‘The First Lady’ Won’t See Season Two on Showtime

The First Lady
(Image credit: Showtime)

The First Lady will not see a second season on Showtime. The anthology series premiered April 17. Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson are in the cast, respectively playing Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt. 

Cathy Schulman is the showrunner and Susanne Bier the director. 

The First Lady is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House,” goes the Showtime description. “In the government’s East Wing, 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.” 

Kiefer Sutherland portrayed President Roosevelt, Aaron Eckhart played President Ford and O-T Fagbenle played President Obama. 

Lionsgate produced The First Lady. Ten episodes were made. 

Schulman executive produces via her Welle Entertainment. Bier, Davis (JuVee Productions), Julius Tennon and Andrew Wang, Aaron Cooley, Pavlina Hatoupis, Alyson Feltes, Jeff Gaspin via Gaspin Media and Brad Kaplan via Link Entertainment also executive produce. ■

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.