Bernie Mac's Kiddie Crisis

Fox's brash new family satire The Bernie Mac Show (premiering Wednesday at 8:30 pm/ET) may be polarizing critics, but few would argue that the original King of Comedy struck gold casting his scene-stealing co-stars: "Adopted" whippersnappers Camille Winbush, Jeremy Suarez and Dee Dee Davis.

"We looked at some talented kids," the comic-turned-actor tells TV Guide Online, "but the individuals who made it earned it." Adds Kellita Smith, who plays Mac's wife on screen and off: "They are amazing. They are [wise] beyond their years."

But will they be sticking around? Given Bernie Mac's clever premise — reluctant parents (Mac and Smith) take in his drug-addicted sister's three kids while said sibling is recovering in rehab — it would seem the answer is no. Naturally, the MIA mom will eventually reclaim her kids, right? "There is going to be an episode where the mother returns," Mac confirms. "I think the audience is going to look for that... they're going to be craving it. They want to see what will happen. It's going to be deep and it's going to be funny."

However, he insists that while the couple will "be threatened about losing the kids," they won't actually lose them. "We have a lot of areas we can go with that, [but] that's down the road."

When the time comes for the tense family reunion, Mac hints that the role of his sister will require the skills of a "special" actress. Does he have any particular performer in mind? "No," he maintains. "We want to finalize the storyline, and once we finalize the story, we want somebody to fit that storyline.

"I'm a spontaneous cat," adds the upcoming Oceans 11 star. "I like things to happen naturally. [We're going to cast the sister] the same way we cast the rest of them: It happens."