'The First Lady' Canceled at Showtime Despite Season 1's A-List Cast

Although there are many more than three First Ladies in U.S. history, Showtime will not spend any more time exploring their lives. The premium cable network canceled The First Lady, an anthology series that focused on the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama during its first season. The first season starred Gillian Anderson as Roosevelt, Michelle Pfeiffer as Ford, and Viola Davis as Michelle Obama. Davis was also an executive producer.

"Showtime can confirm that the anthology series The First Lady will not be moving forward with another season," a Showtime spokesperson told Deadline Monday. "We would like to applaud the artistry and commitment of our showrunner Cathy Schulman, director Susanne Bier, their fellow executive producers, our amazing cast – led by executive producer Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Gillian Anderson – and our studio partner Lionsgate for their dedicated work in telling the unique stories of three remarkable leaders."

The First Lady was created by Aaron Cooley and tracked the lives of three very different First Ladies from their early lives to their time in the White House. The main cast also featured Kiefer Sutherland as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Aaron Eckhart as President Gerald Ford, and O-T Fagbenle as President Barack Obama. Dakota Fanning played Ford's daughter, Susan, while Lily Rabe played Lorena Hickok, who was in a romantic relationship with Roosevelt. Regina Taylor played Obama's mother, Marian Shields Robinson. The First Lady was produced by Lionsgate Television, Welle Entertainment, and Pathless Woods Productions, Inc.

The series really needed to hit it out of the park with critics, but it failed to. It scored a 43% fresh rating from critics and a 58% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show also failed to attract major Emmys attention, despite the star-stuffed cast. It only earned three Emmy nominations for costumes, hairstyling, and makeup.

During the show's presentation at the Television Critics' Association press tour in February, writer Cathy Schulman and director Susanne Bier teased possible directions for a second season. They suggested Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Dolly Madison, Edith Wilson, Martha Washington, and Rosalynn Carter could be the subjects of new episodes, reports Deadline.

Schulman sounded more excited about Wilson and Washington, two historical figures not often covered in dramas. President Woodrow Wilson's wife would be a "fascinating" subject since she was practically running the country without anyone knowing after the president's stroke, notes Schulman. President George Washington's wife would be interesting because she was the first woman to hold the title of First Lady.