History has ordered a special from comedian Kevin Hart, according to a press release.
“Kevin Hart Presents: The Black Man’s Guide to History” will be a look at lesser-known, yet important black history stories, filtered through the lens of Kevin Hart. Hart will star and executive produce the two-hour event from Hartbeat Productions and Comedy Dynamics.
The show begins with Hart’s daughter upset after watching the film “12 Years A Slave,” believing that black history is solely about slavery and oppression and prompting Hart to educate her through scripted re-enactments about fascinating historical figures that people may not have heard about before. These figures include: Matthew Henson, the first person to go to the North Pole, but did not receive the credit; Robert Smalls, a former slave who led a revolt on a Confederate warship and pretended to be the captain to evade capture; Mae Jemison, the first black female astronaut; and Henry “Box” Brown, a slave who courageously mailed himself to a free state in a box.
“Kevin is an extraordinary performer with a real appreciation for history,” said Paul Cabana, executive vice president and head of programming for History. “Only he could bring these true stories to life in such an entertaining way. We’re thrilled to be working with him.”
For Hart, there’s a certain appeal to being on History. “Not only is it entertaining, and it’s hysterical, but it also is an important program for our country right now. We hope to make people laugh and learn a bit too,” Hart said.
“Kevin Hart Presents: The Black Man’s Guide to History” is produced for History by Hartbeat Productions and Comedy Dynamics. Kevin Hart and Dave Becky are executive producers for Hartbeat Productions. Brian Volk-Weiss, Tom Stern and Cisco Henson are executive producers for Comedy Dynamics. The special was created by Brian Volk-Weiss, and Tim Healy, Stephen Mintz and Russ McCarroll are executive producers for History.
Source: Variety
