Apparently, television can’t get enough of Tyler Perry. The entertainment mogul has signed on to develop TLC’s first scripted series, “Too Close to Home,” according to the network.
TLC, formerly The Learning Channel, is known for lifestyle and reality shows like “Cake Boss,” “Say Yes to the Dress,””Sister Wives,” and “My 600-lb Life.” So a scripted show is definitely a new direction for the network.
“Too Close to Home” is an eight-episode drama that will follow the life of a young woman who was involved in politics in Washington D.C., but her position is compromised when she is caught in a public affair with a married senator. After she is forced to give up her political lifestyle, she begins to face tough situations from her past. The actress playing the central character has not yet been revealed.
Perry will write, produce, and direct the upcoming program. He still produces four shows on OWN, which, along with TLC, is co-owned by Discovery Communications.
“At TLC, we want to give our viewers more of what they love, and more of what we do best — we tell stories of big, fascinating characters and we tell them without judgment,” Nancy Daniels, president of TLC and Discovery Life, recently said in a statement. “This year we’re also making a big move into the scripted space with Tyler Perry and bringing back our beloved property programming with big names like Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent. We’re beyond excited to introduce our audience to new content and refresh a genre that TLC dominated for years.”
The network’s announcement is coming after it delivered disappointing ratings last year. According to Nielsen, TLC’s 2015 ratings plummeted by almost 20 percent among the 18-to-49-year-old viewers that advertisers attempt to reach.
“Too Close to Home” is expected to premiere later this year.
Are you excited about another Tyler Perry show?
