TBS extends 'House of Payne' run

LOS ANGELES, July 24 (UPI) -- TBS says it is expanding its partnership with Tyler Perry and Debmar-Mercury by ordering 20 more episodes of the U.S. sit-com "Tyler Perry's House of Payne."

The order will bring the number of episodes in the series to 172.

"We have a terrific relationship with Tyler Perry, and this deal means new episodes of 'House of Payne' will continue to air on TBS well into the future," Michael Wright -- executive vice president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies -- said in a statement. "Tyler stands alone in the entertainment business today as an entrepreneur who knows his audience. It's great to continue working with Tyler and our partners at Debmar-Mercury."

"Tyler Perry has created the first sit-com in history to reach this many episodes in just two years, an amazing achievement that only a handful of top comedies have been able to achieve after many, many years," added Debmar-Mercury Co-President Mort Marcus.

"TBS' extension of this great program affirms the value of this groundbreaking sit-com model, which Tyler quickly turned from a dream into a phenomenal success," noted Debmar-Mercury Co-President Ira Bernstein.