7.6 /10 1 Votes
79% Rotten Tomatoes Original language(s) English | 7.1/10 IMDb Genre DramaMystery Country of origin United States First episode date 21 June 2016 Executive producer Gerrit van der Meer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Starring Merle DandridgeKim HawthorneDesiree RossLamman RuckerTye WhiteLynn WhitfieldDeborah Joy WinansKeith DavidLovie SimoneGregAlan Williams Opening theme "Satan, Were Gonna' Tear Your Kingdom Down"by Shirley Caesar Cast Profiles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenleaf is an American television drama series, created by Craig Wright, and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate Television. Clement Virgo also serves as an executive producer and director. It stars Keith David, Lynn Whitfield, and Merle Dandridge. Greenleaf premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network on June 21, 2016.
Contents
Greenleaf follows the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family with scandalous secrets and lies, and their sprawling Memphis megachurch with predominantly African-American members. The series' lead characters are Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David) and Lady Mae Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield), who are the patriarch and matriarch of the Greenleaf family, and Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge), their estranged daughter who has returned home after 20 years following the mysterious death of her sister, Faith.
Greenleaf has received positive reviews from critics, with most praising Dandridge, Whitfield and David's performances. The series premiere drew 3.04 million viewers, making it the No. 1 series debut in OWN history. On April 21, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season ahead of television premiere, which will premiere on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.
Development
On July 30, 2015, it was announced that Oprah Winfrey Network ordered straight-to-series new scripted drama Greenleaf about powerful African-American dynasty of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling megachurch in Memphis, Tennessee. After Ava DuVernay's Queen Sugar production, it's making Greenleaf the second scripted drama on the network that is not from Tyler Perry. The series was created by Lost and Six Feet Under writer Craig Wright and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey with Wright and Lionsgate Television.13-episodes for first season set for production later in 2015. On September 9, 2015, The Book of Negroes writer and director Clement Virgo joined the series as executive producer and director of the pilot episode.
Filming of the first season began in October, 2015 in Atlanta, and ended on March 24, 2016. On January 21, 2016, it was announced that series will debut with a two-night premiere at 10pm Tuesday, May 24, 2016 and 10pm Wednesday, May 25, and will regularly air on Wednesdays at 10pm. Later premiere was moved to June 21, 2016 and June 22, 2016. The world premiere of Greenleaf will be during Tribeca Film Festival in April, before television debut in June 2016.
Casting
Casting advertising began in August 2015. On August 24, 2015, it was announced that Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge and Desiree Ross are the first actors cast in series. Emmy Award winner Whitfield will star as Lady Mae Greenleaf, Bishop Greenleaf’s wife, steely and power and money hungry matriarch of the family, while Dandridge play her estranged daughter who returns to home with her teenage daughter (played by Ross). On September 3, 2015, Keith David was cast in the leading role of Bishop James Greenleaf, the family patriarch and leader of Greenleaf World Ministries. On September 4, 2015 Tye White has been cast as son-in-law of the Bishop. On September 9, 2015, Lamman Rucker, Kim Hawthorne and Deborah Joy Winans have landed the last three regular roles. Rucker plays eldest son, while Hawthorne stars as his controlling wife. Winans plays the youngest daughter of the Bishop.
On September 24, 2015, it was announced that series' executive producer Oprah Winfrey joined Greenleaf in a recurring role as Mavis McCready, the sister of Lady Mae Greenleaf. Whitfield and Winfrey previous co-starred in the 1989 miniseries The Women of Brewster Place. On November 20, 2015 Anna Diop was cast as a teacher who is engaged to Greenleaf Estate’s manager. Three days later, it was announced that Terri J. Vaughn will recur as chief housekeeper at Greenleaf mansion.
For the second season, Lovie Simone and GregAlan Williams was promoted to series regulars after appearing as recurring in almost all episodes in first season.
Main cast
Episodes
Each episode's closing credits sequence features a unique piece of previously recorded music.
Reception
The first season of Greenleaf has received positive reviews from critics, particularly praised acting performances of series lead actress Merle Dandridge, as well as Lynn Whitfield and Keith David. On Rotten Tomatoes, has a rating of 79%, based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site consensus: "Immersed in a unique megachurch setting, Greenleaf is a juicy family soap bolstered by a provocative spirituality." Metacritic gave season one of the show a score of 68 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Maureen Ryan, television critic for Variety stated "Dandridge is naturalistic in her portrayal of a practical, cautious woman re-examining her family history and her own choices and mistakes, while Whitfield has the imperious aura of a grand soap opera diva in the tradition of Joan Collins." Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter wrote in his review "effectively balance the melodrama, vast ensemble and church details and contribute a level of technical proficiency that goes far beyond what the Tyler Perry Factory brings to The Haves and the Have Nots, OWN's big scripted hit." The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert compared Greenleaf with primetime soaps like Revenge and the similarly black-cast Empire.
Soundtrack
The gospel songs recorded by the cast were released on iTunes as an album entitled 'Greenleaf (Gospel Companion Soundtrack, Vol. 1)'.