[via press release from GSN]
GSN ANNOUNCES COMEDIAN DeRAY DAVIS AS HOST OF NEW ORIGINAL SERIES \"MIND OF A MAN\"
In New Game Show, Female Contestants Get Help From Celebrity Panelists as They Try to Figure Out What Men Really Think
September 25, 2013 (Santa Monica, CA) - GSN announced today that the network has signed comedian-actor DeRay Davis as host of the new original series MIND OF A MAN. In the half-hour game show, two female contestants try to figure out what men really think, with the help of a celebrity panel. The network has ordered 40 episodes of MIND OF A MAN which will premiere on GSN in 2014.
\"DeRay Davis is a dream talent -fast on his feet, smart and simply hilarious,\" said Amy Introcaso-Davis, EVP, Programming and Development, GSN. \"His original and often outrageous take on relationships makes him the perfect choice to host this truth-is-stranger than-fiction, comedic exploration of what really goes on in the MIND OF A MAN.\"
\"Considering the number of times women have asked me, \'DeRay, what were you thinking?\', I am definitely the right guy to host MIND OF A MAN, \" said Davis. \"I\'m very excited to be part of this show and really look forward to sharing my crazy experiences and learning as much as the contestants do.\"
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, comedian-turned-actor Davis has most recently been \"scene\" and heard in \"G.I. Joe: Retaliation\" with Bruce Willis, \"21 Jump Street,\" \"Jumping The Broom,\" and his wildly successful Showtime one-hour Comedy Special, \"DeRay Davis: Power Play.\" He appeared on \"Second Generation Wayans,\" and lends his voice and writing talent to countless characters on Kanye West\'s albums, \"The Boondocks,\" and currently on Adult Swims \"Black Dynamite.\"
Davis developed and honed a hip, sardonic, streetwise mentality at an early age and parlayed it into the comedy-club circuit. His career breakthrough came at the Laffapalooza Festival in Atlanta, GA, after which he won the Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition. Davis brings his unique style to the subjects of race, poverty, and his challenging experiences growing up in the Windy City projects with a dysfunctional African-American family. Davis\'s other TV appearances include \"Entourage\" and \"Reno 911!\"
What are men really thinking? In each episode of MIND OF A MAN, two female contestants will try to figure out what men really think about dating, marriage, working and all manner of manly pursuits. The questions on the show have all been previously asked and answered by a survey of 100 men. Over three rounds, the contestants will try to determine the correct answers with the help of a celebrity panel. A mix of famous and funny male and female celebrities will offer their opinions about what men are really thinking. And for successfully getting inside the MIND OF A MAN, one of the contestants could walk away with the grand prize.
MIND OF A MAN is produced by Never Nominated Productions Inc. with 51 Minds Entertainment\'s Mark Cronin serving as Executive Producer.
First thought even after reading his bio: Who in the hell is DeRay Davis?
First thought even after reading his bio: Who in the hell is DeRay Davis?
Why, he\'s a rising young comedian, of course!
First thought even after reading his bio: Who in the hell is DeRay Davis?
I\'m with you on this one.
I\'m going to let you in on a little PR secret...those quotes probably didn\'t come from Ms. Introcaso-Davis or Mr. Davis. Willing to bet the PR writer put something together that sounded like it came from the two, except DeRay\'s quote makes him sound a little full of himself.
His name doesn\'t ring a bell, and I\'ve watched quite a few of the shows mentioned in that release. Not to diminish his work, but the PR writer definitely did his or her job pumping up his resume. :-P
First thought even after reading his bio: Who in the hell is DeRay Davis?
I\'m with you on this one.
Probably a household name at the Comedy Nights held at all the Ramada Inns in the Plains states.
I\'ve seen him on several comedy shows and movies, so I recognized the face when I saw him. But the name...... yeah I had no idea either.
Tyshaun
FWIW, he was on Hip Hop Squares for the ten minutes it aired on MTV2 last summer. Just trying to come up with a show you all may have seen him on.
There\'s a nightclub in Virginia Beach called Funny Bone. I\'m wondering if he\'s ever performed there, and if I ever saw him. Seems like that\'s the kind of circuit he\'d work...that\'s not meant to be a slight; Funny Bone is actually a chain with clubs in different cities I believe, and quite a few big names have stopped by.
ObGameShow: Ben Bailey and Dave Attell did shows earlier this year.
Funny Bone is actually a chain with clubs in different cities I believe, and quite a few big names have stopped by.
I can confirm there\'s one in Des Moines.
