OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is ready to unveil new episodes of Ready to Love.
The cable network just announced the reality dating series will kick off its third season on April 2, with an all-new group of Black men and women looking for lasting love.
[The image above from Ready to Love shows Liz, Alexis and Amber with host Tommy Miles]
Along with that announcement, OWN said four other shows from its Friday and Saturday night block will also be returning, including Family or Fiancé, Black Love, Put A Ring On It and Love & Marriage: Huntsville.
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Additionally, the network has greenlit unscripted music series Young & Gospel. The show follows four young gospel artists pursuing their dreams while trying to stay true to their faith and their families.
The series stars singers Koryn Hawthorne, Bri Babineaux, Jekalyn Carr and Christian rapper Wande. The show is produced by Thinkfactory Media, an ITV America company. Adam Reed, Adam Freeman, Jordana Hochman, Phil Thornton and Jen McClure-Metz are executive producers.
“When we expanded our original unscripted programming block to Friday and Saturday nights last fall, viewers showed up in a big way,” OWN President Tina Perry said in a statement. “In response to that success, we are giving our audience more of the shows they love along with the new series Young & Gospel.”
Below are details on the network’s returning Friday and Saturday shows, along with a preview of the new season of Ready to Love.
Ready to Love (Season 3 premieres Friday, April 2 from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT)
Record-breaking Hollywood producer Will Packer’s popular dating series hosted by Tommy Miles returns with an all-new cast in Houston exploring the real-life dating interactions of sexy, successful and grown Black men and women who are each looking for lasting love and an authentic relationship. Ready to Love’s most recent cycle helped make OWN #1 on Friday nights for African American viewers. The series is produced by Will Packer Media and Lighthearted Entertainment.
Black Love (Season 5 premieres Spring 2021)
Created by husband-and-wife filmmakers Codie and Tommy Oliver, Black Love continues to present real, honest, emotional, and transparent love stories of Black love from some of the most successful people in business and entertainment, as well as everyday couples. The new season will feature Chance & Tabitha Brown, R&B singer Kenny Lattimore & Judge Faith Jenkins, Grammy winner Ledisi & husband Ron Young, among others. The series is produced by Confluential Films.
Put a Ring On It (Season 2 premieres Summer 2021)
Will Packer’s newest unscripted relationship series Put A Ring On It returns with all-new episodes featuring three longtime couples who embark on the ultimate relationship test. With help from master relationship coach Dr. Nicole LaBeach, the couples are pushed outside their comfort zones to confront the question they’ve been too afraid to ask: why haven’t they walked down the aisle? While the couples work to confront their deepest fears, they are also given the chance to look outside their current relationships by dating other people. Will they decide it’s time to go their separate ways, or is it finally time to put a ring on it? The series is produced by Will Packer Media and Lighthearted Entertainment.
Family or Fiancé (Season 2 premieres Summer 2021)
Hosted by relationship expert Tracy McMillan, Family or Fiancé follows engaged couples who bring their disapproving families together for three days under one roof. In this high-stakes social experiment, the couples and extended families participate in activities designed to strengthen their bonds, unpack their differences, and show some very complicated relationships in a whole new light. In the end, the families’ concerns may make the couples reconsider their unions, or revelations might cause any concerns to fall away. Family or Fiancé is from Bunim/Murray Productions.
Love & Marriage: Huntsville (Season 3 premieres Summer 2021)
The series follows the lives of three successful and powerful couples in the thriving city of Huntsville, Alabama. It features longtime friends Melody and Martell Holt, Marsau and LaTisha Scott and Maurice and Kimmi Scott, whose goals are to put Huntsville on the map, but reality sets in as they struggle with the highs and lows of balancing friendships, marriage and business. Love & Marriage: Huntsville, which recently premiered its second season, is currently Saturday night’s #1 original cable series for women and the #1 series across broadcast and cable for African American viewers. The series is produced by Kingdom Reign Entertainment and ITV America.
