Tyler Perry's House of Payne

"House of Payne" redirects here. For the Family Guy episode of a similar name, see Brian Griffin's House of Payne.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Format	Sitcom Comedy-drama Black sitcom Slapstick
Created by	Tyler Perry
Directed by	Tyler Perry Kim Fields Chip Hurd
Starring	Allen Payne LaVan Davis Cassi Davis Lance Gross Larramie "Doc" Shaw China Anne McClain Demetria McKinney Denise Burse Keshia Knight Pulliam
Country of origin	United States of America
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	202 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Tyler Perry Reuben Cannon
Camera setup	Videotape (Filmized); Multi-camera
Running time	20-23 minutes
Production company(s)	Tyler Perry Studios
Distributor	Debmar-Mercury
Broadcast
Original channel	Syndication (2006) TBS (2007-present)
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Original run	June 21, 2006 (2006-06-21) – present
Chronology
Related shows	Meet the Browns (2009–2011)
External links
Website

Tyler Perry's House of Payne is an American comedy-drama television series created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta, Georgia led by patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella. The show premiered in syndication on June 21, 2006, and new episodes have been broadcast exclusively on TBS since June 6, 2007.^[1] While primarily a comedy sitcom, House of Payne is known for featuring dark themes and subject matter, such as substance abuse and addiction, and has thus often been classified as a comedy-drama or black comedy. It also has elements of slapstick.^[2] The storyline of the show is serialized, with many references to past episodes, creating a continuing story arc.

Production history

The sitcom ran in first-run syndication for 10 episodes during the summer of 2006 on the broadcast version of WTBS, along with nine other broadcast outlets across the country, as a limited run, with additional episodes to be available for national distribution on TBS in June 2007. An order of 100 episodes was requested by TBS.

A cable record for sitcom airings was broken with 5.2 and 5.8 million for the two premiere episodes on TBS on June 6, 2007.^[3] However, the audience has declined to a recent 4.3 million as of the week ending September 30, 2007 and 2.260 and 2.099 as of May 19, 2010.^[4]

The principal cast remained the same (with the exception of Lance Gross being added), led by LaVan Davis. The original format of the series centred around C.J. (Allen Payne) and his family moving in with his Aunt Ella and Uncle Curtis (Cassi Davis and LaVan Davis). Robinne Lee had a recurring guest stint in Season 1-2 as Malik and Jazmine's principal, Nicole Jamieson, whom C.J. soon began dating. Rochelle Aytes originally portrayed as Nicole Jamieson in the test pilot episodes; whereas she was Malik's math teacher. In the test run, Ella and Curtis were originally C.J.'s parents, but in its current format, Calvin is their son and C.J. their nephew. Despite his top billing, Allen Payne is not considered^[who?] to be the main actor of the series, especially due to his long absence in the fifth season.

At the beginning of the fifth season, China Anne McClain (Jazmine) and Denise Burse (Claretha) were removed from the series. The characters were written out, with Jazmine going away to a school for gifted children in North Carolina and Claretha marrying a prince and moving away. In real life, McClain left the series for undisclosed reasons. In the beginning of Season 6, both McClain and Burse have returned. Some of the cast members of Tyler Perry's were on The Mo'Nique Show in October 2009. In the seventh season, China Anne McClain has appeared infrequently due to her work schedule for A.N.T. Farm. Denise Burse is no longer credited as a regular cast member. She appears in a recurring role.

Larramie "Doc" Shaw, who portrays Malik, has appeared infrequently since the sixth season. This is due to Shaw's work schedules for The Suite Life on Deck and Pair of Kings, a show he currently stars on Disney XD. He is still a cast member of the show.

All of the episodes from the first five seasons were directed by Tyler Perry. Throughout Season 6, each episode has been directed by actress Kim Fields or her mother Chip Hurd. Tyler Perry directed some of the episodes in Season 7.

During the first five seasons, the show was rated TV-PG but due to a rapid increase of strong language and mature content (particularly, sexual) recent episodes have been rated TV-14.

Tyler Perry recently stated in an interview that House of Payne is concluding after 222 episodes. To help replace the show, TBS has picked up a new Perry comedy, For Better or Worse, based on Perry’s Why Did I Get Married films.^[5]

After the final 22 episodes, Tyler Perry's House of Payne will become the second-longest-running U.S. sitcom with a predominantly African-American cast surpassed only by The Jeffersons.

On September 28, 2011, TBS ordered 42 episodes.^[6] New episodes will air on TBS, Starting on October 21, 2011.

Seasons

• The test run is included in the season one episodes.
• House of Payne Episode List

Season		# of Episodes	Premiere airdate
	1	37	June 6, 2007
	2	23	December 5, 2007
	3	15	March 5, 2008
	4	25	June 4, 2008
	5	26	December 3, 2008
	6	46	November 4, 2009
	7	50	March 30, 2011

Characters

The show revolves around the Payne family. They live in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. It is noted that all main cast members are credited only for the episodes in which they appear.

