# The First Lady (American TV series)

The First Lady is an American anthology drama television series created by Aaron Cooley which premiered on Showtime on April 17, 2022. It stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, and Gillian Anderson, among others, and portrays life and family events of three first ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. The series received mixed reviews, with praise for Pfeiffer, Davis and Anderson's performances, as well as the costuming, set design, and themes, but criticism for its pacing and plot. In August 2022, the series was canceled after one season. The show premiered on some PBS stations, syndicated by American Public Television on October 1, 2024.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Viola Davis as Michelle Obama (born 1964, served 2009–2017)
** Jayme Lawson as young Michelle Obama
* Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford (1918–2011, served 1974–1977)
** Kristine Froseth as young Betty Ford
* Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962, served 1933–1945)
** Eliza Scanlen as young Eleanor Roosevelt
* O-T Fagbenle as Barack H. Obama (born 1961), 44th President of the United States (2009–2017)
** Julian De Niro as young Barack H. Obama
* Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd President of the United States (1933–1945)
** Charlie Plummer as young Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Aaron Eckhart as Gerald R. Ford (1913–2006), 38th President of the United States (1974–1977)
** Jake Picking as young Gerald R. Ford
* Dakota Fanning as Susan Ford (born 1957, in White House, 1974–1977)
** Arlo Mertz as young Susan Ford
* Lily Rabe as Lorena Hickok (1893–1968), Eleanor Roosevelt's journalist friend
* Regina Taylor as Marian Robinson (1937–2024), Michelle Obama's mother

### Recurring

* Clea DuVall as Malvina Thompson (1893–1953, served 1929–1953)
* Jackie Earle Haley as Louis Howe (1871–1936, served 1933–1936)
* Kate Mulgrew as Susan Sher
* Derek Cecil as Donald Rumsfeld (1932–2021)
* Michael Potts as Fraser Robinson III (1935–1991)
* Rhys Wakefield as Dick Cheney (born 1941)
* Ellen Burstyn as Sara Roosevelt (1854–1941)
* Judy Greer as Nancy Howe
* Lexi Underwood as Malia Obama (born 1998)
* Cayden Boyd as Michael Ford
** Gavin White as young Michael Ford
* Marc Hills as Jack Ford
** Jack Schmeichel as young Jack Ford
* Ben Cook as Steven Ford (born 1956)
** Paul Holcomb as young Steven Ford
* Leslie Kritzer as Martha Graham
* Thomas E. Sullivan as Bill Warren
* Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Clara Powell
* Saniyya Sidney as Sasha Obama (born 2001)
* Evan Parke as SS Allen Taylor
* Gloria Reuben as Valerie June Jarrett (born 1956)
* Rosalind Chao as Tina Tchen
* Donna Lynne Champlin as Melissa "Mel" Winter
* Cailee Spaeny as Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1906–1975)
** Olivia Cannon as young Anna Roosevelt
* Maria Dizzia as Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd (1891–1948)
* Jeremy Bobb as Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States (1858–1919, served 1901–1909)
* Kathleen Garrett as Laura Bush (born 1946, served 2001–2009)
* Bernadette Quigley as Esther Lape
* Maurice P. Kerry as Cassius

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "That White House" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Aaron Cooley and Ellen Fairey & Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Abby Ajayi & Zora Bikangaga Story by : Aaron Cooley | April 17, 2022 (2022-04-17) | 0.263 |
| 2 | "Voices Carry" | Susanne Bier | Aaron Cooley & Cathy Schulman and Ellen Fairey and Abby Ajayi | April 24, 2022 (2022-04-24) | 0.224 |
| 3 | "Please Allow Me" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Aaron Cooley and Yolonda E. Lawrence Story by : Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Yolonda E. Lawrence and Zora Bikangagan | May 1, 2022 (2022-05-01) | 0.202 |
| 4 | "Cracked Pot" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Jennifer Westfeldt & Hunt Baldwin and Ellen Fairey and Cathy Schulman & Aaron Cooley Story by : Cathy Schulman & Aaron Cooley and Zora Bikangaga | May 8, 2022 (2022-05-08) | 0.185 |
| 5 | "See Saw" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Ellen Fairey and Azia Squire and Zora Bikangaga Story by : Azia Squire | May 15, 2022 (2022-05-15) | 0.226 |
| 6 | "Shout Out" | Susanne Bier | Nikole Beckwith and Alyson Feltes and Abby Ajayi | May 22, 2022 (2022-05-22) | 0.185 |
| 7 | "Nadir" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Nicole Jefferson Asher and Ellen Fairey and Zora Bikangaga Story by : Nicole Jefferson Asher | May 29, 2022 (2022-05-29) | 0.202 |
| 8 | "Punch Perfect" | Susanne Bier | Nikole Beckwith and Ellen Fairey and Abby Ajayi | June 5, 2022 (2022-06-05) | 0.287 |
| 9 | "Rift" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Jennifer Westfeldt and Aaron Cooley & Cathy Schulman and Abby Ajayi Story by : Jennifer Westfeldt and Cathy Schulman & Aaron Cooley | June 12, 2022 (2022-06-12) | 0.292 |
| 10 | "Victory Dance" | Susanne Bier | Teleplay by : Nikole Beckwith and Ellen Fairey and Abby Ajayi Story by : Aaron Cooley | June 19, 2022 (2022-06-19) | 0.220 |

