Cedric the Entertainer’s prayers have been answered. TV Land has renewed his sitcom The Soul Man for a fourth season of 12 episodes. This is the biggest episode order since the sitcom’s first season. (Season two had 10 installments while season three had just eight.) The new episodes will start airing some time next year.

Here’s the press release:

TV LAND PICKS UP SEASON FOUR OF “THE SOUL MAN” STARRING CEDRIC “THE ENTERTAINER” AND NIECY NASH

New York, NY – August 4, 2014 – TV Land has renewed its sitcom “The Soul Man,” starring Cedric “The Entertainer” and Niecy Nash, for a fourth season, it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, President of TV Land. The series, which also co-stars Wesley Jonathan, has been picked up for 12 episodes. Last season, “The Soul Man” premiered with a live episode and saw great guest stars like Brandy, Martin Lawrence, B.o.B., David Alan Grier, Deion Sanders, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cedric Yarbrough and TV Land’s own Betty White. Season four will premiere in 2015.

“We are thrilled to bring back Cedric, Niecy and ‘The Soul Man’ for another season,” said Jones. “TV Land has loved working with this cast and crew who come together each week and create one of the funniest half-hours on TV.”

“The Soul Man” follows R&B superstar-turned-minister Reverend Boyce “The Voice” Ballentine (Cedric) after he relocated from Las Vegas to St. Louis with his wife Lolli (Nash). While learning to adjust to their new humble life, they have plenty of obstacles in their way, including Boyce’s brother Stamps (Jonathan), who only just moved out at the end of last season.

Over the last three seasons, “The Soul Man” averaged a remarkable 3.19 rating among African-American Women 25-54 and a 2.65 rating with African-American Adults 25-54, posting triple digit gains over channel prime average (Nielsen, L+7, 6/20/12-5/14/14, 30 Telecasts). The series has also averaged 1.2 million viewers series to date, up +59% compared to channel prime average.

Cedric and Suzanne Martin (“Hot In Cleveland”) are executive producers of the sitcom, along with Eric C. Rhone and Emmy® Award-winner Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills Productions, who also executive produce “Hot In Cleveland.” Keith Cox and Larry W. Jones are executive producers for TV Land. The series is filmed in front of a live studio audience.

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What do you think? Do you like The Soul Man on TV Land? Do you think it should have been renewed or cancelled instead?