Aspire Acquires Off-Net Rights to ‘The Bernie Mac Show’

Aspire, the cable network targeting African American audiences launched by basketball legend Magic Johnson in 2012, acquired the cable rights to all five seasons of the sitcom The Bernie Mac Show. The series will launch July 4 with an all-day marathon featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes cast interviews.

Airing on Fox from 2001 to 2006, “The Bernie Mac Show” stars the late comedian Bernie Mac. In the series, Bernie and his wife, Wanda (Kellita Smith), reluctantly step into the role of parents when his sister drops off her three kids — naive Bryana (Dee Dee Davis), nerdy Jordan (Jeremy Suarez) and teenager Vanessa (Camille Winbush) — en route to rehab. His views on child rearing are hardly politically correct, but Bernie tries his best.