Now Playing
Courtesy of NBCUniversalTyler Perry‘s long-running drama, The Have and Have Nots, is officially coming to an end on OWN.
According to Deadline, Perry’s hit series will conclude its 196-episode run at the end of its current eighth season. The show, which had its midseason finale on Tuesday, will return in May with its final batch of episodes.
Debuting in May 2013, The Have and Have Nots was OWN’s first scripted drama and one of the network’s highest-rated series, averaging nearly three million viewers and ranking among the top two scripted cable series among African American women.
In a statement, Oprah Winfrey expressed her gratitude to Perry for bringing his series to her network. “To say [the show] took off from the first day it hit the air is an understatement,” said Winfrey. “It’s all due to one man’s creativity and very vivid imagination, a man I refer to as my ‘big little brother,’ Tyler Perry.”
“I thank Tyler, the incredible cast, the tireless crew and every single viewer who watched with bated breath each week and tweeted along with us these past eight years,” Oprah continued. “I will be watching alongside you all during this final season.”
The Haves and the Have Nots — which follows the rich and powerful Cryer and Harrington families and those who work for them — is the last Tyler Perry series on OWN under Perry’s deal, which ended in March 2019. As you may recall, Perry recently partnered with ViacomCBS, where he creates and produces shows for BET and BET+.
By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
