Oprah’s OWN network has announced two new shows written and produced by Tyler Perry.
The first is called “Haves and the Have Nots,” which compares the lives of a wealthy family and a poor one. “Haves and the Have Nots” is a single-camera effort about the dynamics of the affluent Cyrer family and the impoverished family of their housekeeper, Hanna, and the obstacles and secrets that exist within both families,” said an OWN representative to the Hollywood reporter.
The rich/poor dynamic is a theme often examined in Perry’s work, with many storylines in the popular “Madea” film franchise featuring wealthy individuals getting some needed perspective. Most recently, Perry explored this theme in Madea’s Witness Protection, where a wealthy New York family must hide in Madea’s house in Atlanta for safekeeping.
Perry’s second show for OWN, “Love Thy Neighbor,” will be a more lighthearted, multicamera series set at Love’s Diner, “where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a lot of love for its zany neighbors,” said the OWN representative.
Per the usual, Perry will write, direct and executive produce both shows. Both are set to start production early in 2013 and debut midseason.
The Perry shows mark a new direction for OWN, which has thus far mainly focused on interviews and reality shows, as opposed to scripted series. One of the most popular programs has been “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” an interview segment that is an outgrowth of her old talkshow. Winfrey has sat down with everyone from Steven Spielberg to Justin Bieber to the family of the late Whitney Houston.
Perry seemed excited about his collaboration with Winfrey, posting on Facebook earlier this fall: “Yes it’s true, Oprah and I have joined forces. We’ve formed a partnership for OWN and I’m super excited about it. I’ll fill you in more as we get closer to the airing of my shows.”