Are there now more African-American game show hosts than other ethnicities? I\'m including Wayne Brady. :)
The answer above Jimmy Owen\'s question ( I can confirm there\'s one in Des Moines.) works for Jimmy\'s question as well.
/Who Cares?
The answer above Jimmy Owen\'s question ( I can confirm there\'s one in Des Moines.) works for Jimmy\'s question as well.
/Who Cares?
I guess it doesn\'t matter, but it does show that game-show hosting is not limited to the old stereotypical white male. Parity has been reached.
Not sure if serious, but I\'d think that parity was reached sometime in the 90s, when other minorities (not just Blacks) and women began hosting as well.
Steve Harvey was not available.
There\'s a nightclub in Virginia Beach called Funny Bone. I\'m wondering if he\'s ever performed there, and if I ever saw him. Seems like that\'s the kind of circuit he\'d work...that\'s not meant to be a slight; Funny Bone is actually a chain with clubs in different cities I believe, and quite a few big names have stopped by.
We\'ve got one about an hour and a half west of you here in Richmond. They do manage to get some well-known, if not big name, comics there. The biggest name I can think of was when Kevin Hart performed there right before he blew up to superstar status. The next time he came to Richmond about a year later he was selling out the Richmond Landmark Theater and tickets prices were crazy. Makes me wish I\'d seen him earlier.
Back to African-American hosts, I could be wrong but I\'m pretty sure this year at the Daytime Emmys set a record for most black hosts nominated for the Best Game Show Host category with two (Harvey & Brady). I just thought that was pretty cool. As usual YMMV.
Mind of a Man will premiere Wednesday, January 8th at 8pm (ET)
DeRay is a funny guy, I heard him on some comedy specials and even his own on Comedy Central. Good for him getting this gig. Many of the topics that he jokes about in his comedy is about relationships and the mind of men. I hope it gets another season. I can understand the members of this board saying, \"Who the hell is this guy?\"
In the words of Drew Carey, \"It\'s going to be OK, I swear.\" (on Drew\'s first TPIR)
GSN has started airing promos showing DeRay Davis.
DeRay is a funny guy, I heard him on some comedy specials and even his own on Comedy Central. Good for him getting this gig. Many of the topics that he jokes about in his comedy is about relationships and the mind of men. I hope it gets another season. I can understand the members of this board saying, \"Who the hell is this guy?\"
In the words of Drew Carey, \"It\'s going to be OK, I swear.\" (on Drew\'s first TPIR)
The show has yet to air and you\'re already hoping for another season? Uh, really?
And didn\'t comedy based on how men vs. women think start to get a bit stale years ago?
JakeT
1. It says a lot that at least 75 percent of the release is about the host, and the game is left until the last paragraph.
And didn\'t comedy based on how men vs. women think start to get a bit stale years ago?
2. Depending on whether or not my wife and I have argued today, the correct answer is \"it\'s not a comedy, it\'s a major national issue\" or \"that joke never gets old.\"
Reports and rumors are currently surfacing that comedians Alonzo Bodden and Sydney Castillo are the \"Celebrity Panelists\" on GSN\'s Mind of a Man.
And yet another misuse of the term \"celebrity\"...I at least know Alonzo Bodden was on \"Last Comic Standing\" but who or what is Sydney Castillo?
(And yes, I did a search for him and he still is totally unfamiliar to me...celebrity? DAMN YOU, Dancing with the \"Stars\"...I blame you for this!)
(Almost makes you ache for the days of Paula Poundstone and Judy Tenuta, doesn\'t it?)
JakeT
Al Jackson, one of the comics from the Bob & Tom radio show will also be on the show.
The commercials also make the show look like something completely out of GSN\'s demos. That\'s just me.
Wrong.
They\'re chasing the same viewership that watches the daily 80-hour marathons of Harvey reruns. The in-show promos on that appear on the bottom of the show describe it as \"a new [type] of survey game show\". As Harvey Feud\'s questions are more relationship-based now (or dick joke based, take your pick), GSN decided that they wanted to cash in and create their own version of Harvey Feud. They even got a black comedian to host. The only other thing that would make what they\'re trying to do more obvious is if they asked DeRay to shave his head bald.
I suggest you do more research as to what GSN\'s demos actually are as opposed to what you THINK they are.
Sincerely,
The Sole Fan of Harvey Feud on the GSF
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DeRay Davis (in most ways) = Steve Harvey
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He\'s black.
What\'s the other answers that you\'ve got on your card?