# First Wives Club (TV series)

First Wives Club is an American comedy television series based on the 1996 film of the same name written by Robert Harling; it premiered on September 19, 2019 on BET+. The series was renewed for a second season on November 26, 2019, premiering on July 15, 2021. On September 8, 2021, the series was renewed for a third season. Unlike the original film, the series features an entirely African-American cast.

## Premise

The First Wives Club is set in New York City and follows three women (Ari, Bree, and Hazel) who band together after their marriages fall apart, and who find strength in their sisterhood and revenge.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Michelle Buteau as Dr. Bree Washington
* Jill Scott as Hazel Rachelle
* Ryan Michelle Bathe as Ariel "Ari" Montgomery (née Carmichael) (seasons 1–2)
* Mark Tallman as David Montgomery
* RonReaco Lee as Gary Washington
* Malik Yoba as Derrick Ellsworth (season 1)
* Michelle Mitchenor as Jayla Wright (seasons 2–3)

### Recurring

* Tara Pacheco as Versace Ellsworth
* Bill Barrett as Jacob Rosen
* Jordan Carlos as Curtis
* Deborah Cox as Regina
* Bailey Tippen as Megan
* Gary Dourdan as Dr. Malcolm Reynard
* Mikhail Keize as Nigel
* Jaxon Rose Moore as Imani Washington
* Auston Jon Moore as Ollie Washington
* Chase Dillon as Ollie Washington
* Naledi Murray as Imani Washington
* Tobias Truvillion as Khalil
* Raymond Greene-Joyner as Big
* Essence Atkins as Maxine

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) |
| 2 | 10 | 10 | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) |
| 3 | 10 | 10 | November 17, 2022 (2022-11-17) | December 15, 2022 (2022-12-15) |

### Season 1 (2019)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | BET air date | U.S. linear viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Jamie Babbit | Tracy Oliver | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | January 27, 2021 | N/A |
| 2 | 2 | "Plan B" | Anu Valia | Tracy Oliver | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | February 3, 2021 | N/A |
| 3 | 3 | "Diamonds Are Forever" | Ryan Case | Alison Brown | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | February 10, 2021 | N/A |
| 4 | 4 | "Storytelling" | Ryan Case | Leila Cohan-Miccio | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | February 17, 2021 | N/A |
| 5 | 5 | "What Happens Upstate" | Anu Valia | Julian Breece | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | February 24, 2021 | 0.47 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Glow Up" | Stella Meghie | Rachelle R. Williams | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | March 3, 2021 | 0.58 |
| 7 | 7 | "Something Blue" | Tracy Oliver | Thembi Ford | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | March 10, 2021 | 0.51 |
| 8 | 8 | "One Night Only" | Stella Meghie | Yvette Foy | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | March 17, 2021 | 0.60 |
| 9 | 9 | "Vengeance" | Samantha Bailey | Tracy Oliver | September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) | March 24, 2021 | 0.57 |

### Season 2 (2021)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | BET air date | U.S. linear viewers (millions) |
| 10 | 1 | "Independent Women" | Stacey Muhammad | Tracy Oliver & Britt Matt | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | January 5, 2022 | 0.58 |
| 11 | 2 | "On Bended Knee" | Stacey Muhammad | Nicole Drespel | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | January 12, 2022 | 0.59 |
| 12 | 3 | "What About Your Friends" | Leslie Kolins Small | Yvette Foy | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | January 19, 2022 | 0.63 |
| 13 | 4 | "Freak Like Me" | Leslie Kolins Small | Elaine Aronson | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | January 26, 2022 | 0.63 |
| 14 | 5 | "Not Gon' Cry" | Leslie Kolins Small | Britt Matt & Aundrea Posey | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | February 2, 2022 | 0.62 |
| 15 | 6 | "Ex-Factor" | Daniella Eisman | Nicole Drespel & Morgan Collins | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | February 9, 2022 | 0.45 |
| 16 | 7 | "Caught Out There" | Daniella Eisman | Elaine Aronson & Yvette Foy | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | February 16, 2022 | 0.46 |
| 17 | 8 | "This Is How We Do It" | Shea William Vanderpoort | Jordan Carlos & Nicole Drespel | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | February 23, 2022 | 0.39 |
| 18 | 9 | "Spend My Life With You" | Shea William Vanderpoort | Britt Matt | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | March 2, 2022 | 0.53 |
| 19 | 10 | "End of the Road" | Daniella Eisman | Tracy Oliver | July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) | March 9, 2022 | 0.51 |

