Cedric The Entertainer Explores Ferguson A Decade After Michael Brown's Death In New Doc

One of the most pivotal moments in the history of the United States is being told by a King of Comedy. 

13 Days in Ferguson, a special highlighting the aftermath following the 2014 police shooting of a young Black man, aired Aug. 9 on CBS. But now the show can be streamed on Paramount +.

This show features Cedric The Entertainer, a St. Louis area native who grew up right next to Ferguson, and he reunites with his longtime friend, retired lead task force officer Captain Ron Johnson, for an emotional journey, “walking the streets of Ferguson in remembrance of the shocking events that took place there a decade ago.”

How did this all start in Ferguson? Fourteen-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson after a confrontation in Ferguson, Missouri back in 2014. And, of course, that sparked outrage, protests and rioting. 

Assigned to lead law enforcement efforts to defuse the violence was Capt. Ron Johnson is a Black State Police officer with close ties to the community. These Ferguson riots and protests were a watershed moment for a racially conflicted nation and for these two lifelong friends. The show also includes the first-ever sit-down discussion between Capt. Johnson and the victim’s father, Michael Brown, Sr. 

The show debuted 10 years after the riots went down. And Cedric the Entertainer and Captain Johnson rehash some of the moments that sparked outrage around the nation. 

“The story of Ferguson is the story of America,” says Cedric. “It’s important to tell this story now with my friend Ron Johnson because, with the benefit of 10 years, we can see the lessons learned, the progress made and the road ahead with more clarity. This is Ron’s elegy.”

“If I was going to step up to be a leader, then I had to accept whatever came, the good and the bad,” Capt. Johnson says. “Leadership is an honor. People are critical of leadership and a leader has to take whatever comes with that, because he or she has been honored to be in that position. And so, whatever came with it, it was a part of it.”

According to the release, 13 Days in Ferguson is a show by See It Now Studios and Bungalow Media + Entertainment in association with A Bird and a Bear Entertainment. Executive producers are Robert Friedman and Deborah Riley Draper for Bungalow Media + Entertainment, Cedric The Entertainer and Eric C. Rhone for A Bird and a Bear Entertainment, JD DeWitt for Fear Not Productions and Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong for See It Now Studios. Deborah Riley Draper also serves as director.