Showtime has officially ordered First Ladies to series, marking the role of Michelle Obama as Academy Award winner Viola Davis's first television part since her tenure as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder, wrapping this May.
According to a statement from Showtime, the new anthology series will follow the "personal and political lives" of the nation's first ladies, with the first season focused on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. Roosevelt and Ford have yet to be cast. "First Ladies is set in the East Wing of the White House, where many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex, and dynamic first ladies," the statement revealed.
The one-hour drama was originally put into development by Showtime last August with a three-script commitment. The announcement of a full series pickup came on February 5.
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“Throughout our history, presidents’ spouses have wielded remarkable influence, not only on the nation’s leaders but on the country itself.” said Jane Winograde, the president of entertainment at Showtime Networks Inc. “Having Viola Davis play Michelle Obama is a dream come true, and we couldn’t be luckier to have her extraordinary talent to help launch this series.”
Aside from portraying Obama, who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, Davis will be an executive producer of the project. The actor holds five Emmy nominations and one win for her portrayal as a ruthless, hardened defense lawyer on HTGAWM, in addition to a Golden Globe and a SAG Award. Oh, and don't forget her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress for Fences, the film adaptation of the play that won Davis a Tony back in 2010.
Hopefully, this political drama can soothe the ache left in the wake of HTGAWM as well as the Showtime staple Shameless, in its 11th and final season this year.
