Queen Sugar

Series Run: September 6, 2016 –
Total current Season(s): 6
Network(s): OWN
Genre: Family Drama, Serialized
Additional Notes: In September 2019, OWN renewed Queen Sugar for Season 5, slated to premiere February 16, 2021. The series has also been renewed for Season 6, slated to premiere in late 2021

OWN RENEWS ACCLAIMED AVA DuVERNAY DRAMA ‘QUEEN SUGAR’ FOR SIXTH SEASON AHEAD OF SEASON FIVE PREMIERE
Season Five To Premiere Tuesday, February 16 at 8 pm ET/PT on OWN

LOS ANGELES – Ahead of the season five return, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has picked up season six of Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed drama series “Queen Sugar,” to air later in 2021. Season five premieres Tuesday, February 16 at 8 pm ET/PT on OWN. Produced by ARRAY Filmworks and Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television, “Queen Sugar” has been lauded for its powerful portrayal of an African-American family in the Deep South and for DuVernay’s continued hiring of women directors. Season five was helmed entirely by three filmmakers, including producing director Lauren Wolkstein, Lisa France and Cierra Glaude.

During the production stop-down in 2020 due to COVID-19, DuVernay decided to completely revamp the season five storyline to address the very real issues our country was facing through the lens of the beloved Bordelon family and the fictional community of St. Josephine. DuVernay reconceived the character arcs and storylines, writing alongside returning showrunner Anthony Sparks and supervising producer Norman Vance to tackle head-on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protest movement that swept the country, and corruption in politics to showcase the specific impact and ramifications these issues have on communities and people of color. Through it all, viewers will see the joy around the pain, and humanity’s ability to persevere and find light in the darkest of times. Led by the talented cast of Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner and Kofi Siriboe, “Queen Sugar’s” storylines continue to delve into important topics such as police brutality, addiction and recovery, and systemic racism, among many others.

“The way Ava creates space to allow these characters to embody real-world experiences is television at its finest and we are proud to continue this ground-breaking series,” said Oprah Winfrey, CEO, OWN. “I hear from so many people that they see themselves in the Bordelon family, and my hope is that through this kind of storytelling the hearts and minds of people are opened for a deeper understanding and empathy of one another.”

“When Ava came to us with the idea to revamp the storyline for the new season after production was halted due to the pandemic, we knew it was the right decision to give our viewers her unique perspective on the very real issues impacting their daily lives and the affect the demand for racial equality has had on the Black community and our society as a whole,” said Tina Perry, president, OWN. “We are proud to announce today the pickup of the show’s sixth season which will air later this year enabling us to further explore the compelling story of the Bordelon family. We are grateful to Ava, her creative team, the incredible cast and tireless crew for all the hard work they have put into the show.”

“What a joy and an honor to continue the stories of ‘Queen Sugar’ with our partners at OWN and Warner Bros.,” said DuVernay. “On behalf of every producer, editor, costumer, grip, writer, cast member and all departments involved in making this series, we’re delighted to delve into a sixth season and to bring our beautiful audience more of the Bordelon family.”

At the outset of production, beginning with production of the first season, DuVernay established an inclusive initiative to hire an all-female directorial team. Since its debut in September 2016, 37 women have directed episodes of “Queen Sugar,” 34 of whom made their television directorial debut on the series.

“Queen Sugar” was recently recognized by the Television Academy Honors for its powerful portrayal of an African-American family in the Deep South that sheds light on complex issues and challenges facing our society. The series has additionally been awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and for three consecutive years was named Best TV Show Drama by the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and nominated as Television Show of the Year by the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). “Queen Sugar” has averaged over two million total viewers throughout its series run. During its most-recent season (6/12-9/11/19), “Queen Sugar” placed among the top 3 scripted series across broadcast and cable with African-American Women, households and total viewers.

The first four seasons of “Queen Sugar” are available to stream exclusively on Hulu, making it possible for viewers to catch up on all past episodes.

