LOS ANGELES (BlackNews.com) – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is picking up 10 additional episodes of the new family docu-series “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (a total of 18 episodes for the first season), according to an announcement by Sheri Salata and Erik Logan, presidents of OWN.
The series, which debuted on Oct. 15, has since shown strong ratings growth week-to-week becoming the network’s highest rated program in the key female 25-54 demographic.
“The audience is really responding to this program, and the ratings continue to build, which is a great testament to the show,” said Logan. “We’ve all fallen in love with the Montgomery family. You never know what they’ll do or say next. We couldn’t be more pleased viewers are tuning in to enjoy all the fun,” said Salata.
The series follows the loud, loving and musical Montgomery family as they work to expand their family-owned business, one soulful dish at a time. When Robbie Montgomery, a 1960s backup singer and former Ikette, suffered a collapsed lung and had to stop singing, she decided to pour her talents into opening a soul food restaurant. At her popular St. Louis eatery, Sweetie Pie’s, both hilarity and drama are offered up, and now Miss Robbie is preparing to launch a third location with a little help from her son and partner Tim.
On average, African-American viewers comprise 60 percent of the audience, with 6.1 million total viewers tuning in since the series began.
“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” is seen on Saturdays at 9 p.m. The show has been praised by critics for its concept departure from the existing climate of reality television brawls and professional athlete baby mamas/housewives drama. A Yahoo TV critic stated “This St. Louis, Mo., family is just like ours. We like and cry with them. We desperately want them to succeed. When they triumph over their foibles we all believe that we can as well. OWN has created a reality show that flies above the riff raff. They have done the impossible.”
With three episodes remaining in their initial run, the cast of “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” returns to production in December to shoot 10 additional episodes with the new episodes to debut in the spring.