### Season 3 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | BET air date | U.S. linear viewers (millions) |
| 20 | 1 | "You Can't Hurry Love" | Shea William Vanderpoort | Elaine Aronson | November 17, 2022 (2022-11-17) | May 31, 2023 | 0.42 |
| 21 | 2 | "Stop in the Name of Love" | Shea William Vanderpoort | Britt Matt | November 17, 2022 (2022-11-17) | June 7, 2023 | 0.46 |
| 22 | 3 | "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?" | Daniella Eisman | Julian Kiani | November 24, 2022 (2022-11-24) | June 14, 2023 | 0.57 |
| 23 | 4 | "Ain't it Peculiar" | Princess Monique Filmz | Nicole Drespel & Julian Kiani | November 24, 2022 (2022-11-24) | June 21, 2023 | 0.45 |
| 24 | 5 | "The Way You Do the Things You Do" | Daniella Eisman | Nicole Drespel | December 1, 2022 (2022-12-01) | June 28, 2023 | 0.43 |
| 25 | 6 | "Ask the Lonely" | RonReaco Lee | Aundrea Posey | December 1, 2022 (2022-12-01) | July 5, 2023 | 0.42 |
| 26 | 7 | "What Does It Take" | Daniella Eisman | Josephine Green Zhang | December 8, 2022 (2022-12-08) | July 12, 2023 | 0.27 |
| 27 | 8 | "Standing in the Shadows of Love" | Shea William Vanderpoort | Kayla Renee Brooks & Banna Desta | December 8, 2022 (2022-12-08) | July 19, 2023 | 0.51 |
| 28 | 9 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Princess Monique Filmz | Elaine Aronson | December 15, 2022 (2022-12-15) | July 26, 2023 | 0.48 |
| 29 | 10 | "Dancing in the Streets" | Daniella Eisman | Britt Matt | December 15, 2022 (2022-12-15) | August 2, 2023 | 0.42 |

## Production
### Development

On March 13, 2016, it was announced that TV Land had given a pilot order to the production. The episode was set to be written by Rebecca Adelman and executive produced by Jenny Bicks. On June 3, 2016, it was also reported that Karen Rosenfelt would executive produce the series and that Paramount Television would serve as the main production company for the project. Both Rosenfelt and Bicks had been producers on the original 1996 film. TV Land also revealed the premise of the pilot which was described as "Set in present-day San Francisco, the story revolves around three women – friends and classmates in the '90s – who reconnect after their close friend from college dies in a freak accident. When they discover that they are all at a romantic crossroads, they band together to tackle divorce, relationships and life's other annoying challenges." On November 11, 2016, it was announced that TV Land had passed on the pilot but that it was possible for it to be redeveloped.
On March 30, 2017, Kevin Kay, president of Paramount Network, TV Land, and CMT, talked about the series in an interview with Deadline Hollywood. In the interview he mentioned that the intention was for the production to move from TV Land and to be redeveloped as a new pilot at the Paramount Network. On October 2, 2017, it was announced that Tracy Oliver would write the redeveloped pilot. It was also expected that Karen Rosenfelt would executive produce this version of the project as well. On April 5, 2018, Paramount Network officially gave the production a pilot order. It was also reported that Scott Rudin, a producer of the original film, would act as executive producer for the series. On April 19, 2018, it was announced that Paramount Network had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. On November 27, 2018, it was reported that Paramount Network was reevaluating their plans for a night of dramedy programming and that as such the series would instead premiere on Paramount Network's sister network BET. On December 20, 2018, it was announced that the series would feature numerous easter eggs and callbacks to the original film including a newly-recorded version of the song "You Don't Own Me".

### Casting

On June 3, 2016, it was announced that Alyson Hannigan and Megan Hilty had been cast as two of the three female leads in the series. Hannigan was cast as Maggie, similar to Diane Keaton's character in the film, who was described as an English professor in San Francisco who once had aspirations of being a poet. Stuck in a failing marriage, it is after her old college friend dies that she decides to make changes in her life. Hilty was cast as Kim, similar to Goldie Hawn's character in the film, who was described as previously successful who had "aged out" of Hollywood. She continues to keep herself in shape, acts in commercials, and hopes for her big break to come along. Divorced and living with her 8-year-old son, she is happy to have her old friends in her life again. Later that month, it was reported that Vanessa Lachey had been cast to round out the trio of main characters. She was cast as Sasha, a successful chef with a girlfriend she plans to marry who begins to question settling down once her friends reenter her life.
In August 2018, it was announced that Michelle Buteau, Jill Scott, and Ryan Michelle Bathe had been cast in the lead roles of the second iteration of the series. On September 24, 2018, it was reported that Mark Tallman, RonReaco Lee, and Malik Yoba had been cast in the series' lead male roles.

### Filming

Principal photography for the series commenced on September 28, 2018, in New York City. Filming had concluded by the week of December 10, 2018.
Buteau had her role reduced and actually missed several episodes in season 3 because she was developing and writing her Netflix show Survival of the Thickest.

## Release

On December 20, 2018, a "first look" still image from the series was released featuring Michelle Buteau, Jill Scott, Ryan Michelle Bathe in character as Bree, Hazel, and Ari, respectively.