Payne family

• Curtis Payne (LaVan Davis) is the show's main protagonist. He is often referred to as Uncle Curtis by his nephew C.J, his nephew's wife Janine, and their children, Malik and Jazmine. Curtis is known for his funny jokes, grumpiness, overly loud delivery and reluctance to accept his nephew's family into his home, which he believes is already crowded. He is overweight and has fainted once from a blocked artery, but he ignored the diet Ella put him on, unable to stay away from his usual fatty foods. Comedic plot points come from Curtis' unusual, often disrespectful attempts to rid his home of his nephew's kin. This also became a running gag of the show. Despite his immaturity in this matter, his maturity and responsibility are apparent in his job as the chief of the local fire department. In Season 6, Curtis was forced to retire as the chief of the fire department. His nephew C.J. took over his job. LaVan Davis won an NAACP Image Awards in 2008 for Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series for this role.^[7] In the sixth season the character is lighter in tone.

• Ella Payne (née Ella Thompson) (known as Ella Williams in episode "Til Payne Do We Part") (Cassi Davis), Curtis's wife, is the show's deuteragonist She is a stay-at-home mother who is the voice of reason. Curtis has been known to take advantage of Ella's good nature—and to be punished for doing so. Ella is the family's religious voice and the glue that holds it together. A good cook, she had a restaurant service in one episode. She is quick to offer emotional and moral support to everyone in the family, such as when Janine returned home.

• Clarence James (C.J.) Payne, Jr. (Allen Payne) is the show's primary tritagonist. He is an adult whose house burned down after his wife Janine accidentally started a fire while under the influence of drugs. This is how the family ended up moving into the home of his Uncle Curtis and Aunt Ella. C.J. is the father of Malik, Jazmine, Jayden, and Hayden Payne. C.J. was originally portrayed as Ella and Curtis' son, but his character was changed to being their nephew. He has recently remarried his wife Janine, who has given birth to their twin son and daughter, Jayden and Hayden. In Season 4 he found out he was adopted. C.J. works at the fire house with Curtis. At the end of Season 5 he, Janine, and the twins moved to Chicago, but they returned in Season 6 after he was offered Curtis' job and moved his family next to Curtis and Ella. Despite him being angry with and hostile towards her when she returned home, C.J. never stopped loving Janine. It is heavily implied in several episodes, that C.J. and Janine have a great sex life as he tends to enjoy many kinky procedures, most notably in the episode "A Mother's Payne", he suggests making a sex video with her. In Season 6, it is apparent that he is slightly more strict and unforgiving as a parent, at least towards Malik. In the Season 6 episode "Who's Your Daddy Now?", C.J. finally met his real father who happened to be white, revealing that C.J. is biracial. In the original format of the series, C.J. was the show's protagonist and central character as opposed to this format, where his uncle Curtis is the main character.

• Calvin Payne (Lance Gross), the show's secondary tritagonist, is Ella and Curtis's college-age son who rarely attends the very same college classes Curtis often complains about paying for. Calvin likes to think of himself as a player until his marriage to Miranda. Much like his cousin C.J., Calvin spends a great deal of time working with his father at the firehouse until he becomes a partner at the barber shop. In Season 5, he gets a job working for the same company as Mercedes. Mercedes accidentally kisses him twice: once while they are chaperoning Malik and Alexandra's date; the other, after Calvin has a fight with Miranda. He finds out that he has a son named Calvin Jr. from his former girlfriend Tracy. He and Miranda are expecting a child when she decides they should separate, but they agree to try counselling. They get stuck in an elevator and solve their problems with help from an "elevator lady" Edi who turns out to be Dr. Marcos, the marriage-retreat counsellor. Calvin was arrested for back child support, but was bailed out of jail before the birth of his second child with Miranda. Calvin is the only main character who was originally not included in the show. He's shown as a lovable character. On "Payneful Resolution Resolution", Miranda gave birth to their baby.

• Malik Payne (Larramie "Doc" Shaw) is C.J. and Janine's college-aged son. He is a young adult whose interest in young women in his class is so extreme that he'll resort to desperate measures, such as trying out for the cheerleading squad, just to associate with them. Initially, he was often bullied in school as a result of his mother's past problems with drugs. As a result, he is reluctant to welcome her back to the household. It is hinted that he is allergic to peanuts and he knows how to cut hair. Beginning with Season 6, Malik has appeared infrequently due to Larramie Shaw's work schedule, as he also starred on The Suite Life on Deck on Disney Channel and Pair of Kings on Disney XD. His absence is incorporated into the storyline, as he goes off to college during season 7, which is a major continuity error as he advanced from elementary school to college in 4 years. As he prepared to go to college, C.J., Calvin, Curtis, and Floyd think he is ensured to start having sex in college, so the Payne men buy him 3 boxes worth of condoms. It is noted that his sister Jazmine was upset about him going away to college.