About “Queen Sugar” Season Five

From award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay (16-time Emmy nominated “When They See Us” and romance anthology series “Cherish the Day” for OWN), the contemporary drama “Queen Sugar” features the Bordelon family who are fighting to save their family farm to preserve their father’s legacy while navigating their own personal journeys. In season five, Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) remains thick in the battle with the Landry family as she uses the system of local government to protect the community and the farmers who own land, while coming to terms with her son Micah (Nicholas Ashe) as he navigates his freshman year at Xavier University, an HBCU. Nova (Rutina Wesley) launches her new website to support the community while moving out of the Ninth Ward and settles into her romantic relationship with Calvin (Greg Vaughn). Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) works to manage fatherhood with son Blue (Ethan Hutchison) and a healthy path forward with girlfriend Darla (Bianca Lawson) despite constant threats to his land and home.

The expansive cast also includes Tina Lifford as the siblings’ free-spirited Aunt Violet, who manages her expanding pie shop while navigating her Lupus diagnosis; Omar J. Dorsey as Violet’s husband Hollywood Desonier, who wants to create a safe space for Black men to come together and talk about their emotional challenges; and Henry G. Sanders as Prosper Denton, a farmer and longtime friend of the late Bordelon family patriarch, Ernest. Recurring guest star Timon Kyle Durrett portrays Charley’s estranged husband and pro basketball player Davis West.

“Queen Sugar” is produced for OWN by ARRAY Filmworks and Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. The season five executive producers are Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Garnes and Anthony Sparks. The series is based on the book by Natalie Baszile.

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OWN'S "QUEEN SUGAR" RESUMES SEASON FIVE PRODUCTION IN NEW ORLEANS; SERIES TO RETURN TO OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK IN 2021

Season Five Will Tackle 2020 and the Impact of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and Elections on the Bordelon Family and Community

"Queen Sugar" Continues to Close Inclusion Gap in Hollywood, Hiring First-Time Female Television Directors
Los Angeles - OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that production will resume in New Orleans for the fifth season of the critically acclaimed series "Queen Sugar" from creator Ava DuVernay. Produced by Warner Bros. Television and ARRAY Filmworks, "Queen Sugar" previously began filming in March 2020 before shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lauded series, executive produced by DuVernay and Paul Garnes, has resumed production on the remainder of the 10-episode season, with the series slated to return to air on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in 2021.

As filming halted and the world faced multiple upheavals throughout 2020, DuVernay decided to completely revamp the season to address the very real issues our country is facing through the lens of the beloved Bordelon family and the fictional community of St. Josephine. DuVernay reconceived the character arcs and storylines, writing alongside returning showrunner Anthony Sparks and co-executive producer Norman Vance to tackle head-on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protest movement that swept the country, and the lead-up to elections to showcase the specific impact and ramifications these issues have on communities and people of color. Through it all, viewers will see the joy around the pain, and humanity's ability to persevere and find light in the darkest of times.

The fifth season's directorial lineup includes previous "Queen Sugar" episodic director Lauren Wolkstein, who has been promoted to producing director, alongside helmers Lisa France and Cierra Glaude. This season continues DuVernay's initiative since the series' inception to hire an all-female directing team, 32 of whom made their television directorial debut on the series. The inclusive hiring extends in front of and behind the camera, with female department heads from casting to post-production and music supervision.

"Queen Sugar" was recently recognized by the Television Academy Honors for its powerful portrayal of an African-American family in the Deep South that sheds light on complex issues and challenges facing our society. Led by the talented cast of Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner and Kofi Siriboe, "Queen Sugar's" storylines have delved into important topics such as police brutality, addiction and recovery, and systemic racism. The series has additionally been awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and for three consecutive years was named Best TV Show Drama by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and nominated as Television Show of the Year by the American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

The first four seasons of "Queen Sugar" are available to stream exclusively on Hulu, making it possible for viewers to catch up on all past episodes.

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OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today it has renewed for a fifth season Ava DuVernay's critically acclaimed drama series "Queen Sugar" to air in 2020. Produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television, "Queen Sugar" has been lauded for its powerful portrayal of an African-American family in the Deep South and for DuVernay's initiative since the series' inception to hire an inclusive crew and all-female directing team, many of whom were first time TV directors. Current season four showrunner Anthony Sparks returns for the fifth season.

