Tyler Perry must be listening to a lot of P. Diddy lately because he won’t stop. His newest OWN show imported from TBS, “For Better For Worse,” earned The Oprah Winfrey Network its highest Wednesday night ratings ever. By it’s second episode (the first two aired back to back) over 1.6 millon people were watching.
“Thank you to the people,” Perry said on the Tom Joyner Morning Show today. “The people turnin’ it out, watching it. I’m so grateful. ‘For Better or Worse’ is the last show that was on TBS that was coming over. But so many people want to see ‘House of Payne.’ People still love that show, as do I, so we’re trying to figure out what to do with that right now. “
Perry’s deal with TBS that originally aired both shows and “Meet the Browns,” allowed him a lot of leeway and the chance for lengthy broadcast runs. Obviously, there are still people who want to experience to see those characters even after their success on TBS.
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“TBS/Turner that whole thing was such a great experience for me,” Perry says. “It taught me a lot and I think it left both of us for the better.” OWN is obviously better as well for the partnership with Perry. His original shows “Love Thy Neighbor” and “The Haves and the Have Nots” are doing great as well. Both are returning for second seasons on OWN.
“I could have not had any success over there if Oprah had not done what she’s done. She’s done a great job putting things in place, getting the right team. Once she left her show and starting getting in there herself all of hat had turned around even before I got there.”
The good news for Perry fans, like Tom Joyner who has admitted his fondness for “The Have and Have Nots” and its bad girl character Candace, played by Tika Sumpter, is that Perry has just completed writing episodes for next season.
“I turned it up,” Perry says of “The Haves and the Have Nots. “I turned it up like crazy for next season so hold onto your seats!”
In other Perry news, he’ll be part of the David Fincher adaptation of the Gillian Lynch bestseller, “Gone Girl” starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as a troubled couple. Perry will play a defense lawyer hired by Affleck’s character when his wife disappears.
“For Better or Worse” airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on OWN.
