According to everyone’s favorite Family Feud host, Steve Harvey’s Big Time is basically America’s Got Talent.
Now, Steve Harvey has executive producer credit on all of the programs that he is associated with, including his talk shows, movies, game shows and his new series, Judge Steve Harvey. But despite the many programs the comedian has created, that is the one the air that Harvey claims he’s never received credit for.
In a recent interview with Earn Your Leisure, the comedian says the concept for ABC’s hit competition series America’s Got Talent was his.
Steve Harvey was convinced a variety show that showcased different talents needed to be on network television
As reported by Atlanta Black Star, during the interview, Harvey shared that while he was working as the host of It’s Showtime at the Apollo, he told showrunners that a variety show of the same stature should be airing on network television.
“They didn’t believe me when I told them y’all ought to take Showtime at Apollo and put it on mainstream TV, instead of having me come on at one o’clock in the morning. I said, ‘Let me give them a version of it.’”
This resulted in Harvey creating Steve Harvey’s Big Time, which aired on The WB network from 2003 until 2005.
Steve Harvey believes 'America's Got Talent' creators ripped-off his idea
A year after Steve Harvey’s Big Time went off the air, another talent competition hit the airwaves, much to Harvey’s dismay.
In 2006, America’s Got Talent, created by Simon Cowell, debuted on NBC. Harvey believes the show was a complete rip-off of his idea.
“Along comes America’s Got Talent,” he shared. “Do you know what America’s Got Talent is? Shows come from all over the world. They got different acts. They got three judges. And they got a star. Well, guess what that’s my IP. That’s my concept. That’s my whole thought but I had no business for it.”
“The first year of America’s Got Talent was all acts from Steve Harvey Big Time, and they took all the producers I had from Steve Harvey Big Time and gave him jobs,” Harvey added. “If I understood my business, America’s Got Talent would belong to me.”
Now, Steve Harvey makes sure he has executive producer credit on everything he works on
Not wanting to make that mistake ever again, Steve Harvey ensures that he is credited as the executive producer of every project he is associated with. And doing so has definitely paid off for the famed television personality.
With several talk shows, movies, game shows, and his new series, Judge Steve Harvey, under his belt, Steve Harvey is one of the richest comedians in Hollywood today.
