ATLANTA — Next month viewers can watch new shows from Tyler Perry, and all of the projects were manufactured at his mega studio in Georgia.
Earlier this summer, BET announced season 7 of his long-time running series House of Payne. Viewers can expect fresh episodes on the network Wednesday, Sept. 2. Two half-hour episodes will air starting at 9 p.m. The show went on hiatus back in 2012 and will pick up five years later.
Back in March, singer and actress Demetria McKinney told us the entire cast from the original including China McLain, Lance Gross, and Allen Payne returned for the revamp.
“We went into production pretty quickly, and as you all know the Tyler Perry template is no-nonsense. We shot, and shot, and shot, and that’s all in one day. So, I was able to get my content done, relatively quickly. You should be able to see it this summer hopefully the finished product,” McKinney said.
McKinney, who also currently stars in Freeform's Motherland: Fort Salem says the cast picked up as if things never stopped.
“We came back together. There was still all that love all that admiration. We’re rooting for each other whether we’re together or not and getting to get back into that space with each other. The love for Janine and CJ ain’t going nowhere. Lavan and Ella – they aint gone nowhere,” McKinney said.
The “Happy” recording artists says reuniting with McClain made the moment even more special.
“The biggest shock for me was I think was seeing my baby China. I’ve seen her a couple of times, but when we got cast – we got cast together. Getting that opportunity and her being so young,” McKinney said.
McKinney calls the upcoming season a different level compared to how it started, and the Payne family has definitely grown over the years.
“Everybody has had the opportunity to sprout different levels of within their lives on the paper, and because of those sprouts some of those situations have led people into more drama. You can definitely expect LaVan Davis to be just as zany as he always been as Uncle Curtis.
Photos: See Tyler Perry Studios from above
On the same evening, the Madea star will also premiere a new series Tyler Perry's Assisted Living.
The series follows Jeremy played by Na’im Lynn after losing his job. He is a patriarch of a young family with teenage children and decides to move to the backwoods of Georgia to help his crazy grandfather.
Grandpa Vinny (J. Anthony Brown) has foolishly purchased a terribly run-down home for the elderly and he is in way over his head, but comedy ensues as Mr. Brown (David Mann) and Cora (Tamela Mann) show up at the right time as needy investors.
Perry made national headlines when he resumed production at his studios earlier this year.
He created a coronavirus "bubble," with everyone living on-site, extensive COVID-19 testing, and other safety measures.