• Jazmine Payne (China Anne McClain) is C.J. and Janine's daughter. She constantly feels invisible and acts out to get her father's attention while her mother is in rehab. At one point Jazmine had a brief crush on Malik's best friend Kevin. Despite her apparent innocence and youth, throughout the series she was known to be cruel toward Malik and Kevin and schemed to make them miserable. She is also known to have sarcastic comments and sly plans to get what she wants. For undisclosed reasons, China Anne McClain was written out of the series during Season 5, which made her the only cast member to not appear in Season 5. She was re-introduced into the series when she returned in Season 6. It is hinted that she has a fear of mimes. On the Season 7 premiere she is a grown up 12 year old girl, when Janine allowed her to wear lip gloss, Jazmine started hang out with the wrong crowd. In Season 7, Jazmine, much like Malik, has been appearing infrequently due to China Anne McClain's work schedule, as she also star in A.N.T. Farm on Disney Channel.

• Janine Payne (née Janine Shelton) (Demetria McKinney), is C.J.'s wife and the mother of Malik, Jazmine, Jayden, and Hayden Payne. A seemingly responsible adult and mother at the very beginning of the series, she is later revealed to be a drug addict and the arsonist who burned down her and C.J.'s home. She and C.J. divorce after she leaves her family. Initially, she was only a recurring character and was rarely seen in the series except in episodes where she associates with Ella Payne, who helps her enter a rehab program and return to the family. Later in the series, she is often criticized by C.J., Curtis, and Malik for her irresponsible actions. She is apparently impregnated by her boyfriend, until an episode reveals that he's sterile. Since C.J. is the only other person she has had intercourse with (in an earlier episode, where they had an affair when C.J. was drunk), she realizes that C.J. is the father of the coming child. C.J. and Janine remarry at Calvin and Miranda's wedding; almost immediately her water breaks and she gives birth to twins Jayden and Hayden Payne. Janine's parents are Larry and Liz Shelton. She and C.J. now live in their own home with their four children. In seasons six and seven, her role in the series has grown more central as she has become a career woman focusing more on her career than her home life which C.J. looks at as her new addiction. She also has become the romantic interest of her boss (Rick Fox).

• Miranda Payne (née Miranda Lucas) (Keshia Knight Pulliam) is Calvin's girlfriend-turned-wife. She was first introduced in Season 1 as a sexy con artist who stole all of Calvin and Curtis' money for an art gallery. The character returned eventually, but what she did to Calvin and Curtis is only very briefly, infrequently, mentioned. She and Calvin married in the Season-4 conclusion. Miranda has a very troubled nephew; when Calvin was supposed to be in charge of the boy, it was actually the boy who ordered Calvin around. Miranda and Calvin began to have problems in Season 5. In the beginning of Season 6, a pregnant Miranda disappears; a couple of episodes later, Miranda says there is no baby, making Calvin believe she had an abortion. Fortunately, she didn't. She is actually thinking about giving the baby up for adoption. Then, while all three couples (C.J and Janine, Curtis and Ella, Calvin and Miranda) go to a marriage retreat, Miranda asks Calvin for a divorce. But when she and Calvin go to a divorce mediator and get stuck in an elevator, they resolved their marriage problems with help from an "elevator lady" Edi who turns out to be Dr. Marcos, the marriage-retreat counselor. Calvin and Miranda had their baby in Season 7.

• Jayden Payne is the older twin brother of Hayden Payne, the younger son of C.J. and Janine. He was born 3 1/2 minutes before Hayden. In the later seasons after his birth, he has grown more than Hayden. He is seen more than Hayden. In Season 7, he is seen with Hayden where it was discovered that he may have autism.

• Hayden Payne is the younger twin sister of Jayden Payne, the youngest daughter of C.J and Janine. She was born 3 1/2 minutes after Jayden. She was the baby of the Payne family until Miranda and Calvin's baby was born. She is seen less than Jayden. In Season 7, she is seen with Jayden where she appears normal.

• Christian Payne is Calvin and Miranda's newborn baby boy and it was unsure what they named him until he was seen in "Payneful Visit". We were not told what his name was when Miranda gives birth, but Calvin is heard saying his name when he tells Miranda that Christian is sleeping.

Family friends

• Claretha Jenkins (Denise Burse) is Ella's best friend and the Paynes' former next-door neighbour. Curtis constantly jokes about her annoyance at his presence. Claretha is a big gossip; she even rats out the family business to the media in a crime misconception. She is known for having a collection of wigs. She left at the beginning of Season 5 after marrying a "prince." In Season 6 she suddenly leaves the prince; she now goes out with Floyd. She has an exceedingly obese daughter named Huretha and was furious and disgusted when she went out with C.J. in the early seasons after Janine left. In the Season 7 episode "Payneful Visit", it is revealed that she has leukemia. In Season 7, she is no longer credited as a regular cast member. She appears in a recurring role.

