P-Valley Explained

Genre:Drama
Creator:Katori Hall
Composer:Matthew Head[1]
Theme Music Composer:Jucee Froot
Opentheme:"Down in the Valley"
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:18
Producer:Debbie Hayn-Cass
Editor:Sky Gewant
Runtime:51–60 minutes
Network:Starz

P-Valley is an American drama television series created by Katori Hall. The series is an adaptation of Hall's play Pussy Valley, and follows primarily African-American women working at The Pynk strip club in the Mississippi Delta under the femme non-binary proprietor Uncle Clifford Sayles. P-Valley stars Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Elarica Johnson. It premiered on Starz on July 12, 2020, and was renewed for a second season two weeks after its premiere. The second season premiered on June 3, 2022. In October 2022, the series was renewed for a third season.

P-Valley has received critical acclaim and garnered nominations from the GLAAD Media Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, TCA Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards.[2]

Premise

The series follows the lives of employees working at a strip club called The Pynk in the fictional city of Chucalissa, Mississippi.[3]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Special Guest

Episodes

Season 2 (2022)

Production

Development

P-Valley, a television adaptation of Katori Hall's play Pussy Valley, first went into development at Starz in August 2016 after being shopped around to several networks.[16] On November 26, 2018, it was announced that the network had given a series order to the adaptation with Chernin Entertainment producing the series and Karena Evans set to direct the first episode.[17] [18] The eight-episode first season was made using all women directors.[19] [20]

Filming

The series is primarily shot in Atlanta, Georgia.

The series premiered on July 12, 2020, and was renewed for a second season on July 27, 2020.[21] Season two had ten episodes with production starting in June 2021.[22] On February 2, 2022, Hall announced that season two would take place a few months after the season one finale and would include the COVID-19 pandemic. The second season premiered on June 3, 2022. On October 20, 2022, Starz renewed the series for a third season.[23]

On May 11, 2023, it was announced that the filming of season three had halted in solidarity with the 2023 WGA strike. Showrunner Katori Hall stated, "Like many of my fellow showrunners, I feel as though my writing & producing duties are inextricably linked. We will not be filming until a fair deal is reached. #WGAStrong."[24] Production of season three resumed a year later, as shared in an announcement on May 8, 2024.[25]

On May 8, 2024, it was announced that production had resumed for season 3[26] and wrapped in mid-November 2024.[27]

Casting

On November 26, 2018, Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, Shannon Thornton, and J. Alphonse Nicholson were cast, with Evans as Mercedes and Annan as Uncle Clifford, and Thornton and Nicholson as series regulars. On February 20, 2019, Parker Sawyers was cast as Andre Watkins, Elarica Johnson was cast as Autumn Night, and Harriett D. Foy was cast as Patrice Woodbine.[28] On March 19, 2019, Tyler Lepley was cast as Diamond and Dan J. Johnson was cast as Corbin Kyle.[29] On April 24, 2019, Isaiah Washington was cast in a recurring role.[30] On June 24, 2019, Loretta Devine was cast in a recurring role and Skyler Joy was cast as Gidget.[31] On June 25, 2019, Thomas Q. Jones was cast in a recurring role.[32] On July 29, 2019, Josh Ventura was cast in a recurring role.[33]

Psalms Salazar and Gail Bean were announced as new cast members for season 2 on February 2, 2022. Morocco Omari, Jordan M. Cox, and Dominic DeVore were promoted to series regulars. John Clarence Stewart, Shamika Cotton, and Miracle Watts were announced as recurring cast members on March 15, 2022. In 2021, Washington announced he would not return for the second season, stating that he had been fired by Lionsgate. Showrunner Katori Hall disputed that Washington was fired in an April 2022 interview with EW. After the season 2 finale it was announced that Elarica Johnson, whose character Autumn Night moved away from Chucalissa, would not return to the series.[34]

Gail Bean, Bertram Williams Jr, and Thomas Q. Jones were promoted to series regulars for season 3. Mea Wilkerson was introduced as a new cast member, playing Haiku, a new dancer at the Pynk." Additional new recurring cast members announced on May 20, 2024 are Nicholas G. Sims, De’Adre Aziza, Brandon J. Dirden, Moritz J. Williams, Chaz Hodges, Bella Blaq and Jay Jones.

