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Is Steve Harvey Really Basing ‘Little Big Shots’ On Bill Cosby?

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 22:26 PST, Apr 10, 2016

Steve Harvey and Mark Burnett are teaming up to produce a business reality series for ABC, according to Deadline. The 59-year-old comedian will serve as the host of the new ABC show, which is set to air this year.

According to ABC’s description, the new business reality show will feature rival entrepreneurs who compete at pitching the most creative ideas in front of a live audience. Steve Harvey, who is set to host the series, then allows the audience to choose which of the entrepreneurs takes home the price for their ideas.

Burnett, who is set to partner with Steve Harvey on the new show, executive produces another ABC reality show about entrepreneurs, Shark Tank. Burnett said in his interview with Deadline that it has always been his dream to work alongside Steve Harvey, saying that this is the “perfect project” for them to collaborate on.

“He is an amazing talent and has an enormous heart for entrepreneurs, some of whom will get their business jump-started because of him.”

Steve Harvey is already one of the busiest hosts on TV, and it looks like he is set to get even busier. The 59-year-old comedian now has his daily talk show and Family Feud, as well as three primetime series: Celebrity Family Feud, the NBC series Little Big Shots, as well as this upcoming ABC business reality series which is presently unnamed.

Speaking to Deadline, Steve Harvey said that the new ABC show is the type of show that gives entrepreneurs “a vehicle to breathe life into their dreams.” The 13-episode show, produced by MGM Television, will be the fourth collaboration between Burnett and ABC.

In other news, Steve Harvey has been accused of performing a convincing Bill Cosby impression during his hit show Little Big Shots, according to TV Guide. The host of the NBC show has been compared to his predecessor, whose reputation was ruined by accusations of sexual abuse.

Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots is a fun series that features very talented kids. And the host serves as the interviewer on the show, as he sets the pace and subject of the discussions as well as asks kids what they do for fun and what their dreams are for the future.

And although Steve Harvey has been repeatedly compared to Cosby, it seems that the host gives even more reasons to think he is doing a Bill Cosby impression throughout the show. For example, it was noted by viewers of Little Big Shots that Harvey’s voice while doing the show sounds like a parody of Cosby’s voice.

But what gives Steve Harvey away the most is that he follows the “Bill Cosby playbook.” The host overacts at times, especially with his facial expressions, and disguises jokes for the adults in the audience by winking, while many of the show’s segments give viewers the feeling that they are a parody of things Cosby did with the kids on his own show.

But it was also noted by viewers that Steve Harvey doesn’t get as handsy with the kids as Cosby used to. And given all the sexual abuse allegations, it would be unwise for Harvey to do so. However, he does pick the kids up from time to time.

However, when doing his show, Steve Harvey is still able to be inspired by Cosby the performer rather than Cosby the man. And some viewers even note that it’s possible that Harvey is not fully aware he’s doing a Bill Cosby impression, that it just happens.

But TV Guide was quick to note that the similarities in no way imply that Steve Harvey imitates Cosby’s behavior in any way other than hosting like him. But it was noted that it’s weird for someone to do a Bill Cosby impression on a kids show after all the sexual abuse accusations.

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]

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