Steve Harvey to Host 'Showtime at the Apollo' Special for Fox

Steve Harvey attends the Neighborhood Awards Beach Party at the Mandalay Bay Beach at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on July 24, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Someone polish Sandman’s tap shoes, stat: Fox has ordered a two-hour “Showtime at the Apollo” special, which will be hosted by Steve Harvey.

The event is set for Dec. 5 at 8 o’clock ET/PT. An additional 60-minute special, also hosted by Harvey, will air in early 2017. Here’s hoping he doesn’t announce the wrong winner.

Harvey, like many others, launched his career at the famous Harlem, N.Y. theater. And he won’t be the only star returning to its hallowed grounds — Fox promised that “some of the biggest stars in comedy and music” will be right by Harvey’s side for this thing.

Also Read: 15 Funniest Steve Harvey 'Family Feud' Moments (Videos)

Also to be featured in the special are elements from the Apollo’s legendary Amateur Night, the long-running, live talent competition is now in its 82nd year.

The Apollo audience is widely regarded as one of entertainment’s most boisterous and brutally honest, as Fox put it. It’s not uncommon for a participant to be booed off stage, and literally swept off by dancing clown Sandman.

The every-Wednesday Amateur Night at the Apollo also launched the careers of James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, and D’Angelo, among plenty others.

Also Read: Steve Harvey Comes Face-to-Face With His Doppelganger on 'Family Feud' (Video)

“I’m excited to be going back home to the Apollo to celebrate the history of this great theater,” said Harvey. “I have great memories from my time there, and this is going to be a homecoming party that you won’t want to miss.”

“Since its inception in 1934, the world’s original talent competition – Amateur Night at the Apollo – was, and continues to be, a primary source for discovering new talent and spotlighting up-and-coming artists. That tradition was continued with the successful 21-year run of the ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ television program,” added Jonelle Procope,pPresident and CEO of the Apollo Theater and an executive producer of the special. “We’re proud to continue to produce our live, weekly show, and are equally excited to be partnering with Fox to produce this ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ special and to bring the Apollo experience back to television!”

“The Apollo Theater played a crucial role in so many of this nation’s most talented artists, including Steve, and we couldn’t be happier to have him lead us back to this legendary venue,” said David Madden, president, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “We’re sure this will be a fantastic night of entertainment.”

Come Spin 'The Price is Right' Wheel at CBS' Interactive Exhibit (Photos)

The first thing you see when you enter the “CBS Daytime #1 for 30 Years" exhibit in Beverly Hills is a working wheel from "The Price is Right," and at the opening party on Oct. 10, the real Drew Cary stood guard.
CBS
An original table from "The Talk" makes an Instagram-worthy moment, as four of the five hosts were in attendance (minus Sharon Osbourne, who is filming "The X Factor U.K." in England).
CBS
"I might have [spun it] like 15 years ago," CBS chief Les Moonves said, while watching his wife Julie Chen take a spin.
CBS
CBS has given away $310 million over the past 30 years on its daytime game shows and "The Talk." Here, Cary posed with a bunch of non-eligible CBS contestants: cast members of "The Young and the Restless" and "Guiding Light."
CBS
There is no Beer Pong at the Paley Center ... only Wayne Brady's "Let's Make a Deal" Car Pong game.
CBS
From soap opera "The Young and the Restless," Daniel Goddard has a hard time keeping up with the pace of the writing on the 43-year-old soap. This exhibit features original scripts from show creator William J. Bell and a press release from decades ago announcing that this new daytime series will focus on the "man-woman relationship."
CBS
Winsor Harmon ("The Bold and the Beautiful") strolled the costume gallery on the second floor.
CBS
You know the well-liked good guy James O'Halloran as "the male model" from "The Price is Right." While he is usually at CBS Television City, his cardboard cutout will greet tourists at the corner of Beverly and Little Santa Monica Blvd. in the 90210.
CBS
Soap fans will like the bridal gallery of "The Young and Restless" dresses. One factoid in the exhibit relates that a single female character has had 18 weddings in the show's history.
CBS
Julie Chen's self-embraced nickname "The Chenbot," for her repetitive on-camera hosting tics, came to life in a game of "Spot the Fake" as "The Talk" hosts lined up with their 2D stand-ins.
CBS
Lee Phillip Bell (left) is the matriarch of daytime soaps. She created both "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." Eric Braeden (right) has 2,509 episodes under his belt in the "Y and R" role of Victor Newman.
CBS
"Bold and Beautiful's" Rome Flynn brought his girlfriend, model Camia Marie, to the opening night soiree.
CBS
The "CBS #1 in Daytime" exhibit also recognizes shows that have gone to the great soap set in the sky, like "Guiding Light." Former star Laura Wright (now on "General Hospital") snapped a selfie with "The Talk's" Sheryl Underwood.
CBS
Ready for the next chapters of daytime TV? Check out TheWrap's rankings of Kelly Ripa fill-in co-hosts:

Also Read: Kelly Ripa’s Guest Co-Hosts Ranked by TV Ratings: From Kimmel to Josh Groban (Photos)

1 of 14

Network celebrates 30 consecutive years of winning daytime ratings with free showcase at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, running now through Nov. 27

The first thing you see when you enter the “CBS Daytime #1 for 30 Years" exhibit in Beverly Hills is a working wheel from "The Price is Right," and at the opening party on Oct. 10, the real Drew Cary stood guard.

View In Gallery