Tyler Perry is back again, y’all. This time it looks like he may have a surefire hit on his hands with The Family That Preys. Yes, his movies have made millions at the box office, but I’m talking about a real hit, and not just people attending the film because his name is attached to the project. This go ’round, Tyler touches on the subject of social classes and scandal.

Cast: Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Tyler Perry, Cole Hauser, Sanaa Lathan, Rockmond Dunbar, Taraji P. Henson, Robin Givens, Kadee Strickland, Sebastian Siegel

Plot Summary: Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) and her dear friend Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard), a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children’s extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved. Alice’s self-centered newlywed daughter Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) is betraying her trusting husband Chris (Rockmond Dunbar) by engaging in a torrid affair with her boss and mother’s best friend’s son William (Cole Hauser).

While cheating on his wife Jillian (Kadee Strickland) with a string of ongoing dalliances with his mistress Andrea, William’s true focus is to replace the COO of his mother’s lucrative construction corporation. Meanwhile, Alice’s other daughter Pam (Taraji Henson), a kind but no nonsense woman married to a hard working construction worker (Tyler Perry), tries to steer the family in a more positive direction.

As paternity secrets, marital infidelity, greed and unsavory business dealings threaten to derail both families, Charlotte and Alice decide to take a breather from it all by making a cross-country road trip in which they rediscover themselves and possibly find a way to save their families from ruin.

I thought I’d heard Tom Joyner say one morning on his radio show that Tyler Perry would be in the new Star Trek film, but I just dismissed it because they joke so much on that show that I thought this was a joke as well.

Turns out, the joke’s on me. Tyler is in the new Star Trek movie. Ain’t that a blip? Madea meets Captain Kirk. Space will never be the same. IMDb hasn’t listed what character Tyler will be playing, but if you ask me, he would be perfect as a Klingon. Have you seen the dome on Tyler? I rest my case.

Here’s the cover and tracklisting for Erykah Badu’s latest album, New AmErykah, Pt. One: 4th World War. It’s a double disc with 18 songs that will be spread over two separately sold discs. The release date for Part 1 is scheduled for February 26, 2008.

01. American Promise
02. The Healer
03. Me
04. My People
05. Speech
06. Soldier 7
07. The Cell
08. Twinkle
09. Love Me
10. Honey (Produced by 9th Wonder)
11. Emotions
12. Don’t Be Long
13. YPOM
14. Hot Slow Jam
15. Jump Up in the Air
16. Loretta Brown
17. Dirty Dirty
18. The Healer Outro

Also the video for the single, Honey, was released on last week.

Just a reminder……..McNulty, Omar, Bubbles, Marlo and the rest of the gang from The Wire are back this Sunday night on HBO. Check your local listings for times, and remember to set your TiVo’s!

Here’s the premise of the premiere episode:

Season 5, Episode 51: More With Less

“The bigger the lie, the more they believe.” - Bunk Moreland

In the fifth-season premiere, McNulty and the detail continue to stake out Marlo’s crew, recently promoted Sgt. Carver is welcomed by a cauldron of discontent from officers coping with unpaid overtime; Though he wants to keep his campaign promise to lower crime, Mayor Carcetti is strapped by his commitment to schools, and faces some tough choices; Col. Daniels is forced to reallocate his resources, retaining Freamon and Sydnor for the Clay Davis probe; Meanwhile, city editor Augustus “Gus” Haynes and the staff of The Baltimore Sun are reeling from corporate cutbacks, losing key personnel from both the metro and international divisions; Still, with the help of reporters Alma Gutierrez, Jeff Price and Scott Templeton, Haynes is able to break a front-page story that links a politician to a co-op drug dealer; Proposition Joe, Marlo, Fatface Rick and other new day co-op members meet in a hotel conference room to discuss divvying up drug frontiers across East Baltimore’s county line.

Discussions will be held in the Infinite Ink Forum on Monday in regards to the latest episodes.

The writers are still striking in Hollywood. Heroes just ended the first half of it’s season on Monday of this week, but I’m not upset. You wanna know why? Because The Wire returns for it’s 5th and final season on HBO starting January 6, 2008. If you haven’t seen the promos yet, you can catch them on Youtube.

This season’s focus will deal with the media and media consumption. And by the looks of the promos, McNulty is back to his old self, drinkin’ and hoein’. Bubbs has checked himself into rehab. Marlo’s crew has gotten stronger. Mayor Carcetti is still trying to clean up B-More, and Omar is more ruthless than ever! Oh, and there’s a new theme song this season.

I can hardly wait for the new year to arrive. I know exactly where I’ll be on Sunday nights. Posted up in front of the tube, with all phone calls routed to voicemail, as I catch each and every episode of the 5th and final season of The Wire.