Posted by | Cyrena Rose
“YES IT’S TRUE!”
The Queen of television is joining forces in an exclusive multi-year deal with Tyler Perry.
Via his facebook fan page, Tyler Perry made the announcement that he and Oprah have joined forces. Perry stated, “we’ve formed a partnership for OWN and I’m super excited about it.” He added, “I’ll fill you in more as we get closer to the airing of my shows. I have a lot of questions for you about this, so stay close, OK? I need your help.”
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has signed Tyler Perry to a multi-year deal to create new scripted TV shows for the network. The two scripted shows are targeted for a mid-2013 premiere. Perry will write, direct and executive produce both new shows on OWN.
The partnership is certain to consume a large portion of OWN’s annual programming budget, particularly because it involves scripted shows, which are more expensive to produce than unscripted shows. Until now, OWN has broadcast only unscripted series.
“I have been looking forward to the day when we would be in the position to enter the world of scripted television. That day has come,” Oprah Winfrey, CEO of OWN, said in a statement. “We are all energized by the opportunity to collaborate with Tyler who has a proven track record for producing highly successful cable series. He has an incredible ability to illuminate life stories and characters in his unique voice and inspires and encourages people all over the world.”
Perry has created a string of sitcom hits for TBS, including House of Payne and Meet the Browns. TBS, will continue to broadcast repeats of his shows, including For Better or Worse.
Does this deal with OWN signal that Tyler Perry has ruled out the creation of a cable channel of his own? Only time will tell.
What are your thoughts of Tyler Perry collaborating with a fellow media mogul and friend?