• Floyd Jackson (Palmer Williams, Jr) is Curtis' best friend and the self-absorbed, proud owner of the Barber Shop. He shows little affection towards individual people, but in times of great need will come out and show affection. His first wife disappeared on him, but after he remarried, the first wife returned looking for a divorce. When he did sign the divorce papers, it turned out she'd written a book, and since he's divorced from her he gets nothing. In Season 6 Floyd's second wife kicks him out so he moves into Curtis and Ella's back yard and started dating Claretha until his second wife returned, having lost fifty pounds because she was depressed that they were splitting up. While Floyd had been hoping to string both along without either finding out about the other, until they bumped into each other in the Payne house and both subsequently broke up with him and Claretha kicked him out. He is the longest running recurring character on House of Payne.

Extended Family

• Larry and Liz Shelton (Dorian Harewood and Anne-Marie Johnson) are Janine's parents and have so far appeared in 5 episodes of the series. Curtis hates their visits. They are upper-class and appear snobbish towards the Payne family. Upon their first appearance, Claretha identifies Janine's father as a "dancer" known as Dimples, though no one believes her. Liz comes off as judgmental. Her relationship with her daughter is usually tested. In a Season 3 episode she stays with the Paynes after being kicked out of her house; she annoys everyone, mostly Curtis and Janine. In a later episode, she visits the new twins and constantly criticizes Janine's parenting skills, going as far as to try to change the babies' names. When Janine finally confronts her, Liz reveals that her mother was the same way with her. Liz shows a more compassionate side during her visit in season 6 after reading a letter to C.J. written by a deceased comrade's child.

• Kelly Payne (LaVan Davis): Curtis's elderly, senile father who visits in one episode. He is shown to have a strained relationship with Curtis and Ella. Though he is referred to as "Grandpa" Kelly by Malik and Jasmine, he is actually their great-grandfather, and grandfather to their father C.J. and cousin Calvin.

• Eunice Williams (Aloma Wright): is Ella's mother who shows signs of Alzheimer's during her visit with the family. She shows strong dislike toward Curtis, but takes a liking to everyone else. Her last name is only revealed in season 6 when Ella's maiden name is finally revealed.

• Mr. and Mrs. Lucas (Wendell Pierce) and (Valarie Pettiford) : Miranda's wealthy parents who have appeared in a seasons 4-6. Miranda's father is a doctor. In season 6, Miranda's mother thinks Calvin has something to do with Miranda's disappearance until she resurfaces.

• Deshawn Spears (Bobb'e J. Thompson) is a recently acquired foster child of Curtis and Ella. Deshawn comes from a broken home, and was initially hostile towards the Paynes, as he has had trouble with foster homes in the past. He later comes to accept that the Paynes are nice people that will take care of him.

Other recurring characters

• Tracie Evans (played by Eva Marcille), is the mother of Calvin's first son Calvin Jr. and the aunt of Kyle (Malik's friend from Season 1; who influenced Malik to steal Curtis' motorcycle). Initially, C.J. developed a love interest in her shortly after his break up with Nicole. However, she later confessed to C.J. that she has been dating Calvin. She then breaks up with Calvin to reconcile with her old boyfriend. In Season 5, she returned and tells Calvin that they have a son named Calvin Jr., which upsets Miranda more when she already discovered that Calvin kissed Mercedes. In Season 6, she was in a car accident which claimed the life of her husband. She then asks Calvin and Miranda to take care of Calvin Jr. while she gets herself in order. Eventually she recuperated. She make a pass at Calvin on two occasions: once after Calvin and Miranda intervenes on her visiting unannounced; and the other was in Calvin's "man shower", indicating that she wants him back. After Calvin pushes her away, she takes Calvin Jr. away from Calvin and Miranda. She then clears Calvin's bank account for back child support, the latter of which Calvin then gets arrested for. Her son is with Calvin for the weekend and when he goes to work and Miranda is asleep, Calvin Jr. plays with matches and sets the condo on fire. Tracie shows up at the hospital after she gets a call and tells Calvin she's getting full custody of their son and she attempts to fight Miranda and Janine. But soon her son wakes up from the coma, and she neutralizes her problems with Calvin.

