OWN Acquires 'For Better or Worse' from TBS

Deal includes encore rights to Tyler Perry sitcom; new episodes to premiere in fall

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/20/2013 4:20:08 PM

OWN is doubling down on Tyler Perry, on Wednesday announcing it has acquired the multi-hyphenate's sitcom For Better or Worse.

The Oprah Winfrey Network will produce a third season of new episodes to debut in fall 2013. It has also won the encore rights to Better or Worse's first two seasons, which aired on TBS.

Perry has two new series set to launch on OWN on May 29, the drama The Haves and the Have Nots and comedy Love Thy Neighbor as part of the exclusive TV deal he signed with the network last year. The series are OWN's first foray into scripted programming.

For Better or Worse, which follows three couples at various stages of their relationships, averaged 2.9 million total viewers in its first season. Its second season of 35 episodes concluded last December with the finale drawing 1.3 million total viewers on TBS.