drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
series that aired from November 18, 2018 to January 6, 2019 on
Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and was available to all U.S. users that month. Facebook Watch's original ...
. It stars
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
, Belle Shouse, Teagle F. Bougere, Rana Roy, Molly Price, Isabella Amara and Megan West. The series follows a
beauty pageant
A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
coach who suddenly finds herself backed into the position of training an untested contestant.
Premise
''Queen America'' is set in
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, and follows "Vicki Ellis, the most renowned (and ruthless) pageant coach in the state, and the hapless Samantha Cole who hopes Vicki can mold her into worthwhile contender for the title of Miss America. Vicki is desperately sought after by young women competing to be Miss America for one reason; she can turn any girl into a winner. But when she gets paired with the beautiful but unpolished Samantha, Vicki’s entire reputation might be at stake."
Cast and characters
Main
*
Catherine Zeta Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
as Vicki Ellis, a beauty pageant coach from Oklahoma who has worked with every winner of the Miss Oklahoma Starred and Striped U.S. Beauty Pageant for many years
* Belle Shouse as Samantha Cole, the current beauty pageant titleholder of Miss Oklahoma Starred and Striped U.S. and Vicki's client. She was crowned after initially coming in second place but was given the title after the original winner was dethroned.
* Teagle F. Bougere as Nigel Hill, a hair and make-up artist who works for Vicki
* Rana Roy as Mary Clark, a personal trainer who works for Vicki
* Molly Price as Katie Ellis, Vicki's sister and Bella's mother. Formerly a receptionist at a car dealership, she now works as a house cleaner.
* Isabella Amara as Bella Ellis, Vicki's niece and Katie's daughter
* Megan West as Brittany Garrett, the current beauty pageant titleholder of Miss Texas Starred and Striped U.S. and Mandy's client
Recurring
* Tom Ellis as Andy, a chef and single father whom Vicki is dating
*
Judith Light
Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...
as Regina Parrot, Vicki's mentor and former pageant coach who reluctantly agrees to help her coach Samantha
*
Alexander England
Alexander England is an Australian actor. He comes from Albury in New South Wales, where he attended Scots School Albury.
England starred opposite Lupita Nyong'o and Josh Gad in the 2019 zombie comedy horror film '' Little Monsters''.
Career
...
as Rick Bishop, a member of the board of the Miss Oklahoma Starred and Striped U.S. Beauty Pageant with a history of harassing women
*
Robert Pralgo
Robert Pralgo (born June 4, 1966) is an American actor.
Pralgo was born in the Bronx in New York City. He graduated with a "BA Television and Film Production" at the University of Georgia in 1989. After graduation, he worked as a bartender while ...
as Bruce James, the father of an aspiring pageant contestant who is having an affair with Nigel. He is secretly a closeted gay man and married to a woman.
* Robb Derringer as Robert Crowe, an old boyfriend of Vicki's
* Charmin Lee as Nancy Summer, the president of the board of the Miss Oklahoma Starred and Striped U.S. Beauty Pageant
* Mickey Cole Jr. as Michael, an employee of Señorita's Tacos who begins dating Bella. They stop seeing each other after he learns that she is in fact sixteen years old and in high school and not twenty years old and in college as she had originally told him.
*
Jennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt (born February 2, 1970) is an American actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She is best known for co-writing, co-producing, and starring in the 2002 indie film '' Kissing Jessica Stein'', for which she received an ...
as Mandy Green, a beauty pageant coach from Texas and Vick's nemesis
* Victoria Justice as Hayley Wilson, a client of Vicki's and the initial winner of the Miss Oklahoma Starred and Striped U.S. Beauty Pageant. She was dethroned after crashing a car through a restaurant and getting charged with a
DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
.
* Cory Chapman as Kevin Cole, Samantha's brother
* Jayson Warner Smith as Mr. Cole, Samantha's father
* Kat Hughes as Deb Bonilla, a friend of Samantha's in Claremore
* Jared Wofford as Parker, a man whom Nigel sleeps with
* Lucy Capri as Grace, Andy's daughter whom Vicki babysits as a favor
* Meg Gillentine as Marcia Woodhouse, a boutique owner and friend of Regina whom Vicki knows and has purchased clothing from. Katie asks Vicki to refer her to Marcia for a housekeeping position after losing her job.
* Sir Brodie as Pastor Collin, the pastor of a church that Vicki attends and where Regina's funeral is held
Guest
*
Kelsey Griswold
Kelsey Elizabeth Griswold, is an American pageant titleholder from Tulsa, Oklahoma who was named Miss Oklahoma 2013.
Biography
She won the title of Miss Oklahoma on June 8, 2013, when she received her crown from outgoing titleholder Alicia Clift ...
as Kelly Marsh ("Social Awareness"), a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Oklahoma Starred and Striped U.S. 2014
Episodes
Production
Development
On May 3, 2018, it was announced that
Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and was available to all U.S. users that month. Facebook Watch's original ...
had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was created by
Bruna Papandrea
Bruna Papandrea (born 1971) is an Australian film and television producer and the founder of production company Made Up Stories. Prior to Made Up Stories, Papandrea co-founded the production company Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon.
E ...
, Casey Haver,
Guymon Casady
Guymon Patrick Casady is an American media executive, motion picture and television producer and talent manager.
Casady is a four time Emmy Award-winning co-executive producer on HBO's ''Game of Thrones'', which holds the distinction for being t ...
