Cast of "Greenleaf", a new TV drama produced by the Oprah Winfrey Network, attends the Tibeca Tune In at BMCC John Zuccotti Theater, New York City. (Photo : Stringer/Ben Gabbe)
The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has released its first scripted television drama "Greenleaf". Produced and co-starred by Winfrey herself, the new show includes Emmy Award-winning actors Lynn Whitfield and Keith David.
Since the network launched, fans have waited for it to launch its own TV series. And it took them five years to finally release their very own night-time soap opera.
According to the Oprah Winfrey website, the series is about a daughter who comes back to her powerful family which leads the Memphis megachurch empire. Its exquisite location, top-rated cast has also brought back to television, Winfrey, who plays a co-starring role are just a few elements to look forward to in this new drama. Moreover, the show is created by Emmy-nominated writer, Craig Wright.
Critics says that if OWN have launched "Greenleaf" a few years ago, it could have fared well enough with popular TV shows such as "Breaking Bad", "Downtown Abbey", "Revenge" and "Sons of Anarchy". In addition, their first series might have also been a part of TV's "Golden Age".
Last night's pilot episode has shown Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge) with Sophia (Desiree Rose), her teen daughter, going back to their family mansion in Tennessee to attend the funeral of her sister, Faith.
She was once a known preacher in the Calvary Fellowship World Ministries operated by the Greenleaf family. The church is led by her parents, Bishop James (Keith David) and his wife Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield) also described as his Lady Macbeth. Grace had cut ties with her family due to yet-to-be disclosed personal reasons and is now a journalist.
Except for her father, members of the Greenleaf family like her sister-in-law Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne) and sister Charity (Deborah Joy Winans) are not pleased with the prodigal daughter's return.
Faith's death has not been discussed until she went to a blues club owned by her Aunt Mavis (Winfrey). And both women think that Faith had killed herself because she suffered sexual abuse from their Uncle Mac (Gregory Alan Williams). Moreover, Mavis believes Faith might not be the only girl from church Uncle Mac has abused.
With the drama's intense plot touching delicate issues like religion, corruption and sexual abuse in addition to its praiseworthy gospel singing, "Greenleaf" could have been the "Empire" before "Empire", another successful musical TV drama about a family fighting for the control of a big-time music company, according to Los Angeles Times.
