Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse is an American television sitcom created, written and executive produced by Tyler Perry. The series is based on and is a TV spin-off to Perry's 2007 film Why Did I Get Married? and its 2010 sequel Why Did I Get Married Too?. The show premiered on TBS on November 25, 2011 and ended on July 22, 2017. 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. The third season of the series premiered on September 18, 2013, on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Video Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse
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 eighth season. Unlike House of Payne and Meet the Browns, which are family-oriented, For Better Or Worse targets young adults. The premiere episode of the series acquired 3.33 million viewers, bringing the show to the top of the charts as basic cable's No. 1 comedy series for the month of October 2011.
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. 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.
A year later, on February 20, 2013, it was announced that TBS chose not to renew the series, and that the Oprah Winfrey Network ordered a third season as part of a new deal with Tyler Perry. The third season of the series premiered on September 18, 2013. The second half of season 3 premiered on April 9, 2014. The third half of season 3 premiered on September 17, 2014. The fourth season of the series premiered on Friday, March 27, 2015. The second half of season 4 premiered on September 11, 2015. The fifth season of the series premiered on April 1, 2016. The second half of season 5 premiered on September 30th. On January 30, 2017 OWN announced that the show will be ending after the sixth season. The sixth season premiered on Saturday, June 10, 2017. The series ended on July 22, 2017. The series had a total of 162 episodes.
The first season of the show did not have a laugh track, but one was added for the second season and onward.
Maps Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse
Cast
- Tasha Smith as Angela Williams: Marcus's spark plug of a wife, the affluent and successful owner of Lady Angie's hair salon and hair care products; originally, from Camden, New Jersey; has a degree in chemistry. In season 1, Angela deals with Marcus's infidelity issues. Marcus tries prove his innocence. It was confirmed in the season 2 premiere. She has hatred for Marcus's ex-girlfriend Keisha throughout the entire series. In season 3, Angela finds out that she has cancer, caused by a mass in her mammogram, but later is misdiagnosed in the seventh season. In the season 4 episode "The Results", Angela finds out she is pregnant, but later in the season 6 premiere, she had suffered a miscarriage.
- Michael Jai White as Marcus Williams: Angela's husband, a former professional football player and owner of a highly rated sports television show C-Sports Now. Season 1 focuses on his infidelity struggles with Angela, Marcus proves his innocence and it was confirmed at the beginning of season 2. In season 4, he unknowingly fathered another child. In the season 4 episode, "The Results", Marcus finds out his wife, Angela is pregnant and is expecting his third child. In the 2007 film, Marcus was working for Angela before owning his sport business.
- Jason Olive as Joseph Jetson: Marcus's partner at C-Sports Now, and best friend since college, a former tennis player and Leslie's husband-to-be. Towards the end of season 2, he and Leslie break up due to their sexual attraction with each other and feelings for marriage, but still has feelings for her and determines to win her back throughout season 3. In the season 2 finale, Joseph suffers from a motorcycle accident on Leslie and Chris's wedding day trying to stop it. In season 3, they get back together. And in season , Joseph finally proposes to Leslie.
- Crystle Stewart as Leslie Morris: Angela's best friend since college, a real estate agent and Joseph Jetson's fiancee. Leslie has doubts about her and Joseph's relationship in Season 2. Towards the end of season 2, Leslie breaks off her relationship with Joseph, she later meets a high school friend, Chris and becomes attracted to him. Chris proposes to Leslie, and they get married in the season 2 finale and the season 3 premiere. In season 3 while married to Chris, Leslie begins to have conflicted feelings for Joseph, especially after learning of his motorcycle accident. Chris learns of that and they divorced.
- Kent Faulcon as Richard Ellington: Marcus's partner and CFO at C-Sports Now, and friend since college, previously dated Marcus' assumed baby mamma Keisha; a former baseball player. After finding out what kind of person she really was, Richard broke up with Keisha. While dealing with the divorce, Richard has anger management issues with Keisha in season 4. In season 5, he is dating Jennifer.
- Cocoa Brown as Jennifer: Angela's comedic childhood friend from Camden, New Jersey and stylist at Lady Angie's. She has two kids. In season 2, she finds out that she has HIV but later is misdiagnosed. In season 5, she starts developing feelings for Richard.
- Bobb'e J. Thompson as Marcus "M.J." Williams, Jr, (Season 1-2): Marcus and Angela's son.
- Brad James as Todd: Intern at C-Sports Now who can be a good and irritating friend to Marcus, Joseph, and Richard. In season five, Todd learns that he fathered a child with a woman named Shawn.
- Chandra Currelley as Miss V, (Season 1-2, 4-present; Guest, Season 3): Marcus and Angela's housekeeper.
- Bobbi Kristina Brown as Tina, (Season 2): Jennifer's college-aged daughter.
- Kiki Haynes as Ro'Keisha "Keisha" Jones, (Season 1, recurring; Season 2-present): Marcus's troublesome ex-girlfriend, who ignites bitter feuds with Angela throughout the series. She dated Richard Ellington and has a degree in accounting. They married and then divorced. In season 4, after the divorce settlement, Keisha is working with Marcus, Joseph, Richard, and Todd at C-Sports Now. Haynes was promoted to the main cast in season 2. Kaira Whitehead originally portrayed Keisha in the 2007 film.
Recurring
- Teka Brandon as Dominique Williams (Season 1-3): Keisha's daughter. Originally believed to be Marcus's daughter, until Season 2.
- Jermaine L. Brantley (Season 1) Cedric Stewart (Season 2) as Tyrik: Contractor and Angela's old flame from college.
- Rhyon Nicole Brown as Pam (Season 4): Marcus's 17 year-old daughter, who he unknowingly fathered.
- Dorsey Levens as Benny (Season 6): Marcus's ex-teammate and friend who once shared a intimate past with Angela who he currently still has feelings for.
Episodes
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." 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?".
Awards/Nominations
- 2012: Nomination - NAMIC Vision Award Best Performance - Comedy - Tasha Smith
- 2013: Nomination - NAMIC Vision Award Best Performance - Comedy - Tasha Smith
- 2014: Nomination - Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series - Tasha Smith
References
External links
- Tyler Perry's Official Website
- Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse on IMDb
- Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse at TV.com
- Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse at TV Guide
Source of article : Wikipedia