, Suzan Bymel, and Janice Williams. Production companies involved with the series include and Made Up Stories. On June 5, 2018, it was reported that
Alethea Jones
Alethea Jones is an Australian film and television director. She is best known for her films ''Lemonade Stand'' (2012) and ''Fun Mom Dinner'' (2017), and the TV series '' Queen America''.
Career
Jones's first short film, ''When the Wind Chang ...
would direct all ten episodes of the series as well as serve as a co-executive producer alongside Steve Hutensky. On September 10, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on November 21, 2018, though it was later moved up to November 18.
Casting
Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that
Catherine Zeta Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
would star in the series. In July 2018, it was announced that Belle Shouse, Teagle F. Bougere, Rana Roy, Isabella Amara, Molly Price, and Megan West had been cast in main roles and that
Jennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt (born February 2, 1970) is an American actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She is best known for co-writing, co-producing, and starring in the 2002 indie film '' Kissing Jessica Stein'', for which she received an ...
Judith Light
Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...
would appear in a recurring capacity.
Filming
Principal photography for the series reportedly began on June 18, 2018 and was set to last through late-August 2018 in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
. In late June, a scene was shot inside the Fry's Electronics store in
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta.
As of the 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United States Census Bureau estimated the ...
. From July 4 to 6, 2018, filming took place in
Jonesboro, Georgia
Jonesboro is a city in and the county seat of Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,724 as of the 2010 census.
The city's name was originally spelled Jonesborough. During the Civil War, the final skirmish in the Atlanta Ca ...
. On July 10, 2018, more filming occurred in the Perimeter Center area. On July 13, 18, and 19, 2018, filming took place in
Buckhead
Buckhead is the uptown commercial and residential district of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, comprising approximately the northernmost fifth of the city. Buckhead is the third largest business district within the Atlanta city limits, behind Downto ...
near Lenox Square. On July 20, 2018, the series was in
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown Atlanta, or Midtown, is a high-density commercial and residential neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The exact geographical extent of the area is ill-defined due to differing definitions used by the city, residents, and local business ...
, shooting at the
Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments
The Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments is an historic building located in Atlanta, Georgia. The complex, originally consisting of a hotel and apartments, was developed by William Candler, son of Coca-Cola executive Asa Candler, with ...
. It was filming again in Midtown on July 23.
On August 7 to 10, 2018, filming again returned to the Perimeter Center area. On August 8, 2018, the production was filming in
Lithonia
Lithonia (, ; AAVE: ) is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The city's population was 2,662 at the 2020 census. Lithonia is in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
"Lithonia" means "city/town of stone". Lithonia is in the hear ...
and a week later in
Conyers
Conyers is an Atlanta suburb, the county seat of and only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, Rockdale County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The city is 24 miles (38.6 km) east of Atlanta, downtown Atlanta and is a part of t ...
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. On August 23, 2018, the production was shooting in
Chamblee
Chamblee ( ) is a city in northern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. The population was 30,164 as of the 2020 census.
History
The area that would later become Chamblee was originally dairy farms. During the late nin ...
. From August 29 to 30, 2018, filming was scheduled to take place in
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
.
Release
Marketing
On September 10, 2018, a clip and a series of "first look" images from the series were released. On October 24, 2018, a teaser trailer for the series was released. On November 7, 2018, the official trailer for the series was released.
Premiere
On November 15, 2018, the series held its official premiere at Le Jardin in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
Meaghan Oppenheimer
Meaghan Oppenheimer (born 1986)Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
.
Reception
The series has been met with a mixed to positive critical response upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series holds an approval rating of 67% with an average rating of 4 out of 10, based on 12 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Not quite a showstopper, ''Queen America'' catwalks a tightrope between black comedy and straight drama but scores some points for Zeta-Jones' poised performance."
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 54 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
In a positive review, '' Boston Herald''s Mark Perigard praised the series saying that it "features some surprisingly tense adult moments and some language that was bleeped out. Along the way, there are some cutting observations about the pageant scene — like how every winner has to act shocked, just shocked, when her name is called out." In a similarly positive assessment, ''
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
''s Melissa Camacho was equally complimentary saying, "Despite the dark, snarky tone, ''Queen America'' also contains some mildly empowering themes, including the value of working hard, finding strength in oneself, and the importance of finding people to help pull you up when you need it. And while it has enough strong content to make it a questionable choice for young viewers, it is very entertaining for those mature enough to handle it. All in all, if you’re looking for a fun streaming series to watch, this one works." In a more mixed critique, '' Paste''s LaToya Ferguson praised the performance of Zeta Jones saying, "She is the reason to continue watching, no matter how much you feel you’ve seen it before. The grace and command she possesses in every scene is truly a joy to watch," but ultimately concluded that "In the grand scheme, ''Queen America'' pales in comparison to its forerunners. That doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time, though. And who knows, maybe it has a few surprises up its sleeve down the road." In an outright negative editorial, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''s Jen Chaney criticized the series saying, "In the series, a black comedy (or is it a drama with occasional jokes?) about the desperate hangers-on in the beauty pageant scene, Zeta-Jones feels constrained by the show’s sensibility and its sour lack of ambition. That she fights as hard as she can to avoid being sucked into the eddy of just-good-enough makes the mismatch between star and show, one of the most striking in recent memory, all the more pronounced."