Showtime is going presidential picking up the new one-hour series First Ladies. The network commissioned a straight-to-series order; in other words Showtime purchased the entire series and committed to air it without going through the process of first airing a pilot episode.
The series follows the lives of some of the most polarizing first ladies in the White House, including Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford.
The female-centric drama will show the side of U.S. history from the perspective of the presidents’ wives.
The first episode will be about Michelle Obama, played by Viola Davis. Other actresses who will be playing the first ladies have yet to be announced.
“Throughout our history, presidents’ spouses have wielded remarkable influence, not only on the nation’s leaders but on the country itself,” said Showtime Networks President of Entertainment, Jana Winograde.
“First Ladies fits perfectly within the Showtime wheelhouse of drama and politics, revealing how much personal relationships impact both domestic and global events,” she continued. “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 the series.”
Executive producers on the series include Viola Davis’ JuVee Productions, alongside partner Julius Tennon, Jeff Gaspin, Cathy Schulman, Brad Kaplan and writer Aaron Cooley. Cooley also penned the script for the show.
