Oprah Winfrey Makes Return to Scripted TV in Greenleaf

LOS ANGELES: OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has set a special two-night premiere starting off on May 24 at 10 p.m. for the new original series Greenleaf, which features Oprah Winfrey’s first recurring scripted TV role in two decades.

The drama comes from Emmy-nominated writer/producer Craig Wright (Lost, Six Feet Under) and Lionsgate Television. Greenleaf centers on the journey of estranged daughter and disillusioned preacher Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge, The Night Shift) who has returned home after 20 years on the occasion of the mysterious death of her sister, Faith. She reenters the world of Calvary Fellowship World Ministries, the Memphis megachurch run by her powerful parents Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David, Enlisted) and Lady Mae Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield, The Josephine Baker Story) and learns that things are not as virtuous as they seem. Winfrey plays Grace’s aunt, Mavis, who is estranged from the family.

The new original series will launch on Tuesday, May 24, and Wednesday, May 25, at 10 p.m. on OWN. It will air regularly on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. for the rest of its 13-episode first season.