# The First Lady (2022)

> A revelatory drama that reframes American presidential history through the lives of the First Ladies who shaped it.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/83298

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Aaron Cooley
- Network: Showtime
- Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Gillian Anderson, O-T Fagbenle, Dakota Fanning, Lily Rabe, Regina Taylor, Kiefer Sutherland
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13223570/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: sober, intimate, stately, wistful

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive but modest, with viewers praising the ambitious reframing of American history through the First Ladies and the lead performances.

## Synopsis

The First Lady (2022) is an American Showtime historical drama series created by Aaron Cooley. Told across ten hour-long episodes in a single season, the series follows several First Ladies of the United States as they move into Washington, manage family life and navigate the pressures of power. Viola Davis plays Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer plays Betty Ford, and Gillian Anderson plays Eleanor Roosevelt, with Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford anchoring the political side of their stories. Each thread pairs a woman's private struggles with the public demands of the presidency, so that marriages, ambitions and personal sacrifices sit alongside policy battles and world-changing decisions. The tone is sober and intimate, with a prestige period-drama polish that gives the historical record a human texture. Fans of The Crown, Mrs. America and Scandal will find resonance in its blend of royal-style pageantry, political intrigue and close attention to women inside powerful households. The series was canceled after its only season, and it has the feel of a reframing that wanted more room to run.

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