tawny Newsome, Ne-Yo, Ray Parker, Jr., Mario Van Peebles, Damon Wayans, Jr., Marlon Wayans, and Bresha Webb.
Coming to IFC on July 31, the first episode, titled “Meet Sherman,” introduces host Sherman McDaniels and sees John Legend walking audiences through a history of “The Showcase” — from Sherman’s parentage, to the origin of the show, with highlights throughout the show’s run from 1972-present day.
“Showcase” marks the second new series created by Riddle and Salahuddin that will be premiering later this month. The other is the half-hour comedy “Southside,” which premieres on Comedy Central on Wednesday, July 24. That series follows two friends who just graduated from community college and are ready to take over the world. But until they do, they’re stuck working at Rent-To-Own on the southside of Chicago.
The Emmy-nominated writing partners, actors and comedians, known for their work together on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” wrote such notable pieces as “Slow Jam the News with Barack Obama” and “The History of Rap with Justin Timberlake.”
Previously they were consulting producers on “The Last OG” at TBS, and developed their pilot “Brothers in Atlanta” with Lorne Michaels’ now-defunct Broadway Video at HBO. Diallo was a series regular on the hit NBC show “Marlon,” and can be seen in HBO’s “Silicon Valley.” Salahuddin will next be seen opposite Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick.”
“Sherman’s Showcase” premieres on Wednesday, July 31 at 10/9c, on IFC. Check out the trailer for the new series below.
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