Oprah invites the Akils to her network for ‘Love Is ___’
Oprah’s network gave the green light to Love Is ___, a new series from Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil rooted in their own story as a Black power couple moving through Hollywood’s elite circles. What began as an ABC multi-camera comedy landed at OWN as an hour-long light-hearted drama, trading quick punchlines for a slower, more intimate look at ambition, partnership, and the long game of a marriage under public scrutiny.
Mara Brock Akil was the creator behind Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane, which both center on young black women leading modern lives. Her husband Salim Akil is the director of Jumping the Broom, a comedy about an African-American wedding. Their combined credits already carried a clear signature: sharp dialogue, recognizable social detail, and characters who felt like people you might actually know.
Oprah Winfrey has long been a fan of the duo, admitting, “I’ve dreamed of working with the Akils since first viewing Girlfriends. They know just how to hit the cultural nerve to make you think and laugh at the same time.” Mara Brock Akil answered with equal enthusiasm, calling the deal a “dream come true” and noting that the project was both professional and deeply personal for the couple.
Series Premiere and Reception
Love Is ___ premiered on June 19, 2018, and immediately posted strong numbers for OWN. Nielsen data and network reports listed it as the top-rated show on cable during its run, drawing viewers with its decade-spanning look at a couple balancing careers, family, and the constant pressure of being visible in Black Hollywood. The eight-episode season carried through late August, giving the Akils a clean, contained showcase before the next chapter of the story was decided.
Cancellation and Aftermath
OWN renewed the series for a second season on July 31, 2018. Five months later the network reversed course. On December 19 the show was cancelled following domestic violence allegations against Salim Akil tied to an alleged extramarital affair and separate copyright claims. OWN stated the decision came after an internal inquiry into the allegations. The abrupt end closed the door on any further episodes despite the earlier renewal.
Creators' Later Careers
Mara Brock Akil kept working at a steady clip. She executive produced Black Lightning and the revival of The Game, then launched Story27, a Netflix-backed banner. Her 2025 limited series Forever earned a Peabody Award. In 2026 she received the Norman Lear Achievement Award at the Producers Guild Awards, a nod to a body of work that now stretches across broadcast, cable, and streaming while still centering Black stories and relationships.
Legacy of Black Romantic Dramas on OWN
Love Is ___ fit into OWN’s line of scripted series that treated Black romantic partnerships with the same weight usually given to career arcs and family drama. The Akils positioned the show as an aspirational portrait of two ambitious people navigating decades together rather than a single meet-cute. That approach echoed the tone Mara Brock Akil had already set with Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane, where the daily negotiations of love, work, and identity were never treated as side plots. The series remains a short but clear entry in that catalog of stories.
The original quotes from Oprah Winfrey and Mara Brock Akil still read as genuine excitement from two sides of a deal that felt, at the time, like a perfect match of brand and creative voice. The project’s one-season run does not erase the craft on display or the audience that showed up for it. Mara Brock Akil’s continued output since then keeps the conversation about Black love stories on television alive, even as the specific chapter titled Love Is ___ closed earlier than anyone expected.