• Nicole Jamieson (played by Robinne Lee) was C.J.'s ex-girlfriend and Malik and Jazmine's assistant principal. She first appeared in the Season 1 episode "Teacher's Pet" where she visited the Payne household to bring back a hamster Jazmine took from the school. C.J. in the next episode went to the school to pick up the kids home from school only to find that Nicole in her office telling him they already left. They were trapped inside the school building due to a storm that hit Atlanta. From there, sparks started to fly between her and C.J. Their relation soon hit a bump when it is revealed how extremely jealous she gets when C.J. speaks to another woman and even mentions another woman's name. In one episode, it was shown she even gets upset when C.J. says Jazmine's name while on the phone with her, which makes C.J. and Ella believes she is crazy. When C.J. breaks up with her after a huge argument, she gets destructive and breaks dishes at the Payne's house, she even threatened to stab him. Nicole has not been seen since Season 2. In the test pilot episodes, Nicole Jamieson was originally portrayed by Rochelle Aytes, where she was Malik's math teacher.

• Kevin (played by Kyre Batiste-Loftin), was Malik's best friend who was a recurring character from Seasons 1-6. He was much like Malik in personality though slightly more dimwitted. He was very kind-hearted and generous despite the rare times he behaved selfishly. He often was involved in Malik's crazy schemes to get girls. He is last seen in the Season 6 episode "Drinking Game" where he and Malik were drinking when they were left alone in the house. He hasn't been seen or mentioned since.

• Pookie (played by Quincy Bonds), was one of Calvin's closest friends. He was Calvin's friend since childhood. However, he and his younger brother Peanut, act nothing like Calvin as they are both ghetto and appear to be thugs. They were still friendly but can be rough at times. It is stated that his real name is Pookie. He is last seen in the Season 6 episode "Payne Showers", in which Curtis throws a "man shower" for Calvin. He hasn't been seen or mentioned since. In the Meet The Browns series Renee, one of the nurses, is seen talking on the phone to a man named Pookie, who is suspected to be him because The Browns and the Paynes live around each other.

• Peanut (played by Clayton English), was one of Calvin's closest friends. He was Calvin's friend since childhood. However, he and his older brother Pookie, act nothing like Calvin as they are both ghetto and appear to be thugs. They were still friendly but can be rough at times. It is stated that his real name is Clayton. He is last seen in the Season 6 episode "Payne Showers", in which Curtis throws a "man shower" for Calvin. He hasn't been seen or mentioned since.

• Kyle (played by Dale Neal), was Tracie's nephew and friend of Malik. He appeared from Seasons 1-2. He is originally from Bronx, NY. Just like Malik's mother Janine, Kyle's mother had a drug problem. He was living with Tracie while his mother was battling an addiction. He and Malik stole Curtis' motorcycle, which causes Curtis to press charges against both of them. Curtis later dropped the charges after realizing that the charges were too extreme for them. It is hinted that he dropped out of school. He was last seen in the Season 2 episode "It's a Boy" and hasn't been seen or mentioned since.

• Calvin Jr. (played by Demille Cole-Heard) is the son of Calvin and Tracie. He is also Christian's half-brother. He was introduced in the Season 5 episode "Surprise! (Part 1)". He made his return in the Season 7 episode "So Hard To Say Goodbye". He was playing with matches while Miranda was sleeping; which caused a fire in Calvin and Miranda's condo. He was taken to the hospital where he was in a coma; then later awakened. He was then checked out of the hospital by Tracie.

The Firehouse

• Angel O. Reilz (Joyce Giraud) was the co-worker of Curtis, C.J., Calvin, Keenan, and Bart at the engine 5 company firehouse. Angel is the only female of the firehouse and at times get upset with the guys for being inconsiderate of that fact. At one point she got so upset that she thinks about switching to another engine company and sueing them. Angel and Calvin had a tendency to argue all the time according to Calvin it was because she loved him. When Angel was upset she usually began to speak Spanish. Angel was also known as the best firefighter as evidenced by her several awards and medals. When the guys first meet her they assumed she was going to be a man (Curtis had read the "O" of her middle name with Angel, making it appear as "Angelo") and threw water on her as a joke. The character has not been seen or mentioned since Season 4.

• Bart Holmes (Bart Hansard) was the co-worker of Curtis, C.J., Calvin, Keenan and Angel. His last appearance was in the Season 6 episode "How Do You Like Your Roast?", in which he helped honor Curtis for his service as Firechief. The character has not been seen since.

• Keenan Jared (Cedric Pendleton) was the co-worker of Curtis, C.J., Calvin, Bart and Angel. He last appeared in the Season 7 episode "Number Five's Fight", in which he protested against C.J.'s decision to close down engine 5 company firehouse.

The Barbershop

• Delante (Jason Dirden) used to cut hair at the barbershop. He was also one of Calvin's friends. In later episodes, Delante lived in the barbershop until Floyd found him and invited him to live with him. He had a brief relationship with Dana. He got married to some girl he met at the skating rink and moves away to Arizona at the beginning of Season 5. He has not been seen since. However, Delante actually dies in one episode: he was two-timing women and when the women attacked him, he ended up in the hospital. Then Kiki punched him on the arm causing his death and everyone runs out of the room. It was used as a comedic angle other than a sympathetic angle which is usually used for death scenes.

