LOS ANGELES - Cedric the Entertainer Presents has earned a full-season order from Fox, making it the third first-year show on the network to be picked up.

The pickup of the sketch-comedy/variety show means the network's Wednesday-night lineup, which also includes Cedric's Kings of Comedy partner Bernie Mac and the action romp Fastlane - which was picked up earlier this week - will remain stable for the entire season.

"Cedric has a unique voice, which is perfectly suited to Fox," says Gail Berman, the network's president of entertainment. "This series is unlike any other, and this pickup is an acknowledgement of the belief we have in both the show and Cedric as a television star."

Fox has also ordered a full season of the Friday-night drama John Doe. The fate of the network's remaining freshman show, Joss Whedon's sci-fi Western Firefly, hasn't been decided yet, while the pretty young lawyers of girls club were sacked after just two weeks on the air.

Cedric, which airs at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, has been an excellent fit with its lead-in, The Bernie Mac Show. It's averaging about 7.5 million viewers a week and holding on to almost 95 percent of Bernie Mac's audience.

- Zap2it