Cedric The Entertainer On What Viewers Can Expect From 'The Greatest #AtHomeVideos': 'Laugh, Cry, Become Inspired'

Tonight at 8:00 PM ET/PT Cedric The Entertainer will be invading living rooms across the United States when he hosts The Greatest #AtHomeVideos, only on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access. This special provides everyday Americans the chance to share their home recordings and also features some special appearances from celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross, Tony Hawk, Smokey Robinson and Luke Bryan.

CBS' Matt Weiss spoke with Cedric The Entertainer about tonight's special, his favorite moments and bringing people joy.

MW: Hey there Cedric, what's going on? The last time we spoke quarantine had just started, so how have you been holding up with everything? 

CTE: Yeah man, we're doing pretty good. I mean like everybody else you kind of get used to it after a while. Zoom meetings all day. Then get a little exercise in, eat. I've been able to play a little golf.  Golf opened back up. That's about it. 

MW: That's the way to go. Tonight, we have The Greatest #AtHomeVideos coming up. What can you say about the creativity of these people who have submitted these videos? People are going a little loopy, been locked indoors I'm sure.

CTE: I mean that's what I think is really great. This show allows us to see the true resilient nature of the human being, the human spirit. What's great about these videos is that it just shows the resilient nature of the attitude of people, we get so many of them.

We've got things people do with their kids to their pets and animals. Some of those things are very heartwarming because of COVID-19. People haven't been able to actually be together especially with loved ones in that real shared experience. We were just really happy to put them into the show and give it to you all in a one stop shop. 

MW: Not that there's ever a good time for all the things that have happened in the last few months, but the fact that it did happen now when we have Zoom and Instagram and YouTube and TikTok at least allows some connection with people. 

CTE: Yeah, I think that's the thing that we kind of realized. We use the term socially distancing and it's like, I'm supposed be social, but I'm supposed to be distant at the same time. There are a lot of people who are in a quarantine situation who are not with loved ones. People living away from their family and living in some town where they're working or something and they're not with the people that they love. 

This is those moments with the technology that we have, we have unique ways to bond and bring people together. This is something that as a show we're able to put together to show the spirit all at once. It ends up being good family fun entertainment on a Friday night. I like the fact that this show is able to do that same thing. I get you all to sit down and enjoy something together.  

MW: Without giving too much away, what are one or two of your favorites? 

CTE: It's a few of them that I really enjoy. Of course, a big viral challenge thing that went crazy with the candy challenge with the little toddlers where you put a bowl of candy and tell them they can't have it right away. I just love that because it just shows us that even as a young person it's challenging to do what we want to do when someone is telling us not to do is always right there on that line. I thought those were fun to watch. 

We had a great one I was able to call my good friend Smokey Robinson to come be a part of the Zoom with this beautiful lady who turned 95 and her family couldn't celebrate with her. They did it over social media and eventually I was able to Zoom in and brought Smokey Robinson in to sing happy birthday to her. It was a real magical moment, one that I think people will quite enjoy. 

MW: That's awesome. You had Smokey Robinson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Luke Bryan, and a lot of huge names on the show. It sounds like Smokey Robinson was one of your favorites but what other special appearances stood out to you? 

CTE: Of course, that is one of my favorites. Then I loved the one with the little kid who asks the UPS driver to get Tony Hawk to sign his skateboard. We got Tony Hawk to actually do it, get a skateboard and sign it for the kid, then for us to bring that family on. They get a chance to recognize them and see how unique this little kid was. To have Tony Hawk join in and surprise these kids and then for us to go and talk to him and their family this was great. 

That's what's great about this show because we're taking people who are popular on the internet and though they may go viral online, we're putting them on TV. That's what I'm doing. They become local stars in their own communities and neighborhoods. Now they're on television and that's totally different. That what's really been a great connection to this bond that you take that kind of viral internet world and put them into this kind of tradition of making people TV stars and that's kind of awesome. 

MW: Last question here, thank you so much for the time first of all, but people really need something good in their lives right now. We all want something uplifting, something to make us smile. This show seems tailor made to give people that reaction. What can you say about putting this show on at a time when people could really use a laugh?

CTE: That's one of the really great things about the opportunity to host a show like this. We take the resilient nature of what is going on with the human beings all around. They try to use the term it's the "new normal," but it's weird man. It's weird. 

But the fact that I can take that and show the best of what we do, some of the heartwarming things that we do as people. How do we care and show up for each other and yet give it to you in a very fun wholesome environment where you can sit down with your family look, laugh, cry, become inspired hopefully. We want people to be able to keep doing them and sending them to us. We can do more and more of these. 

MW: Awesome. Thank you again Cedric, always a pleasure and all the best! Stay safe!

CTE: Thank you man, appreciate you.  

The Greatest #AtHomeVideos airs tonight on CBS at 8:00PM ET/PT, only on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access. Check your local listings for more information.