''Queen America'' is an American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

series that aired from November 18, 2018 to January 6, 2019 on

Facebook Watch Facebook Watch (currently rebranding to Facebook Video) 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 it was available to all U.S. ...

. It stars

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Recognised for her versatility, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Comm ...

, Belle Shouse, Teagle F. Bougere,

Rana Roy Rana Roy is a British singer, dancer, and actress. Rana Roy was born on October 1, 1986, in London. * In 2007 she was part of the winning Team Bruno on the reality show ''DanceX'', and went on to join the song and dance group Pulse * In 2008 she ...

Molly Price Molly Price is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Faith Yokas in the NBC drama series ''Third Watch'' (1999–2005). Price has also appeared in recurring and guest-starring roles in many other television dramas and co-starred ...

Isabella Amara Isabella Amara (born October 9, 1998) is an American actress and singer. She gained attention for her role as Sally Avril in the films '' Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017) and '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018). She also became known for her role ...

and Megan West. The series follows a

beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes sol ...

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 List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

, 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. Recognised for her versatility, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Comma ...

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 *

as Mary Clark, a personal trainer who works for Vicki *

as Katie Ellis, Vicki's sister and Bella's mother. Formerly a receptionist at a car dealership, she now works as a house cleaner. *

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 oper ...

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 is from Albury in New South Wales, where he attended Scots School Albury. Career Alexander England was selected to play Tony Greig, a former captain of the English cricket team known in Australia fo ...

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 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 Robbie Warren Derringer (born July 6, 1967) is an American actor. Early life Derringer was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. He attended the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television acting program and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degre ...

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, director, screenwriter, 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 I ...

as Mandy Green, a beauty pageant coach from Texas and Vick's nemesis *

Victoria Justice Victoria Justice (born February 19, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She rose to fame on Nickelodeon, playing Lola Martinez on the comedy drama series '' Zoey 101'' (2005–2008) and Tori Vega on the sitcom '' Victorious'' (2010–20 ...

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) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether recreational or ...

. * Cory Chapman as Kevin Cole, Samantha's brother *

Jayson Warner Smith Jayson Warner Smith is an American actor who is best known for portraying Gavin in the television series '' The Walking Dead''. He is also known for his role in ''Rectify'' as Wendall Jelks and as Dean in ''The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampir ...

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 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

had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was created by

Meaghan Oppenheimer Meaghan Oppenheimer (born 1985 or 1986)Paul Lee,

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. ...

, Casey Haver,

Guymon Casady Guymon Patrick Casady (born 12 March 1969) is an American media executive, producer and talent manager. He was executive producer of the television series ''Game of Thrones, The Terror (TV series), The Terror'' and ''Ripley (TV series), Ripley'' on ...

, 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 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

would star in the series. In July 2018, it was announced that Belle Shouse, Teagle F. Bougere,

, and Megan West had been cast in main roles and that

, and

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 List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. 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 United States census, 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United Stat ...

. 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 4,235 in 2020. The city's name was originally spelled Jonesborough. During the American Civil War, the final skirmish in the Atlanta ...

. 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 wikt:uptown, uptown commercial and residential district of the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, comprising approximately the northernmost fifth of the city. Buckhead is the third largest business district within ...

near Lenox Square. On July 20, 2018, the series was in

Midtown Atlanta Midtown Atlanta, or Midtown for short, is a Urban area, high-density commercial and residential neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The exact geographical extent of the area is ill-defined due to differing definitions used ...

, shooting at the

Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments The Atlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments is a 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 H ...

. 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 and a week later in Conyers. On August 17, 2018, filming occurred in the Lindbergh neighborhood of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. 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 n ...

. From August 29 to 30, 2018, filming was scheduled to take place in

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, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Those in attendance included

, Belle Shouse,

Meaghan Oppenheimer Meaghan Oppenheimer (born 1985 or 1986)Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Recognised for her versatility, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Comm ...

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 aggregator, 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 ...

, 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 an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, 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 The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

''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 American nonprofit 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 Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

''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."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Queen America 2010s American black comedy television series 2018 American television series debuts 2019 American television series endings American comedy web series American English-language television shows Facebook Watch original programming Television series by Made Up Stories Television shows set in Tulsa, Oklahoma