I am admitting I have succombed to watching a guilty pleasure on the OWN Network: Tyler Perry's "The Haves and the Have-Nots." So far, after four episodes, I can see it is kind of like "Downton Abbey" in that the plot revolves around the rich and their help. In this case, it is centered around John Schneider (yep, of "Dukes of Hazzard" fame) as Judge Jim Cryer - who recently announced he will run for governor. The trouble is, he is being blackmailed for an affair he's had with a young woman who, it turns out, is friends with his daughter.

In my opinion, the blackmailer, named Candace, played by Tika Sumpter (in "Sparkle" with Whitney Houston and Jordan Sparks, "Gossip Girl," and "One Life to Live") makes this show. She has Schneider's character by the balls!!! The dialogue is nicely spicey too, which makes it unbelievable and laughable at the same time. My only dissapointment is in the casting of the woman who play's Judge Cryer's wife: Renee Lawless. She is supposed to be the one who inherently has the wealth in the family. However, her acting is just plain terrible. I don't know why they couldn't have cast someone else with a little more elegance in the role. Ellen Barkin or Stockard Channing would have been MUCH better choices for the part. It would have added a "cougar" element too to the story.

Candace's mother, Hannah, played by Crystal Fox, is the new maid hired by the Cryer family. Candace and her mom are not exactly close and have chosen to pretend like they do not know each other. (This is part of the plot twist, since mom works for the family and daughter is blackmailing the wealthy dad.) Fox's character helms the storyline of the help. Here is a link to the show. Is anybody else watching the series? What are your thoughts?

http://www.oprah.com/own-the-haves-and-the-have-nots/the-haves-and-the-have-nots.html

I hope the ratings can help it stick around. It is no "Dynasty" or "Dallas," but it is nice to have a meaningless, sorrid drama about money and sex on TV again. It's a good diversion from the "CSI," cop, and law shows that are all over television these days.