Oprah’s return is big with her new program, Greenleaf, in which she works as an executive producer and also as a recurrent character. It will be released on June 21 at 10:00 pm ET /PT and will represent the return of Oprah on stage as the great actress she is.

This new series comes with everything you would expect from a work of this magnitude about a religious family: sex, lies, betrayal, infidelity, addiction, and greed.

For Oprah, this is a dream come true after trying to make it real for five years with great effort and many struggles. She received help from many collaborators who allow her dream to happen, like Tyler Perry, who helped her steer the boat. Perry has a foundation that gave impetus to Greenleaf to become reality and later they also joined as executive producer Ava DuVernay.

Oprah's return is big with her new program, Greenleaf, in which she works as an executive producer and also as a recurrent character. Photo credit: TV Guide
Oprah’s return is big with her new program, Greenleaf, in which she works as an executive producer and also as a recurrent character. Photo credit: TV Guide

Tribeca Film Festival

On Wednesday, the Tribeca Film Festival offered a small appetizer of the new series with the release of its first chapter, which tells the story of a ex-preacher called Grace “Gigi” Greenleaf (), who returns to the family farm in Memphis to attend the funeral of her sister Faith, a victim of suicide.

But before her arrival, dramas and secrets begin to surface. The season begins with a characteristic melodrama, introducing controversial characters of the members of Gigi’s family, including his father, the bishop of the church (Keith David); her jealous sister (Deborah Joy Winans), her unfaithful brother (Lamman Rucker); a pedophile uncle (Gregory Alan Williams) and her calculating sister-in-law (Kim Hawthorne).

The series tells the story of a woman who returns  home because she misses her family. It is a story about the loss of faith and an attempt to recover it by the revival of family relationships, and all the challenges and obstacles that are presented when they try to fix certain situations.

How was the project born?

The idea came during a meeting between Oprah and the writer Craig Wright when arguing about the meaning of the Church for the African American community. Clement Virgo, author of “The Book of Negroes”, joined them as an executive producer and director, and will be responsible for giving life to thirteen episodes of this series.

Greenleaf producers joined on stage at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center along with the cast. Actress Lynn Whitfield  said that she was instantly attracted to the show.

“This is a story we have not seen on TV for a long time … It is not about racial problems or financial difficulty. These people have to deal with themselves and their lives,” she said, as reported by Reuters.

Winfrey further emphasized the importance of a good story, adding that with projects like Greenleaf, she hopes to “raise consciousness”.

She also added that this project is closely related to the programs she usually works with, showing people new ways to see themselves and see the problems and defects we all have; and finding a good way to deal with them.

Source: USA Today