LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The producer of "House of Payne," the highest-rated original cable TV comedy, will produce a new U.S. sitcom "Meet the Browns," Variety reported Wednesday.
Producer-actor Tyler Perry has gotten the green light from TBS to produce a new half-hour comedy loosely based on this year's movie of the same name, which will star David Mann in the title role of Leroy Brown, the show business trade journal reported.
It said Perry's "House of Payne" could end up grossing more than $200 million through 2012 after receiving the go-ahead for 26 more episodes and his now entering syndication. His "Meet the Browns" will tape 10 episodes at the same Atlanta sound stage Perry uses for "Payne" and will begin airing on TBS in January.
Variety said that although Perry is still working out the final drafts, "Meet the Browns" will be set in a boarding house and feature mostly black characters.