## Production
### Development

On February 5, 2020, it was announced that Showtime had given the production, then known as First Ladies, a series order. Executive producers were expected to include Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Cathy Schulman, Jeff Gaspin, Brad Kaplan, and Aaron Cooley, who also created the series and will write. Davis would star as Michelle Obama. In January 2021, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jayme Lawson, and Kristine Froseth joined the cast of the series as Betty Ford, young Obama, and young Ford, respectively, with Susanne Bier set to direct and executive produce. That same month, Pamela Adlon and Rhys Wakefield joined the cast.
On February 16, 2021, Aaron Eckhart joined the cast as President Gerald Ford. That same month, Judy Greer replaced Adlon due to scheduling conflicts. On February 22, 2021, it was announced that Gillian Anderson would portray Eleanor Roosevelt. Three days later, on February 25, 2021, it was announced that O. T. Fagbenle would portray President Barack Obama. Dakota Fanning was announced to have joined the cast as Susan Ford on March 2, 2021. On March 9, 2021, Lexi Underwood joined the cast as Malia Obama in a recurring role.
On March 10, 2021, nine more joined the cast, including Derek Cecil as Donald Rumsfeld, Aya Cash as Esther Liebowitz, Jake Picking as Gerald Ford (young), Cayden Boyd as Michael Ford, Marc Hills as Jack Ford, Ben Cook as Steven Ford, Leslie Kritzer as Martha Graham, Thomas E. Sullivan as Bill Warren, and Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Clara Powell.
On April 13, 2021, Regina Taylor joined the cast in a series regular role as Marian Shields Robinson, while Saniyya Sidney, Julian De Niro and Evan Parke joined the cast in recurring roles as Sasha Obama, young Barack Obama and SS Allen Taylor, respectively. In June 2021, Gloria Reuben and Kate Mulgrew joined the cast as Valerie June Jarrett and Susan Sher, while Rosalind Chao, Michael Potts, Kathleen Garrett and Donna Lynne Champlin joined in recurring capacities.
In July 2021, Kiefer Sutherland and Lily Rabe joined the main cast as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, respectively, while Ellen Burstyn, Eliza Scanlen, Cailee Spaeny, Clea DuVall and Charlie Plummer joined the cast in recurring roles. In August 2021, Jackie Earle Haley, Maria Dizzia, and Jeremy Bobb were cast in recurring capacities. The series premiered on April 17, 2022, on Showtime and Paramount+ Internationally in 2022. On August 1, 2022, Showtime canceled the series after one season.

### Filming

On February 25, 2021, it was announced that filming had begun in Covington, Georgia.

## Reception
### Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 41% approval rating with an average rating of 6.00/10, based on 44 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Despite formidable stars and a rich history to draw from, a lack of focus and shallow characterization make The First Lady second-rate television." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 50 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2022 | Black Reel Television Awards | Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series | Viola Davis | Nominated |
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Michelle Pfeiffer | Nominated |
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited or Anthology Series | Aaron Cooley, Cathy Schulman, Ellen Fairey, and Abby Ajayi (for "Voices Carry") | Nominated |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Period Costumes | Signe Sejlund, Felicia Jarvis, Matthew Hemesath, Paula Truman, Stephen Oh, and Jessica Trejos (for "Cracked Pot") | Nominated |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling | Colleen LaBaff, Louisa Anthony, Lawrence Davis, Julie Kendrick, Robert Wilson, Jamika Wilson, Evelyn Roach, and Jaime Leigh McIntosh (for "See Saw") | Nominated |
| 2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Period and/or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Carol Rasheed, Sergio López-Rivera, Valli O'Reilly, Chauntelle Langston, and Milene Melendez (for "Cracked Pot") | Nominated |
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Michelle Pfeiffer | Nominated |
| 2023 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Viola Davis | Nominated |

### Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The First Lady :
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "That White House" | April 17, 2022 | 0.01 | 0.263 |
| 2 | "Voices Carry" | April 24, 2022 | 0.02 | 0.224 |
| 3 | "Please Allow Me" | May 1, 2022 | 0.03 | 0.202 |
| 4 | "Cracked Pot" | May 8, 2022 | 0.02 | 0.185 |
| 5 | "See Saw" | May 15, 2022 | 0.04 | 0.226 |
| 6 | "Shout Out" | May 22, 2022 | 0.02 | 0.185 |
| 7 | "Nadir" | May 29, 2022 | 0.01 | 0.202 |
| 8 | "Punch Perfect" | June 5, 2022 | 0.04 | 0.287 |
| 9 | "Rift" | June 12, 2022 | 0.03 | 0.292 |
| 10 | "Victory Dance" | June 19, 2022 | 0.01 | 0.220 |