Showtime Retires Its Anthology Series ‘The First Lady’ After One Season
The first season of Showtime’s ambitious anthology series, The First Lady, will be its one and only.
The docudrama, which consists of three separate biopics packed into just ten episodes, follows Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis) as they navigate their roles as First Lady of the United States.
Deadline reported the cancellation, confirmed by a spokesperson from the network. While it won’t be going further than its inaugural season, Showtime states that they “applaud the artistry and commitment of our showrunner Cathy Schulman, director Susanne Bier, their fellow executive producers, our amazing cast.”
Viola Davis served as executive producer as well as portraying the first Black First Lady. Gillian Anderson and Michelle Pfeiffer turned in powerhouse performances accompanied by an outstanding supporting cast including Ellen Burstyn, Dakota Fanning, Lily Rabe, Judy Greer, and O-T Fagbenle as President Barack Obama.
Despite the star power involved, The First Lady had a tepid reception among critics—including myself, sadly—and garnered zero acting nominations for the upcoming 74th Primetime Emmys. Although, the series is nominated in the vanity departments for its period costuming, hairstyling, and makeup.
At The First Lady‘s TCA panel in February, Schulman and Bier discussed potential Season 2 stories exploring past First Ladies Hillary Clinton, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Dolly Madison, Edith Wilson, Rosalynn Carter, Melania Trump, and Martha Washington.
What do you think of Showtime’s cancellation of The First Lady? Let us know in the comments below.
The First Lady Season 1 is available to stream on Showtime.
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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.