You’ll Immediately Fall in Love with These Entrancing OWN Shows

And now, for an undeniable truth: Oprah has good taste. Hence why it’s not surprising that the television network that holds her name—OWN, which stands for the Oprah Winfrey Network—has been killing the game in terms of television programming since it launched in 2011.

Expect juicy dramas, reality shows, and more. (Pro tip:Download the OWN app, which you can access on Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Android, and more.)

The Kings of Napa

The Kings of Napa was born during a trip to a Black-owned winery in California that creator Janine Sherman Barrois took with her friends. Ten years later, a TV show about a family who owns one such vineyard finally premiered on OWN. In the show’s premiere, the King family is sent into a state of turmoil by the patriarch’s sudden death, and the secrets that come out.

“This pushes the family down a rabbit hole, and they keep going down further and further and further. You’ll ask yourself as the season goes on, Can they get out of the rabbit hole? When you think maybe they finally got out, they will be pushed back down again,” Sherman Barrois tells Oprah Daily.

David Makes Man

The Peabody Award-winning drama David Meets Man is likely to entrance you from its opening shot. The lush series is executive-produced by Dee Harris-Lawrence, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Mike Kelley, Melissa Loy, Michael B. Jordan, and of course, Oprah. It tells the story of David, a 14-year old prodigy who is haunted by the death of a friend and is trying to make a better life for himself through his schooling.

“What I love about this series is that I know that it’s going to make people feel deeply and be expanded in that feeling,” Oprah told OprahMag.com about the show. “It makes me want to cry, because I think about all of the people who will see it and get validated by it. It’s more than television—it’s deeper than television.”

Queen Sugar

Created and executive-produced by Ava DuVernay, Queen Sugar stars Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Kofi Siriboe as three estranged siblings in rural Louisiana dealing with trials, tribulations, and, oh, the 800-acre sugarcane farm their father unexpectedly bequeathed them. Queen Sugar is one of the only shows on television with an all-female directing team and an almost all-female writers’ room.

After production was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, creator DuVernay rewrote the fifth season to reflect timely themes like Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. “The conflict, challenges, and struggles of Black people, the reality of that, is something that Queen Sugar has never shied away from. So how could we do it in this particular year, when the stakes were so high?” DuVernay told The Hollywood Reporter. Star Nic Ashe spoke to Oprah Daily about his connection to the show’s sixth season, also filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Greenleaf

Starring Keith David, Lynn Whitfield, and Merle Dandridge, Greenleaf tells the story of the scandals and lies of Bishop James Greenleaf (David) and Lady Mae Greenleaf (Whitfield), who run a primarily Black megachurch as their estranged daughter Grace (Dandridge) returns home to Memphis 20 years after the mysterious death of her sister. On the surface, the family seems to be all peace, love, and Jesus, but under the covers, you can pretty much find every single one of the seven deadly sins. Oprah makes regular appearances as Mavis, Grace’s aunt. Think Empire, but with a church. Greenleaf concluded after five seasons in 2020 and makes for an excellent binge watch.

Delilah

If you’re a fan of legal dramas, then Delilah, out in March 2021, will be your next favorite watch. Maahra Hill plays the titular Delilah, a lawyer who left her high-powered firm years ago to raise her family and is now returning to the practice to fight for those who need her the most.

After his show Greenleaf wrapped, creator Craig Wright sought to make a show that broached issues that affected many Americans. “We wanted to make something that could ask more questions about where society is heading, and how Black women and Black Americans are going to continue to be a major influence on the unfolding of American history and world history,” Wright said of Delilah during OWN’s CTAM winter 2021 press tour, per Indiewire.

At the same press tour, Hill said, “I don’t know that there are words to describe what it means to me to be able to represent someone who is as empowered and strong-minded and has such a moral compass.”

The Belle Collective

From the producers of Love & Marriage: Huntsville comes an unscripted show centering on five successful businesswomen in Jackson, Mississippi, including one of the state’s few Black women doctors and the owner of a haircare emporium. “I’m happy to be able to redefine these stereotypes that people think Jackson, Mississippi, is. I think these women represent the new South,” producer Carlos King told the Mississippi Clarion Ledger.

Black Love

Black Love is a documentary series from filmmakers Codie Elaine Oliver and Tommy Oliver, and it explores the highs and lows of relationships and marriage within the Black community. The docuseries has featured Oscar winner Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, plus Meagan Good, DeVon Franklin, and Terry Crews and his wife, Rebecca King-Crews.

The Haves and the Have Nots

Created by Tyler Perry, this soap opera is based on his play of the same name. It follows three families in Savannah, Georgia: the wealthy and powerful Cryer and Harrington families (the titular Haves) and the poor Young family (the have nots). Hanna Young works as a maid for the Cryer family but also happens to be the best friend/adviser of Katheryn Cryer. The show addresses topics like economic inequality, sexuality, religion, and what happens when two people of very different worlds meet.

Iyanla: Fix My Life

This docuseries follows life coach and relationship expert Iyanla Vanzant as she helps people grapple with estrangement, financial issues, and even kidnapping. It’s not uncommon to see GIFS and memes from the show make it to Twitter and Instagram, including this legendary moment:

If Loving You Is Wrong

This one is loosely based on Tyler Perry’s own film The Single Moms Club, and tells the story of five women who live on the same street, Castillo Lane, and have relationships that often intertwine. These people give a new name to “Love thy neighbor,” taking it rather literally. Fun fact: The show’s first season features an early-career Tiffany Haddish.

Super Soul Sunday

In each Super Soul episode, the O of O sits down for deeply moving conversations with thought leaders, spiritual teachers, and celebrities, such as Elizabeth Gilbert, President Joe Biden, Maya Angelou, Brené Brown, Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, Tony Robbins, Tracy Morgan, Norman Lear, and Shonda Rhimes. If all that appeals to you, there’s also a podcast of the series, with guests personally selected by Oprah.

To Have & To Hold: Charlotte

A non-scripted series, To Have & To Hold: Charlotte follows five affluent couples from Charlotte, North Carolina, as they face financial hardship, parenthood, and intimacy issues, among other things. Uh, sounds like they could use Iyanla’s help.

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