FOX has ordered an additional nine episodes of THE CLEVELAND SHOW, the FAMILY GUY spin-off, bringing the series to a full season order. Additionally, Arianna Huffington has been tapped for a recurring role and joins previously announced series regulars Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Kevin Michael Richardson, Mike Henry and Seth MacFarlane.
"FOX picking up nine more episodes of our show is proof that an African-American can make it in this country," said Cleveland Brown. "This is a milestone for the United States of America."
THE CLEVELAND SHOW, set to debut fall 2009, is a new animated series that follows everyone's favorite soft-spoken neighbor Cleveland Brown (voiced by Henry) to his hometown in Virginia, as he settles down with his high school sweetheart, Donna (voiced by Lathan), and her unruly kids Roberta (voiced by Long) and 5-year-old Rallo (voiced by Henry), as well as his own 14-year-old son, Cleveland Jr. (voiced by Richardson). Once in Virginia, Cleveland is welcomed by a collection of neighbors that includes a loudmouth redneck, Lester (voiced by Richardson); a hipster wanna-be, Holt; and a family of talking bears, including Tim (voiced by MacFarlane) and his wife Arianna (voiced by Huffington).
VARIETY reports that while FOX announced publicly at the upfronts last spring the debut would be this fall, internally it was always known the show would need more time to be developed.
Political pundit Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of THE HUFFINGTON POST, a news Website and political blog. She is a nationally syndicated columnist, the author of 12 books and the co-host of "Left, Right & Center," a political roundtable radio program.
THE CLEVELAND SHOW is a 20th Century Fox Television production. Seth MacFarlane, Rich Appel and Mike Henry serve as executive producers and co-creators.
Other animated newcomer SIT DOWN, SHUT UP could debut as soon as late spring, depending on the production schedule.
