The First Lady (American TV series)

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The First Lady
Genre
Created byAaron Cooley
Directed bySusanne Bier
Starring
Music byGeoff Zanelli
Opening theme"This Land Is Your Land" by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyAmir Mokri
Editors
  • Sam Williams
  • Matthew Cannings
  • Lindsey Woodward
  • Nicolas Chaudeurge
Running time55–57 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkShowtime
ReleaseApril 17 (2022-04-17) –
June 19, 2022 (2022-06-19)

The First Lady[1] is an American anthology drama television series created by Aaron Cooley which premiered on Showtime on April 17, 2022.[2] It stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, and Gillian Anderson, among others, and portrays life and family events of three First Ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. The series received mixed reviews, with praise for Pfeiffer's and Anderson's performances, as well as the costuming, set design, and themes, but criticism for its pacing, plot, and Davis's performance.[3][4] In August 2022, the series was canceled after one season.[5]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.TitleDirected by [7]Written byOriginal air date [8]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"That White House"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Aaron Cooley and Ellen Fairey & Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Abby Ajayi & Zora Bikangaga
Story by : Aaron Cooley
April 17, 2022 (2022-04-17)0.263[9]
2"Voices Carry"Susanne BierAaron Cooley & Cathy Schulman and Ellen Fairey and Abby AjayiApril 24, 2022 (2022-04-24)0.224[10]
3"Please Allow Me"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Aaron Cooley and Yolonda E. Lawrence
Story by : Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Yolonda E. Lawrence and Zora Bikangagan
May 1, 2022 (2022-05-01)0.202[11]
4"Cracked Pot"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Ellen Fairey and Cathy Schulman & Aaron Cooley
Story by : Cathy Schulman & Aaron Cooley and Zora Bikangaga
May 8, 2022 (2022-05-08)0.185[12]
5"See Saw"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Ellen Fairey and Azia Squire and Zora Bikangaga
Story by : Azia Squire
May 15, 2022 (2022-05-15)0.226[13]
6"Shout Out"Susanne BierNikole Beckwith and Alyson Feltes and Abby AjayiMay 22, 2022 (2022-05-22)0.185[14]
7"Nadir"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Nicole Jefferson Asher and Ellen Fairey and Zora Bikangaga
Story by : Nicole Jefferson Asher
May 29, 2022 (2022-05-29)0.202[15]
8"Punch Perfect"Susanne BierNikole Beckwith and Ellen Fairey and Abby AjayiJune 5, 2022 (2022-06-05)0.287[16]
9"Rift"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Jennifer Westfeldt and Aaron Cooley & Cathy Schulman and Abby Ajayi
Story by : Jennifer Westfeldt and Cathy Schulman & Aaron Cooley
June 12, 2022 (2022-06-12)0.292[17]
10"Victory Dance"Susanne BierTeleplay by : Nikole Beckwith and Ellen Fairey and Abby Ajayi
Story by : Aaron Cooley
June 19, 2022 (2022-06-19)0.220[18]

Production

Development

On February 5, 2020, it was announced that Showtime had given the production, then known as First Ladies, a series order. Executive producers were expected to include Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Cathy Schulman, Jeff Gaspin, Brad Kaplan, and Aaron Cooley, who also created the series and will write. Davis would star as Michelle Obama.[19] In January 2021, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jayme Lawson, and Kristine Froseth joined the cast of the series as Betty Ford, young Obama, and young Ford, respectively, with Susanne Bier set to direct and executive produce.[1][20] That same month, Pamela Adlon and Rhys Wakefield joined the cast.[21]

On February 16, 2021,

Malia Obama in a recurring role.[27]

On March 10, 2021, nine more joined the cast, including Derek Cecil as Donald Rumsfeld, Aya Cash as Esther Liebowitz, Jake Picking as Gerald Ford (young), Cayden Boyd as Michael Ford, Marc Hills as Jack Ford, Ben Cook as Steven Ford, Leslie Kritzer as Martha Graham, Thomas E. Sullivan as Bill Warren, and Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Clara Powell.[28][29]

On April 13, 2021,

Valerie June Jarrett and Susan Sher, while Rosalind Chao, Michael Potts, Kathleen Garrett and Donna Lynne Champlin joined in recurring capacities.[31][32][33]

In July 2021, Kiefer Sutherland and Lily Rabe joined the main cast as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, respectively, while Ellen Burstyn, Eliza Scanlen, Cailee Spaeny, Clea DuVall and Charlie Plummer joined the cast in recurring roles.[34][35][36][37] In August 2021, Jackie Earle Haley, Maria Dizzia, and Jeremy Bobb were cast in recurring capacities.[38] The series premiered on April 17, 2022, on Showtime and Paramount+ Internationally in 2022.[2][39] On August 1, 2022, Showtime canceled the series after one season.[5]

Filming

On February 25, 2021, it was announced that filming had begun in Covington, Georgia.[40]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 41% approval rating with an average rating of 6.00/10, based on 44 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Despite formidable stars and a rich history to draw from, a lack of focus and shallow characterization make The First Lady second-rate television."[41] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 50 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[42]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022
Black Reel Television Awards
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series Viola Davis Nominated [43]
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series Michelle Pfeiffer Nominated [44]
Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series Aaron Cooley, Cathy Schulman, Ellen Fairey, and Abby Ajayi (for "Voices Carry") Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Period Costumes Signe Sejlund, Felicia Jarvis, Matthew Hemesath, Paula Truman, Stephen Oh, and Jessica Trejos (for "Cracked Pot") Nominated [45]
Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling Colleen LaBaff, Louisa Anthony, Lawrence Davis, Julie Kendrick, Robert Wilson, Jamika Wilson, Evelyn Roach, and Jaime Leigh McIntosh (for "See Saw") Nominated
Outstanding Period and/or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) Carol Rasheed, Sergio López-Rivera, Valli O'Reilly, Chauntelle Langston, and Milene Melendez (for "Cracked Pot") Nominated
2023 Critics' Choice Awards Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Michelle Pfeiffer Nominated [46]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Viola Davis Nominated [47]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The First Lady
No. Title Air date
Rating

(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
1 "That White House" April 17, 2022 0.01 0.263[9]
2 "Voices Carry" April 24, 2022 0.02 0.224[10]
3 "Please Allow Me" May 1, 2022 0.03 0.202[11]
4 "Cracked Pot" May 8, 2022 0.02 0.185[12]
5 "See Saw" May 15, 2022 0.04 0.226[13]
6 "Shout Out" May 22, 2022 0.02 0.185[14]
7 "Nadir" May 29, 2022 0.01 0.202[15]
8 "Punch Perfect" June 5, 2022 0.04 0.287[16]
9 "Rift" June 12, 2022 0.03 0.292[17]
10 "Victory Dance" June 19, 2022 0.01 0.220[18]

References

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  2. ^ a b Romano, Nick (February 17, 2022). "'The First Lady' trailer transforms Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Gillian Anderson". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
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External links