As you should recall, OWN's first scripted series from Tyler Perry are: a one-hour drama titled The Haves and the Have Nots; and a half-hour comedy series called Love Thy Neighbor, both shows set to debut on May 29, on OWN.
I initially joked that The Haves and the Have Nots was akin to Downton Abbey, although the two have very little in common, except for the class differences each tackles.
Written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry, the one-hour drama series will follow the dynamics of the affluent Cryer family and the impoverished family of Hanna, their housekeeper, and the obstacles and secrets that exist within both families.
It's now been announced that the cast of The Haves and the Have Nots will be headlined by John Schneider as the patriarch of the affluent Cryer family, Jim Cryer. No word on who will play housekeeper Hanna, although I'm going to go out on a limb (well, not really) and say that she'll very likely be black, which will add a potential second layer of conflict in race. But I could certainly be proven wrong!
We'll see!
No other casting on The Haves and the Have Nots right now. However, for the other series, the half-hour comedy Lover Thy Neighbor, Jonathan Chase, Palmer Williams, Patrice Lovely, Kendra C. Johnson, Andre Hall and Darmirra Brunson (who won Tyler Perry's talent search last year; remember that?) have all been cast in a show that will be set at Love’s Diner, where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a whole lot of love for its zany neighbors.
Lovely will play Hattie, the diner’s owner. Johnson will play her daughter who lives with her mother and works at the diner. Hall will play Linda’s son who moves back with his mother and grandmother after his marriage ends; Chase will play the son's co-worker and best friend. And Brunson will play Amber, a neighbor.
More casting announcements, especially for The Haves and the Have Nots, should be forthcoming… May isn't so far away, so production should be getting under way soon, if not already, and we should get our first look at both series within a couple of months or so.