• Kiki (Bobbi Baker) is a barber at the Barber Shop. She isn't afraid to ask questions that others are thinking and is very abrupt. In Season 5, she helped get her brother hired, but he turned out to be a drug dealer, dealing drugs in the Barber Shop. She finds out in a later episode that he was shot. Kiki hasn't been seen or mentioned since Season 5, except for a brief appearance in one Season-6 episode.

• Dana Carter (Denyce Lawton) has her own manicure stand at the Barber Shop. She is usually seen watching clients storm off angrily, not knowing what she said to anger them. In one episode her parents visited, thinking she was a doctor on vacation. She is half-African American/Korean. Dana hasn't been seen or mentioned since season 5.

• Zack (Gary Owen) (Season 5) is the white barber who replaced Delante. He is a nice guy but he has trouble fitting in with black people, although they do like him. It was revealed that he had a date with Kiki prior to working at the barber shop. He is now interested in Floyd's daughter Olivia. He is somewhat similar to Isaac Rosenberg (Troy Garity) in the films Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Zack hasn't been seen or mentioned since season 5.

The Hernandez family

• The Hernandez family were the Paynes' new Hispanic neighbors who move into Claretha's old house bringing their own family drama. The oldest, Diego, has problems with his father; mainly due to his anger and depression from being in the war in Iraq. Malik becomes interested in younger daughter Alex. Calvin kissed older daughter Mercedes, keeping it from Miranda until Diego revealed the truth. Except for Diego, who last appeared in the Season 6 episode "Seal of Approval," none of the Hernandezes have been seen since Season 5.

Setting

Locations in Atlanta, Georgia include the Payne's home, a firehouse located across the street from the Paynes' house, a barbershop, and the school Malik and Jazmine attend. The Payne home is a one-story building, and 5 rooms are featured throughout the series: Curtis and Ella's bedroom, Malik and Jazmine's shared bedroom, the spare bedroom (which was Calvin's until he moved out), the kitchen, and the living room, and the outside patio. C.J. and Janine's rooms are never seen. The only part of the firehouse seen on camera was its day room. The firehouse and its characters have not appeared on any recent episodes. The barbershop is a setting often used in more recent episodes, and it is similar to that of the Barbershop movies.

Diego is seen is Volume 7- Disk 1 offering Calvin advise about women..

Cast

Current cast members

Original cast

• Allen Payne as Clarence James "C.J." Payne, Jr.
• LaVan Davis as Curtis "Pops" Payne
• Cassi Davis as Ella Payne
• Lance Gross as Calvin Payne
• Larramie "Doc" Shaw as Malik Payne (Seasons 1-5, infrequently in seasons 6-present)
• China Anne McClain as Jazmine Payne (Seasons 1 - 4, 6 - present, infrequently in season 7)
• Demetria McKinney as Janine Payne (Infrequently in first two seasons)
• Denise Burse as Claretha Jenkins (Seasons 1-4, briefly in 5, 6-present, recurring role in Season 7)
• Keshia Knight Pulliam as Miranda Payne (Season 3 - present)
• Palmer Williams Jr. as Floyd Jackson (recurring role, Seasons 2 - present)
• Bobb'e J. Thompson as Deshawn Spears (recurring role, Season 7 - present)

Other cast

• Keke Palmer as Nikki Grady-Simmons (Season 1)
• Eva Marcille as Tracie (Seasons 1-2 and Season 5-present)
• Bart Hansard as Bart Holmes (Seasons 1-4 and 6)
• Cedric Pendleton as Keenan Jared (Seasons 1-4, 6 and 7)
• Joyce Giraud as Angel (Seasons 1-4)
• Dorian Harewood as Larry Shelton (Seasons 1, 3, and 5)
• Anne-Marie Johnson as Liz Shelton (Seasons 1, 3, 5 and 6)
• Robinne Lee as Nicole Jamieson (Seasons 1-2)
• Rochelle Aytes as Nicole Jamieson (2006 Test Pilot Episodes)
• Katie Rowlett as Beverly (Season 1)
• Arvell Poe as Fishbone (Season 1)
• Kyre Batiste-Loftin as Kevin (Seasons 1-6)
• Jamie Moore^{[disambiguation needed ]} as Walter (Season 1)
• Dale Neal as Kyle (Seasons 1-2)
• Wilbur Fitzgerald as Bill (Season 1)
• Femi Emiola as Sheila (Season 3)
• Jason Dirden as Delante (Seasons 3-4)
• Denyce Lawton as Dana Carter (Seasons 3-5)
• Bobbi Baker as KiKi (Seasons 3-6)
• Michael Jai White as Bryan (2006 Test Pilot Episode and Season 3)
• Robin Givens as Tanya (Seasons 3-4)
• Wendell Pierce as Jeffrey Lucas (Seasons 4-5)
• Valarie Pettiford as Sandra Lucas (Seasons 4-7)
• Demille Cole-Heard as Calvin Jr. (Seasons 5-present)
• Marlene Forte as Rosalita Hernandez (Season 5)
• Mel Rodriguez as Carlos Hernandez (Season 5)
• Renee Victor as Consuela Hernandez (Season 5)
• Susie Castillo as Mercedes Hernandez (Season 5)
• J.R. Ramirez as Diego Hernandez (Seasons 5-6)
• Veronica Sixtos as Alexandra Hernandez (Season 5)
• Roberto Roman as Andy Rodriguez (Season 5)
• Boris Kodjoe as David (Season 5)
• Aloma Wright as Eunice (Seasons 5 and 7)
• Gladys Knight as Herself (Season 5)
• Kinnik Sky as Nurse Jones (Season 5)
• Essence Atkins as Monica (Season 6)
• Rick Fox as Roland (Seasons 6-7)
• Heavy D as P-Rock (Season 7)
• Janet Hubert-Whitten as Evie (credited as Evelyn) (Season 7)
• Corey Holcomb as Damon (Season 7)
• Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson (Season 7)
• Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston (Season 7)

