or


[05/23/06 - 12:00 AM]
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Off to Strong Start

[via press release from Debmar-Mercury]

TYLER PERRY'S HOUSE OF PAYNE OFF TO STRONG START

WWOR-My9Sets the Pace for Debmar-Mercury's 10 Market Test Run

Los Angeles, May 23, 2006-Tyler Perry's original comedy series, House of Payne, is scoring with late night audiences as its two week test run on WWOR-My9 finished up last week. In its two week test at 11 pm, House of Payne has delivered big female demographics for WWOR-My9, MyNetworkTV's flagship station. In all three key demos; W18-34 (2.3/7), W18-49 (2.1/6) and W25-54 (2.2/5) House of Payne has dramatically increased the time period average of Bernie Mac with gains of 75%, 100% and 67% respectively vs. February 2006. Competitively House of Payne scored big for WWOR-My9, beating sitcom giant Seinfeld in all three female demos, outscoring Sex and The City in W25-54, and tying Sex in W18-49. House of Payne's female demos were the top-rated amongst all strip shows on WWOR-My9 all day long.

KTXH, Ch 20 Houston (The FOX Television Stations owned and operated MyNetworkTV station) which is completing its first week has also seen the show deliver a spike in audience, averaging a 3.1/6 rating and share which is 100% improvement over the February '06 time period average and a 50% increase over the Steve Harvey lead-in. This comes on the heels of its fantastic primetime one-hour premiere last week at 7:00 pm, where House of Payne delivered a 6.7/10 tying it for first place in the time period with CBS' comedy block and NBC's Deal or No Deal.

Inspired by the independent film platform release model, Debmar-Mercury is distributing ten episodes of the series, which was created specifically for syndication, in a limited run this Spring/Summer with additional episodes to be available for national distribution in Fall 2007. The stations participating in the limited run represent all of the major independent station groups, including FOX, Tribune, CBS and Sinclair. Two stations from each station group, in addition to two independents, were selected to give a balanced sample for these first airings.

"With all of the stations watching this test run very carefully, we're thrilled that our confidence in audience response to the concept of a first-run syndicated comedy with Tyler Perry as the creative driving force is paying off, said Mort Marcus, co-president Debmar-Mercury. "We're particularly pleased that the series is performing in markets as disparate as New York and Houston and in different time periods."

Added co-president Ira Bernstein, "In a year with so few comedies, especially those serving the African-American audience, making the broadcast network prime-time line-ups, we believe there will be even greater market potential for House of Payne. As audience response to the initial test runs demonstrates, the market for comedy has not diminished."

House of Payne, about the comical situations that ensue when a multi-generational family lives under one roof, reflects Perry's gift for delivering inspirational and uplifting stories with identifiable characters. Perry serves as creator, executive producer, writer and director of the series.

This is the first television production outing for Perry, who is best known for his hits film Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion. Perry is also one America's most successful young playwrights. His plays including I Know I've Been Changed and I Can Do Bad All By Myself among others, have earned over $100M in ticket sales and $30M in home video sales. Approximately 300 of Perry's live shows a year are seen by over 2,000,000 theatergoers. Perry recently released his first book, titled Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Life and Love.

About Debmar-Mercury

Debmar-Mercury is a worldwide production and distribution media company specializing in network, cable, syndication, VOD/Pay-Per-View and Pay TV. Debmar-Mercury owns the distribution rights to the country's fastest growing off-net sitcom, South Park, and an extensive movie library featuring titles from Revolution Studios. The company also licenses the Sci-Fi Channel's hit series Farscape, sci-fi/suspense series The Dead Zone, Dark Kingdom, Lion's Gate films, and National Geographic's Really Wild Animals.





  [may 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· DARK KINGDOM: THE DRAGON KING (SCI FI)
· DEAD ZONE, THE (USA)
· FARSCAPE (SCI FI)
· HOUSE OF PAYNE (BET)
· SOUTH PARK (COMEDY CENTRAL)





[10/24/25 - 02:30 PM]
Video: First Look at Upcoming New Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret - he has developed early onset Alzheimer's.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.