Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse

For Better or Worse
Genre Comedy-drama
Created by Tyler Perry
Directed by Tyler Perry
Starring
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 6
No. of episodes 104 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Tyler Perry
  • Ozzie Areu
Camera setup Multiple
Running time 22 to 24 minutes
Production company(s) Tyler Perry Studios
Broadcast
Original channel TBS (Seasons 1–2)
OWN (Season 3- )
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Original run November 25, 2011 – present
Chronology
Related shows Why Did I Get Married?
(2007 film)
Why Did I Get Married Too?
(2010 film)
External links
Website
Production website

Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse is an American comedy-drama series created and produced by playwright/director/producer Tyler Perry. The series is based on Perry's 2007 film Why Did I Get Married? and its 2010 sequel Why Did I Get Married Too?. It premiered on TBS on November 25, 2011.[1] Led by the comical, over-the-top antics of Marcus and Angela Williams, the ensemble follows three couples: Marcus and Angela, Joseph and Leslie, and Richard and Keisha who are at various stages of their relationships as they go through the ups-and-downs of married life and dating.

Production

TBS announced the straight-to-series order of For Better or Worse on April 26, 2011, the same day it was announced that House of Payne would be ending after its eight season.[2][3] Unlike House of Payne and Meet the Browns, which are family-oriented, For Better Or Worse targets young adults.[4] The premiere episode of the series acquired 3.33 million viewers,[5] bringing the show to the top of the charts as basic cable's No. 1 comedy series for the month of November 2011.[5][6]

In February 2012, TBS announced the thirty-five episode second season renewal, which premiered on July 13, 2012, with the first season averaging 2.9 million viewers.[7] For Better or Worse was also basic cable’s No. 1 sitcom of 2011 and the No. 1 show on all of television with African-American adults in the same year.[8][9]

A year later, on February 20, 2013, it was announced that TBS chose not to renew the series, and that the Oprah Winfrey Network since ordered a third season as part of a new deal the network made with Perry.[10] The third season of the series premiered on September 18, 2013.[11][12] The fourth season of the series premiered on April 9, 2014. The fifth season of the series premiered on September 17, 2014. The sixth season of the series will premiere on Friday, March 27, 2015.

Cast

Recurring

Episodes

Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired Network
1 10 November 25, 2011 December 23, 2011 TBS
2 35 July 13, 2012 December 7, 2012
3 26 September 18, 2013 December 11, 2013 OWN
4 15 April 9, 2014 June 11, 2014
5 14 September 17, 2014 December 17, 2014
6 N/A March 27, 2015 N/A

Reception

The sitcom was welcomed to generally mixed reviews from critics. Boston Herald said "This is more soap than sitcom, an upscale Dynasty crossed with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with a dash of urban sass. It knocks you back with a bracing dose of its characters’ resentments and rages."[13] Opportunity LOL said "I am curious why Tyler Perry wrote for most characters to be so ostentatiously wealthy as it brings the style a little too close to day-time soap operas. Wait a second, did Tyler Perry convince me to watch a soap opera?".[14]

References

  1. ↑ "TBS Sends Tyler Perry Comedies to Friday Nights". The Futon Critic. October 20, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (April 26, 2011). "TBS Orders Its Third Tyler Perry Series". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Gorman, Bill (April 26, 2011). "TBS Orders Tyler Perry’s 'For Better or Worse'". TV by the Numbers.
  4. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (April 26, 2011). "TBS Orders Third Tyler Perry/Debmar-Mercury Sitcom, Ends ‘House Of Payne’". Deadline Hollywood.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Seidman, Robert (November 28, 2011). "'Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse' Premieres to 3.4 Million Friday Night on TBS". TV by the Numbers.
  6. ↑ "TBS's Friday Night Launch of "Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse" Is Basic Cable's #1 Comedy Series for the Month of November". The Futon Critic. November 30, 2011.
  7. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley. "TBS Orders More of Tyler Perry's 'For Better or Worse'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  8. ↑ Ho, Rodney (February 15, 2012). "TBS cancels ‘Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns,’ gives ‘For Better or Worse’ 35 episodes". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  9. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 15, 2012). "'Tyler Perry's For Better Or Worse' Renewed by TBS with 35 Episode Order". TV by the Numbers (Press release).
  10. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 20, 2013). "OWN Picks Up Tyler Perry’s Sitcom ‘For Better Or Worse’, Orders Third Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  11. ↑ Bibel, Sara (July 25, 2013). "OWN Greenlights 'It's Primetime' Starring Deion Sanders, Announces Lindsay Lohan Interview to Air August 18". TV by the Numbers.
  12. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (August 20, 2013). "Tyler Perry's Popular Sitcom 'For Better or Worse' Comes to OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network". TV by the Numbers.
  13. ↑ Perigard, Mark (November 25, 2011). "Tyler Perry's 'Better' is one of his worst". Boston Herald.
  14. ↑ Haynes, Robert (December 16, 2011). "Opportunity LOL Reviews: "Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse" Television Show". Opportunity LOL.

External links