Reception and Criticism

The national premiere received 5.9 million viewers on June 2007. And at the time was basic cable’s biggest sitcom audience ever. The show remained basic cable’s #1 sitcom until TBS’s August 2008 premiere of Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns. For the first quarter of 2011, House of Payne and Meet the Browns ranked among television’s Top 5 primetime sitcoms with African-American adults 18-34 and 18-49.^[8]

However, the program has received mostly negative reviews.

Entertainment Weekly called it a "Bleak Premise" and referred to the laugh track as a "grating laugh track." They also wrote that "Perry should unleash Madea on the Payne household. They could use the laugh." ^[9]

Movie Web said "I try not to be cynical about tv shows, particularly sitcoms. I know how hard it is to try to write a funny, relevant and interesting television show. I also know that it takes a perfect storm of talent, writing and zeitgeist to capture these elements for an audience. Sadly, Tyler Perry's House of Payne fails to do so." ^[10]

The New York Times said "Indeed, if ever a show could cause actual physical pain, TBS' House of Payne might be the one. Glaringly, shamefully, insultingly inept, this new cable comedy from filmmaker Tyler Perry isn't just the worst sitcom of the year, it's one of the worst of the modern era." The New York Times went on to write "And what's worse, you have to imagine the people at TBS know how terrible the show is, and they are proceeding nonetheless. The other option — that they really think this horrendous mish-mash of old jokes and ugly stereotypes fills some TV void — is too hideous to contemplate." ^[10]

Variety said "In the first episode, "House of Payne" rolls through a collection of stereotypes and characters familiar to TV auds......" They went on to say " It's old-fashioned in structure, sets and characters. Despite having his name in the title, Payne is straitjacketed into a straight-man role; the saving grace is the grumpy father figure Chester as Davis huffs and puffs his way through the unnatural dialogue. As the mother Ella, Cassi Davis is all exaggeration—from the bug eyes to the girth—and she isn't given the material to make her character either outrageously humorous or poignantly comforting. She doesn't seem particularly real." ^[11]

The Washington Times said "Three generations of an African American family share -- sometimes -- what looks like an enormous house in the Atlanta suburbs, and things sort of happen to them. Some things happen repeatedly, such as the patriarch of the family telling everybody to "get out" or "go home," apparently desiring the company of none of them". The Washington Times went on to write "At times one wishes that, yes, "House" were Payne-less". And that the program has "A Long way to go before jelling as a believable unit". And that the acting styles "Conflict or seem barely to exist." The Washington Times also criticized the program for some of the subject matters, such as Janine's becoming a crack addict stating that "It's commendable to try to introduce serious and topical material in sitcoms, but the way it's done here is awkward and cringe-inducing." ^[12]

Imdb has an average rating of 2.5 out of 10 stars.^[13]

Common Sense Media has an average rating of 2 out of 5 stars.^[14]

Special appearances

• Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons (Seasons 1-3)
• Tamela Mann as Cora Simmons (Seasons 1 and 6)
• David Mann as Mr. Leroy Brown (Seasons 1 and 6)
• Lamman Rucker as Will Brown (Season 1)
• Gladys Knight as Herself (Season 5)
• Boris Kodjoe as David (Season 5)
• Rick Fox as Roland (Seasons 6-7)
• Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson (Season 7)
• Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston (Season 7)

Syndicated reruns

• The CW Television Network began airing reruns of Tyler Perry's House of Payne on its CW Plus stations on September 22, 2008.
• My Network TV, a branch of the Fox Network, has begun airing reruns of the series in some cities as well.^{[citation needed]}
• Peachtree TV, a branch of TBS, has also begun airing syndication of House of Payne

House of Payne was the only situation comedy to be sold into broadcast syndication for the 2008-2009 television season.