"Every character feels like family. Our own. I am excited to see what Ava has unfolding next for the Bordelons," said Oprah Winfrey.

"I'm thrilled to further explore the beauty, pain and triumph of this African-American family, with hopes that their story will continue to resonate with audiences who see themselves in the Bordelons," said DuVernay. "It's a real honor to create this work with Warner Horizon and OWN as their support is rock-solid and wonderful."

"Ava's vision for 'Queen Sugar' is one of inspired storytelling, and her execution of that vision has given us a remarkable series that makes us so proud," said Tina Perry, president, OWN. "Her leadership and creative spirit - including the commitment to exclusively hire female directors and establish an inclusive crew - is unprecedented and evident throughout each episode of this beautiful series. We are grateful to Ava and her entire team of talented writers, producers, cast and crew and look forward to another season."

Led by the talented cast of Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner and Kofi Siriboe, "Queen Sugar's" storylines have delved into important topics such as police brutality, addiction and recovery, and systemic racism to name a few. The series has been awarded the NAACP Image Award for best drama and for three consecutive years was named Best TV Show Drama by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and nominated as Television Show of the Year by the American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

"Queen Sugar" is currently Wednesday night's #1 original series across all of broadcast and cable for African-American women and total viewers. It has averaged a 1.54 rating W25-54 and 1,655,000 total viewers. The series' W25-54 rating is up +2% over last year and it's the #6 original scripted series on ad-supported cable (W25-54).

At the outset of production DuVernay established an inclusive initiative to hire an all-female directorial team. Since its debut in September 2016, 35 women have directed episodes of "Queen Sugar," 32 of whom made their television directorial debut on the series. The inclusive hiring extends in front of and behind the camera, with a dozen female department heads from casting and production design to post-production and music supervision.

The overwhelming response to the series was also evident each week on social media demonstrating the strong connection viewers have to seeing multi-faceted portrayals of an African-American family on television. On a recent episode where two characters experience separate triggering events with sexual assault and police brutality, OWN and Warner Horizon Scripted Television worked in partnership with DuVernay's ARRAY Impact to host a live social conversation #QUEENSUGARTALKS, featuring industry leaders such as Common and Iyanla Vanzant who answered questions and provided resources to those who may be personally affected by these issues.

About Queen Sugar

From award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay (16-time Emmy nominated "When They See Us" and upcoming romance anthology series "Cherish the Day" for OWN), the contemporary drama "Queen Sugar" features the Bordelon family who are fighting to save their family farm to preserve their father's legacy while navigating their own personal journeys. In season four, Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) has remained in the thick of the trials and tribulations in both her personal and professional life as she continues to battle the Landry family while also trying to ensure Micah's (Nicholas Ashe) safety and future. Nova (Rutina Wesley) has published her memoir and goes on a book tour around the country sharing family secrets and shaking things up at home. Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) is managing fatherhood and his complicated relationship with ex-girlfriend Darla (Bianca Lawson) after learning he is not the biological father of his son, Blue (Ethan Hutchison), and is encouraged by an old friend to create opportunities for formerly incarcerated men.

The expansive cast also includes Tina Lifford as the siblings' free-spirited Aunt Violet who revealed her Lupus diagnosis to her family while opening her own pie shop; Omar J. Dorsey as Violet's new husband Hollywood Desonier; and Henry G. Sanders as Prosper Denton, a farmer and longtime friend of the late Bordelon family patriarch, Ernest. Walter Perez plays Romero, Charley's new romantic interest, while recurring guest star Timon Kyle Durrett portrays Charley's estranged husband and pro basketball player Davis West. Greg Vaughn portrays Calvin, a former cop who reconnects with Nova during her book tour.

"Queen Sugar" is produced for OWN by Array Filmworks and Harpo Films in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. The season four executive producers are Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Garnes and Anthony Sparks. The series is based on the book by Natalie Baszile.