Rickey Smiley, anchor and host of the #1 nationally syndicated urban radio show in America, has taken back to the stage for Fool-ish, his first comedy special in over a decade, which is set to premiere on Hulu on May 30.
The special landed at the streamer following a bidding war, we’re told. Taped at the Lyric Theater in Smiley’s hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, it’s said to be infused with his trademark humor, characters, and satire on life and pop culture.The special is Smiley’s first since his 2011 hour Open Casket Sharp, as well as the first ever for director David E. Talbert, who reunited with Smiley following their work on the films Baggage Claim and First Sunday.
“I knew after over ten years I had to offer something that would satisfy my fans,” Smiley said of the special. “I’ve been through a lot of transformation and trauma these past few years and I was determined to get through it and think that I will have a deeper connection with my audience from my experiences. We can find humor in so much of life. FOOL-ISH is for people of all ages, from those who grew up playing with Etch A Sketch to those who were raised on iPads.”
Along with Talbert and Sisson-Talbert for Golden Girl Inc., Fool-ish is executive produced by Laura Lizer, Judi Marmel, Matt Beales, and John Bravakis.
Formerly the host of BET’s Comic View, as well as the star of reality series Rickey Smiley For Real, Smiley has anchored The Rickey Smiley Morning Show out of Atlanta for 20 years. In addition to his work as a comic, actor and radio personality, he’s an author whose Sideshow: Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith — tapping into his experience with losing his eldest son from a drug overdose and its effects on his life and his family — was published last fall.