Episodes

Main article: List of Tyler Perry's House of Payne episodes

Madea connections

Tyler Perry's claim to fame is with the popularity of character Mabel "Madea" Simmons, who has appeared in numerous Tyler Perry plays and their film adaptations. When the series debuted on TBS in June 2007, Perry made a guest appearance as Madea. Actor David Mann reprised his Mr. Brown role, and Keke Palmer returned as Nikki, a bully who stole $20 worth of Malik's lunch money over a period of time, money which Madea, Nikki's foster mother, used at a casino. Perry returned as Madea for a Christmas episode of the show on December 5, 2007. Perry again returned as Madea to act as Curtis's wife on March 5, 2008. She has appeared in one episode every season, save seasons 4 and 5. She can be considered a minor antagonist on the show as she is one of Curtis' arch enemies.

In the series, Janine's drug problem and going to rehab are possible references to Diary of a Mad Black Woman. The events of the episodes "Sad, Sad, Leroy Brown" parts 1 and 2 came directly before the movie Meet the Browns, when Brown learns his father has died. The events of the episode "Weeping May Endure for a Night" happened somewhere in the middle, directly after the funeral and the reading of the will, where Brown found out that his father left him a broken-down house which Brown turned into a retirement home. Even though in the episode "Weeping May Endure for a Night" the Paynes claim to have attended the funeral of Brown's father, in Meet the Browns they are nowhere to be seen. This may be because Lance Gross, who plays Calvin Payne in the series, plays a character named Michael in the film and LaVan Davis, who plays Curtis Payne, plays a bus driver. Curtis claimed Brown made them wait in the cemetery for two hours while he gave his father a tour of Atlanta (his last request), but in the movie, Brown stayed the entire time. The episodes serve as a backdoor pilot to Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, a spin-off of the film and play as well as House of Payne.

Meet the Browns crossovers

There have been crossovers on House of Payne from Meet the Browns:

• In the episode "I Can Cry If I Want To", Brown attended Curtis's 50th birthday party and stresses the Paynes out while he is there.

• In the episode "Sad, Sad, Leroy Brown (Part 1)", when Brown's house burnt down and he gets kicked out of Cora's best friend's house. He stays at the Paynes' residence, much to Curtis's dismay and soon becomes a pestering houseguest.

• In the episode "Sad, Sad, Leroy Brown (Part 2)", when the Paynes tries to kick Brown out of the house, Brown claimed that Curtis broke his back, but Curtis knows the truth that Brown's back was not in pain, and he only faked it to get the Paynes to let him stay with them. However, Ella believes Brown and insisted on him staying with them until his back gets better.

• In the episode "Weeping May Endure for a Night", Brown, Cora, and Will come by the Paynes' residence after Pop Brown's funeral. Brown is upset because Pop Brown left him a run-down house which makes Brown think his daddy hates him until he realizes that Pop Brown wanted him to open up a retirement home.

• In the episode "Oh Christmas Payne", Brown and Cora drop in for a visit.

Releases

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released the first 6 seasons on DVD in Region 1 in eight volume sets.

DVD Title	Ep #	Release Date	Blu-ray Disc
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 1	1-20	December 4, 2007
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 2	21-40	July 1, 2008
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 3	41-60	January 13, 2009
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 4	61-80	June 16, 2009
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 5	81-100	January 12, 2010
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 6	101-124	February 8, 2011[15]
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 7	125-148	April 5, 2011
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 8	149-172	June 14, 2011
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 9	173-196	January 24, 2012[16]
Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume 10	197-222	TBA

References

1. ^ 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne' signs for distribution with TBS, Fox Station Group
2. ^ Greg Braxton (June 13, 2007). "How far will he push it?". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/13/entertainment/et-payne13. 
3. ^ SitcomsOnline.com News Blog: Scores Big for TBS; CBS News; More TubeTime and Fresh Prince News
4. ^ Nielsens ratings for Jan. 28 Feb. 3 - USATODAY.com
5. ^ TBS To Take A Third Shot On Tyler Perry Broadcasting & Cable April 26, 2011
6. ^ [1]
7. ^ http://www.naacpimageawards.net/PDFs/39thWinners.pdf
8. ^ [2]
9. ^ [3]
10. ^ ^{a b} [4]
11. ^ Gallo, Phil (June 5, 2007). "Tyler Perry's House of Payne". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933829. 
12. ^ Shales, Tom (June 6, 2007). "TBS's 'House of Payne': A Little More Humanity Would Make It Habitable". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/05/AR2007060502782.html. 
13. ^ [5]
14. ^ [6]
15. ^ [7]
16. ^ [8]

External links

• Tyler Perry's House of Payne at the Internet Movie Database
• Tyler Perry's House of Payne at TV.com
• Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" on TBS