The Surprising Story Behind the 10-Minute Dinner Scene

Greenleaf, OWN's new original scripted drama, isn't your typical television series. Not only is it tackling a topic that's never been the subject of primetime television—the dark side of running a massive mega-church—but also it boasts a daring narrative.

The premiere episode, for example, includes a 10-minute dinner scene unlike anything you've seen before. Oprah, who is an executive producer as well as a cast member on the series, points out that it was a convenient way to introduce you to the Greenleaf family. "The thing about that dinner scene is that was the first scene shot in this entire series and the very first day," Oprah says. "The scene is specifically there to let you know who everybody is in the family and the roles that they play, and what the dynamic and tension in the family is."

Craig Wright, creator and executive producer, explains that Greenleaf presents the viewer something completely different. "[The dinner scene] also did something a little more subtle, which is it announced, by being 13 pages long, that this show was going to take stylistic chances. The show is not in a normal rhythm. The show goes where the story needs it to go, and it doesn't conform to the expectations of tired TV."