Choreography

Jamaica Craft serves as the show's choreographer. Before becoming a professional choreographer, she started her career dancing for TLC in Atlanta. The show has several body doubles and background dancers including Tess Artiste, Ashley Fox and Judy Gray. Professional exotic dancer Spyda is the stunt double for Brandee Evans.[35]

Reception

Critical response

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% for the first season based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A stunning, lyrical piece of neon noir, P-Valley explores the unseen lives of strippers in Mississippi through Katori Hall's singular gaze, celebrating the beauty of the craft without sugarcoating the challenges."[36] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[37]

Referred to as a Southern Gothic by critics,[38] [39] season one was praised for its portrayal of the Black women strippers' lives.[40] Hannah Giorgis of The Atlantic wrote, "P-Valley is lush, resplendent, and sometimes haunting. All of the women's strife occurs against the backdrop of sweeping southern vistas or kaleidoscopic lighting, often with eerily bouncing beats soundtracking their dances."[41] Similarly, Tambay Obenson reviewed the show for IndieWire, "These are richly crafted characters in what is essentially a quasi-family. It's obvious Hall did her homework, talking to dozens of strippers over six years, to make the production as authentic as possible."[42]

Critics also noted the portrayal of social issues. Eric Deggans stated in a review for NPR, "...between the storylines about domestic abuse and a secret casino project, we see takes on colorism, closeted gay men and the struggle to survive when you're poor, Black and outside polite society in the South."[43]

Brandee Evans' acting received positive reception. Writing for The Ringer, Allison Herman stated, "Evans is more than capable of carrying the show herself, and discovery of a freshly minted actress adds to the thrill."[44] Nicco Annan's portrayal of Uncle Clifford was named to THR's list of Best TV Performances of 2020.[45]

The second season received mainly positive critical reception. It holds an 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on ten critic ratings with an average rating of 8.0/10.[46]

Ratings

Season 2

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryNominee(s)Result
Artios Awards2022Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Pilot and First Season - DramaBilly Hopkins, Ashley Ingram, Kim Coleman, Tara Feldstein, Chase Paris[47]
Black Reel Awards for Television2021Outstanding Actress, Drama SeriesBrandee Evans[48]
2023Outstanding Drama SeriesP-Valley[49]
Outstanding Lead Performance, Drama SeriesNicco Annan
Outstanding Supporting Performance, Drama SeriesBrandee Evans
J. Alphonse Nicholson
Outstanding Guest Performance, Drama SeriesLoretta Devine
Outstanding Directing, Drama SeriesKatori Hall
Outstanding Music SupervisionStephanie Diaz-Matos, Sarah Bromberg & Katori Hall
Outstanding Original SongMegan Thee Stallion & J. Alphonse Nicholson
Outstanding Costume DesignTiffany Hasbourne
Outstanding Make Up and HairstylingJ. Denelle, Arlene Martin
BMI Film & TV Awards2021Top Television Series UnderscoreMatthew Head[50]
Dorian Awards2021Best TV DramaP-Valley[51]
GLAAD Media Awards2021Outstanding Drama SeriesP-Valley[52]
2023[53]
Gotham Independent Film Awards2020Breakthrough Series – Long FormKatori Hall, Dante Di Loreto, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and Liz W. Garcia[54]
Gracie Allen Awards2021Actress in a Supporting Role - DramaShannon Thornton[55]
Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts TV Awards2023Best Main Title DesignP-Valley[56]
Best Original Song"Get It On the Floor"
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards2023Best Cable Series, DramaP-Valley
Hollywood Music in Media Awards2021Best Main Title Theme – TV Show/Limited SeriesJucee Froot and Katori Hall[57]
Best Music Supervision – TelevisionStephanie Diaz-Matos and Sarah Bromberg
Independent Spirit Awards2021Best Male Performance in a New Scripted SeriesNicco Annan[58]
NAACP Image Awards2021Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)Katori Hall[59]
Outstanding Actor in a Drama SeriesNicco Annan
Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesBrandee Evans
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesJ. Alphonse Nicholson
Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Television SeriesLoretta Devine
Outstanding Writing in a Drama SeriesKatori Hall (for "Perpetratin")
2023Outstanding Drama SeriesP-Valley[60]
Outstanding Actor in a Drama SeriesNicco Annan
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesJ. Alphonse Nicholson
Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesBrandee Evans
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesLoretta Devine
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation AlbumP-Valley: Season 2 (Music from the Original TV Series) – Various Artists (Lions Gate Records)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards2023Outstanding Contemporary HairstylingArlene Martin, Latoya Kelley Howard, Kasi York, LeVura Geuka, Jason Yancey [61]
Satellite Awards2021Best Television Series – DramaP-Valley[62]
TCA Awards2021Outstanding Achievement in Drama[63]
Outstanding New Program
Women's Image Network Awards2022Actress Drama SeriesShannon Thornton (for "White Knight")[64]
Drama SeriesP-Valley

