written by Nichelle Taylor
According to Variety, the series titled Mabel will unveil the life of Madea before she became the iconic character in Perry’s stage plays and films.
Mabel’s official description notes: “Every great story has to start somewhere, and every legend has a beginning. Long before she was the force of nature known as Madea, she was a smart, fierce, irresistible, dangerous, crazy 20-something black woman named… Mabel Simmons. When She moved to Atlanta in 1972, she set the city — and world — on fire!”
Showtime has ordered several scripts of the show created by Perry and Tim Palen. JaNeika James and JaSheika James will write and executive produce the series alongside Palen and Perry.
Madea, the character who catapulted the career of Tyler Perry, made her first appearance on theatre stages when Perry was solely a playwright. The character has since starred in 9 films and has appeared in 11 total. A few of those starring films include Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea Goes to Jail, and Madea’s Big Happy Family. As of today, all nine Madea films have generated over $500 million around the globe.
There is no word yet on a release date for the series.
