OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK ADDS TWO NEW UNSCRIPTED SERIES TO ITS POPULAR SATURDAY NIGHT LINEUP PREMIERING MAY 16

Filmed Virtually, the Uplifting Series Include "Fear Not with Iyanla Vanzant" Starring OWN's Inspirational Life Coach Iyanla Vanzant and "Girlfriends Check In," an Intimate Gabfest Between Fan Favorite Celebrities and Their Real-Life Friends

Los Angeles - While the nation is staying safer at home together, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that beginning May 16, Saturday nights become "Sisterhood Saturday Nights" with the launch of two new limited unscripted series joining the network's popular lineup, each filmed virtually.

"Fear Not with Iyanla Vanzant" (9 p.m. ET/PT) features Iyanla Vanzant, the star of OWN's hit show "Iyanla: Fix My Life," offering her trusted guidance during the pandemic with special guests including Oprah Winfrey, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Bebe Winans, and financial educator Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche, with more to be announced.

"Girlfriends Check In" (10 p.m. ET/PT) brings different groups of female celebrity friends together each week for virtual get togethers where they share laughter, support, love, and gossip. Episodes of "Girlfriends Check In" will feature actress, author, producer and director Meagan Good with her sister La'Myia Good Bellinger, and actresses Tasha Smith and Grace Byers from "Empire." The fun will continue with "The Real" host Loni Love along with comedian and internet star B. Simone, actress and television personality Tami Roman, and celebrity hair stylist Robbi Rogers. More names to be announced.

"Now more than ever before we want to provide our audience with programming that unites and uplifts us," said Tina Perry, president, OWN. "We are excited to bring together sisterhood on Saturday nights, and we are grateful to Iyanla and all of the girlfriends for sharing hope and a little bit of light during this time."

More About the Programming:

"Fear Not with Iyanla Vanzant"

Premieres Saturday, May 16 (9 p.m. ET/PT)

Executive Produced and hosted by popular inspirational life coach and star of OWN's hit series "Iyanla: Fix My Life," Iyanla Vanzant offers guidance on how to live beyond fear, one step at a time. This weekly series includes heart-to-heart conversations with experts and notable guests that explore the basis of human fear, offering guidance and tools that will support guests and viewers in living beyond the stress and anxieties they are now attributing to the Coronavirus pandemic. Guests will include Oprah Winfrey, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Bebe Winans, and financial educator Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche. The series is produced by Bunim/Murray.

"Girlfriends Check In"

Premieres Saturday, May 16 (10 p.m. ET/PT)

Good girlfriends can get you through anything in life - especially during quarantine. With the help of a little tech and a lot of sisterhood, each week different female celebrity friends will hold a virtual chat room "check in" - spilling the tea about their relationships, their families, sharing new recipes, and reminding us that we are truly all in this together. Episodes of "Girlfriends Check In" will feature actress, author, producer and director Meagan Good with her sister La'Myia Good Bellinger, and actresses Tasha Smith and Grace Byers from "Empire." The fun will continue with "The Real" host Loni Love along with comedian and internet star B. Simone, actress and television personality Tami Roman, and celebrity hair stylist Robbi Rogers. More names to be announced. The six-episode series is produced by Critical Content.

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for a premium scripted and unscripted programming from today's most innovative storytellers. OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime on http://WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.

About Bunim/Murray Productions

Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The Real World, which recently moved to Facebook after 32 seasons on MTV. BMP continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting Over, in 2003. BMP's current programming includes Keeping up with the Kardashians, Total Divas and Total Bellas (E!),The Challenge (MTV), Born This Way (A&E), Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project (Oxygen), The Real World and Ball in the Family (Facebook Watch), Endless Summer, Stranded with Sam and Colby (Snapchat), Miz and Mrs. (USA Network), Family or Fiance (OWN), Crystal Maze (Nickelodeon) and Emily's Wonder Lab (Netflix). BMP has also produced They Call Us Monsters (PBS), Valentine Road (HBO), Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical (HBO) for BMP Films. Based in Glendale, CA, the company was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.

About Critical Content

Critical Content is a leading global independent content studio. Launched in October of 2015, the company focuses on unscripted and scripted programming for broadcast, cable and digital platforms. Critical Content currently has more than 50 projects in production for more than 30 different networks. Recent series include "Catfish" (MTV), "Very Cavallari" (E!), "StayHere" (Netflix), "Get a Room with Carson & Thom" and "Backyard Envy" (Bravo), "Ozzy and Jack's World Detour" (A&E), "Who Shot Biggie & Tupac?" (FOX), "Fight Like A Girl" (Quibi), "Caribbean Pirate Treasure" (Travel Channel), "The Case Of: JonBenét Ramsey" (CBS, Netflix), "The Great Food Truck Race" (Food Network), "Disney's Fairytale Weddings" (Freeform), "Racing Wives" (CMT), HOME FREE (FOX), "American Spring Live" (PBS), "Portals To Hell" (Travel), "Hanging With The Hendersons" (Animal Plant), "StartUp" (Crackle, Amazon), and "Limitless" (CBS). For more information, visit www.criticalcontent.com.