Spin-offs

In March 2024, it was announced that Starz had greenlit Down in the Valley, a documentary series about Black American culture in the Deep South inspired by P-Valley.[65] It was described by Digital Spy as a "companion piece" to P-Valley[66] and would be hosted by Nicco Annan, the actor for Uncle Clifford, who is also an executive producer. The series premiered on July 5, 2024.[67]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hampp . Andrew . Songs for Screens: 'P-Valley' Composer Matthew Head on Crafting His 'Trap Noir' Score . Variety . July 14, 2020 . February 26, 2022.
  2. Web site: Kristen. Lopez. SeriesFest 2020 Lineup: 'P-Valley' Premiere, 'Killing Eve,' 'Mythic Quest' Panels, and More. June 10, 2020. IndieWire. June 17, 2020.
  3. Web site: Deggans. Eric. TV Review: 'P-Valley'. August 7, 2020. NPR.org. en.
  4. Web site: Venable . Malcolm . P-Valley's Creator Explains How the Non-Binary Uncle Clifford Character Came to Be . TV Guide . 29 August 2022.
  5. Web site: Baldwin . Kristen . 2022-04-08 . 'P-Valley' season 2 first look: Miss Rona comes for the Pynk . 2022-05-01 . EW.com . en.
  6. Web site: Petski. Denise. February 14, 2022. 'P-Valley': Morocco Omari, Dominic DeVore & Jordan M. Cox Upped To Series Regulars On Starz Series. February 25, 2022. Deadline. en-US.
  7. Web site: Del Rosario. Alexandra. February 2, 2022. 'P-Valley': Psalms Salazar & Gail Bean Join Season 2 Cast, Creator Katori Hall Teases Upcoming Chapter. February 3, 2022. Deadline. en-US.
  8. Web site: Cordero . Rosy . 2024-05-08 . 'P-Valley': Gail Bean, Bertram Williams Jr & Thomas Q. Jones Upped To Series Regulars; Mea Wilkerson Boards Season 3 . 2024-05-17 . Deadline . en-US.
  9. Web site: Actor aims to bring Memphis lyricism to 'P-Valley' role . 2022-06-19 . Daily Memphian . en.
  10. Web site: Luparello . Joseph . 2020-07-27 . Chillin' With Blue Kimble: From NFL to Hollywood . 2022-06-19 . Chilled Magazine . en-US.
  11. Web site: Petski . Denise . 2022-03-15 . 'P-Valley': John Clarence Stewart, Shamika Cotton, Miracle Watts Join Season 2 Of Starz Series . 2022-03-22 . Deadline . en-US.
  12. Web site: Cordero . Rosy . 2024-05-20 . 'P-Valley' Adds 7 To Season 3 Recurring Cast . 2024-06-08 . Deadline . en-US.
  13. Web site: Dawson . Shannon . 2024-05-09 . Chucalissa Confirmation! P-Valley Officially Filming Season 3 Amid Gail Bean, Thomas Q. Jones & Bertram Williams Jr. Becoming Series Regulars At The Pynk . 2024-05-17 . Bossip.
  14. Web site: June 13 . Alamin Yohannes . EDT . 2022 at 09:00 AM . Megan Thee Stallion is all diamonds and fur in 'P-Valley' season 2 first look . 2022-06-13 . EW.com . en.
  15. Aniftos . Rania . 2022-08-08 . Megan Thee Stallion Shows Off Her Acting Chops as Herself on Starz's 'P-Valley' . 2022-08-08 . Billboard . en-US.
  16. Web site: Goldberg. Lesley. July 27, 2020. 'P-Valley' Renewed for Season 2 at Starz (Exclusive). September 14, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. en-US.
