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(from OWN's press release, January 2021) 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. |
