Showtime will not be renewing The First Lady for a second season. The Aaron Cooley-created anthology series starred the three acting powerhouses, Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Gillian Anderson as they depicted some of the most polarizing first ladies of the White House.
Premiering on April 17, 2022, the first season of the series covered the lives of Michelle Obama (Davis), Betty Ford (Pfeiffer), and Eleanor Roosevelt (Anderson), mainly reflecting on their personal relationships with their families and how they navigated political affairs during their time in the White House.
The First Lady had compelling storytelling that gave informative and entertaining insight into the White House from the woman’s perspective throughout the 10-episode order. However, the show was criticized for some of its creative choices pertaining to the acting. Despite this, the series was nominated for three Primetime Emmys.
“The anthology series The First Lady will not be moving forward with another season,” a statement from a Showtime spokesperson said. “We would like to applaud the artistry and commitment of our showrunner Cathy Schulman, director Susanne Bier, their fellow executive producers, our amazing cast, led by executive producer Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson, and our studio partner Lionsgate for their dedicated work in telling the unique stories of three remarkable leaders.”
