OWN Nabs Tyler Perry's FOR BETTER OR WORSE, Orders Third Season

Tyler Perry's popular sitcom "For Better Or Worse" is coming to OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network with a third season of all new episodes debuting in the fall of 2013. In addition, the network has garnered the encore rights for the first two seasons of the sitcom's 45 episodes that originally aired on TBS.

The series, which was basic cable's #1 sitcom of 2011 and the #1 show on all of television with African-American adults, follows three couples who are at various stages of their relationships as they weather the ups-and-downs of married life and dating. The original cast is set to return in their starring roles including Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Crystle Stewart, Kent Faulcon, Kiki Haynes and Jason Olive. Production will begin in Atlanta in April.

"'For Better Or Worse' is a great addition to our growing lineup of scripted programming from Tyler," said Erik Logan, president, OWN. "We're excited to build out OWN's slate of original shows."

"For Better Or Worse" will mark OWN's third scripted series from Perry who has an exclusive deal with the network to produce new television series and projects. The first two original series - the sitcom "Love Thy Neighbor" and the ensemble drama "The Haves and the Have Nots" - are set to premiere in May. The original series mark the network's first venture into scripted programming.

Written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry, "For Better of Worse" centers on Angela Williams (Tasha Smith, "Why Did I Get Married Too?," "Couples Retreat"), the owner of a successful beauty salon, and her husband of 13 years, Marcus (Michael Jai White, "Why Did I Get Married Too?," "Spawn"). Marcus is a former professional football player who has recently partnered with Richard Ellington (Kent Faulcon, "American Beauty") and Joseph Jetson (Jason Olive, "Raising Helen") on a new sports news program called C-Sports Now. Marcus's business relationship with Richard and Joseph is complicated, however, by the fact that Richard is dating Keisha (Kiki Haynes, "Nora's Hair Salon"), Marcus's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his teenage daughter. In addition, Joseph's girlfriend, successful real estate agent Leslie (Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008), is Angela's best friend, which sometimes makes it difficult for the couples to keep their business and private lives from mingling. The series is produced by Tyler Perry Studios.

Tyler Perry is an acclaimed writer, director, producer and playwright. A simple piece of advice from Oprah Winfrey set his career in motion as a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences led to his writing of his first musical, "I Know I've Been Changed" in 1992. Madea first debuted in 2000's "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" and spawned three more plays leading to Perry's jump to the big screen with 2005's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which debuted at #1 nationwide. He has since written, directed or produced 14 films, three television series and 14 plays. Perry's first book, Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries On Life and Love was a New York Times bestseller and claimed two Quill Book Awards. Most recently he starred as the title character inRob Cohen's "Alex Cross." In 2013, two additional projects featuring Perry behind the scenes will be released - "The Marriage Counselor," which Perry wrote/produced and directed, and "We the Peeples," which he produced through his 34th Street Films banner.

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