TBS has ordered an additional 70 episodes of Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” following a successful 10-episode trial run in January, the network said today.
Distributed by Debmar-Mercury, “Browns” is a spinoff of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” which received a 100-episode order after Debmar ran a test in certain markets in 2006. “House of Payne” entered syndication this year.
According to TBS, “Browns” averaged 3.4 million viewers during its four-week run and was second only to “American Idol” in delivery of African American viewers, households and key age groups in January.
“Browns” is expected to land in syndication in fall 2010.
“Tyler Perry and TBS have turned the traditional sitcom model on its head with hit comedies like ‘Meet the Browns’ and ‘House of Payne,’” Mort Marcus, co-president of Debmar-Mercury, said in a statement. “We couldn’t have asked for better partners.”
“Tyler Perry has once again created a series that resonates with an enormous audience,” Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, said in a statement. “‘Meet the Browns’ is a perfect match with ‘House of Payne,’ giving TBS a great lineup on Wednesday nights for years to come.”