  17. Web site: Nellie. Andreeva. Denise. Petski. Starz Picks Up To Series Strip Club Drama 'P-Valley' & Opioid Epidemic Drama 'Hightown'. November 26, 2018. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  18. Web site: Soloski . Alexis . 'P-Valley' Dances to a Different Tune . . July 10, 2020 . July 7, 2020.
  19. Web site: 'P-Valley' Review: Trap Music Meets Film Noir in a Series Unlike Anything Ever Seen on TV. Tambay. Obenson. IndieWire. July 12, 2020. August 4, 2020.
  20. Web site: D'Addario . Daniel . 'P-Valley': TV Review . . July 10, 2020 . July 10, 2020.
  21. Web site: Petski . Denise . 'P-Valley' Renewed For Season 2 By Starz . . July 27, 2020 . July 27, 2020.
  22. Web site: Pulitzer Prize Winner Katori Hall Revisits P-Valley's Strip Club Sandbox. September 14, 2021. theplaylist.net. June 14, 2021 .
  23. Web site: P-Valley Renewed for Season 3. TVLine. Kimberly. Roots. October 20, 2022. October 20, 2022.
  24. Web site: JoVonn . Jerosolyn . 2023-05-11 . Starz 'P-Valley' Suspends Production 'Until A Fair Deal Is Reached' . 2023-05-15 . Black Enterprise . en-US.
  25. Web site: Cordero . Rosy . 2024-05-08 . 'P-Valley': Gail Bean, Bertram Williams Jr & Thomas Q. Jones Upped To Series Regulars; Mea Wilkerson Boards Season 3 . 2024-05-17 . Deadline . en-US.
  26. Web site: ‘P-Valley’: Gail Bean, Bertram Williams Jr & Thomas Q. Jones Upped To Series Regulars; Mea Wilkerson Boards Season 3. May 8, 2024. November 27, 2024. Deadline. Cordero. Rosy.
  27. 1857590534853853258. That's a wrap #PValley. P-Valley Updates. Pvalleyupdates. November 16, 2024. November 27, 2024.
  28. Web site: Denise. Petski. 'P-Valley': Carolyn Braver, Parker Sawyers, Elarica Johnson & Harriett D. Foy Cast In Starz's Strip Club Drama Series. February 20, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  29. Web site: Denise. Petski. 'P-Valley': Dan J. Johnson & Tyler Lepley Cast In Starz's Strip Club Drama Series. March 19, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  30. Web site: Denise. Petski. 'P-Valley': Isaiah Washington To Recur In Starz's Strip Club Drama Series. April 24, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  31. Web site: Denise. Petski. 'P-Valley': Loretta Devine To Recur In Starz's Strip Club Drama Series. June 24, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  32. Web site: Denise. Petski. 'P-Valley' Casts Thomas Q. Jones; Bria Henderson Joins 'Mrs. America'. June 25, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  33. Web site: Dino-Ray. Ramos. 'City Of Angels' Adds Sebastian Chacon In Recurring Role, Josh Ventura Joins 'P-Valley' At Starz. July 29, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 20, 2019.
  34. Web site: Yohannes . Alamin . 2022-08-15 . 'P-Valley' star Elarica Johnson says it was time for Autumn to move on . 2022-09-01 . EW.com . en.
  35. Desta. Yohana. How P-Valley Pulls Off Its High-Flying Strip Club Stunts. July 29, 2020. Vanity Fair. July 27, 2020.
  36. p_valley. P-Valley. tv. 1. March 15, 2022.
  37. p-valley. P-Valley. tv. 1. March 15, 2022.
  38. Web site: McDonald. Soraya Nadia. July 10, 2020. 'P-Valley' on Starz never lets its viewers forget the labor that goes into stripping. September 9, 2020. Andscape. en-US.
