00:00Viola Davis is moving to the White House. Showtime has handed out a series order to
00:04anthology First Ladies, with the actress set to play Michelle Obama in the first season.
00:09The news arrives as Davis will officially say farewell to ABC's Shondaland drama
00:13How to Get Away with Murder in the Spring.
00:21First Ladies was initially put in development last August, marking a very quick turnaround
00:25process for the premium cable network. The anthology focuses on the personal and political
00:29lives of the country's First Ladies, with season one focused on Michelle Obama, played by Davis,
00:35as well as Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford. Additional casting details have not yet been announced.
00:40Premiere date and episode count have also not yet been determined.
00:43Showtime Entertainment president Jana Winograde said,
00:46First Ladies fits perfectly within the Showtime wheelhouse of drama and politics, revealing how much
00:51personal relationships impact both domestic and global events. Having Viola Davis play Michelle
00:56Obama is a dream come true, and we couldn't be luckier to have her extraordinary talent to help
01:01launch this series. First Ladies arrives as Showtime finds itself in a year of change. In addition to
01:07saying its long farewell to signature drama Homeland, the premium cable network just canceled Ray Donovan
01:12this week after seven seasons. This year we'll also see Shameless, Showtime's highest-rated script
01:17original, sign off after an 11 season run. For much more on this story, head to THR.com. Until next
01:23time,
01:24for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
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