Technology
Tyler Perry Now on Cellphones
By TBS
Oct 19, 2007, 17:17

TBS V CAST Also Delivers Very Funny Clips from Seinfeld, King of Queens, Family Guy and Everybody Loves Raymond

Tyler Perry's HOUSE OF PAYNE, the breakout TBS sitcom hit, is coming to Verizon Wireless V CAST Video phones as a series of short promotional mobisodes. Running approximately 1-3 minutes in length each, the specially produced mobisodes can be found on TBS's Very Funny channel, which launched in late July on V CAST Video service. To date, 10 HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes have been created.

In addition to the HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes, comedy fans can also access clips from TBS's line-up of top-rated contemporary comedy series through V CAST Video, including Seinfeld, King of Queens, Family Guy and Everybody Loves Raymond. The channel will also occasionally offer sneak peaks of upcoming TBS programming, such as late-night series Frank TV.

"Offering original content like the HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes through Verizon Wireless is a unique way to continue to serve the fan base of this very popular show," said Jeff Gregor, chief marketing officer for TBS, TNT and TCM. "Original content like these mobisodes, combined with clips from our hall-of-fame sitcoms and previews of upcoming TBS shows, allow us to expand the reach of the TBS Very Funny brand into the mobile world."

Ryan Hughes, vice president of digital media programming for Verizon, noted, "HOUSE OF PAYNE on V CAST is an example of great, snack-sized programming for our on-the-go customers, delivering entertainment they crave on their mobile phones."

HOUSE OF PAYNE was created by wunderkind Tyler Perry (box office hits Why Did I Get Married?, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion), who also directs every episode. Set in Atlanta, the series features LaVan Davis as fireman Curtis "Pops" Payne, a man who believes his house should be his castle, he the king, and his wife, Ella (Cassi Davis), the queen. Unfortunately, their castle has turned into Grand Central Terminal thanks to frequent visits from their son, Calvin (Lance Gross), a college student whose lack of funds keeps him returning to his parents' table, as well as from their nephew CJ (Allen Payne) and CJ's family: wife Janine (Demetria McKinney) and children Malik (Larramie Doc Shaw) and Jazmine (China McCain). Pops is forced to give up even more of his precious privacy when CJ's house burns down and Ella offers to take in the entire family.

The HOUSE OF PAYNE mobisodes feature short vignettes of family life among the Paynes. In one mobisode, Malik and Jazmine attempt to hustle Curtis with a card trick, but their plans are thwarted when they try to pull the same thing on Calvin. Another has Curtis mourning the loss of a "friend" that turns out to be nothing more than a household object. And still another has the family conducting an intervention for Calvin over his aimless lifestyle.