  39. Web site: Baldwin. Kristen. July 6, 2020. 'P-Valley' is a shrewd, Southern-fried stripper saga. September 9, 2020. EW.com. EN.
  40. Web site: Young. Cate. August 9, 2020. P-Valley Shows Stripping for What it Is: Labor. September 9, 2020. Vulture. en-us.
  41. Web site: Giorgis. Hannah. September 5, 2020. The Southern-Gothic Stripper Drama That TV Deserves. September 9, 2020. The Atlantic. en-US.
  42. Web site: Obenson. Tambay. July 12, 2020. 'P-Valley' Review: Trap Music Meets Film Noir in a Series Unlike Anything Ever Seen on TV. September 9, 2020. IndieWire. en.
  43. Web site: TV Review: 'P-Valley'. September 9, 2020. NPR.org. en.
  44. Web site: Herman. Alison. July 15, 2020. 'P-Valley' Puts Its Own Spin on a Burgeoning Subgenre. September 9, 2020. The Ringer. en.
  45. Web site: December 16, 2020. Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the Best TV Performances of 2020. February 28, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. en.
  46. p_valley. P-Valley. tv. 2. June 5, 2022.
  47. Web site: Coates . Tyler . 2022-03-24 . Casting Society Artios Awards: 'Encanto,' 'Don't Look Up,' 'CODA' and 'Zola' Among Winners . 2022-07-12 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  48. Web site: Black Reel Awards for TV -Past Winners & Nominees by Category . 2022-07-12 . Black Reel Awards . en-US.
  49. Web site: Complex. Valerie. June 15, 2023. Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' Leads With 18 Noms. June 15, 2023. Deadline.
  50. Web site: 2021 BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards . 2022-07-12 . BMI.com.
  51. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . 2021-08-30 . 'Pose', 'Hacks' & 'I May Destroy You' Lead LGBTQ Critics' Dorian TV Awards . 2022-07-12 . Deadline . en-US.
  52. Web site: Ramos. Dino-Ray. January 28, 2021. GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award. February 28, 2021. Deadline. en-US.
  53. Web site: Complex . Valerie . 2023-01-18 . GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards . 2023-01-19 . Deadline . en-US.
  54. Web site: Davis . Clayton . November 12, 2020 . Gotham2020: Gotham Awards Nominations: Female Directors Lead Best Feature Category . November 12, 2020 . Variety . en.
  55. Web site: Nordyke . Kimberly . 2021-06-09 . Kerry Washington, Catherine O'Hara, Lena Waithe, Kelly Clarkson Among 2021 Gracie Awards Honorees (Exclusive) . 2022-07-12 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  56. Web site: 'The Boys', 'Yellowjackets', 'Abbott Elementary' lead 2023 HCA TV Awards nominations . Anderson . Erik . AwardsWatch . July 11, 2023 . July 11, 2023.
  57. Diane Warren & James Newton Howard Among Top Winners at 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. January 27, 2021. January 28, 2021. Billboard. Paul. Grein.
  58. Web site: Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always,' 'Minari,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'Nomadland' Top Nominations . Lewis . Hilary . January 26, 2021 . . January 26, 2021.
  59. News: Carras. Christi. February 2, 2021. Netflix, HBO and Beyoncé lead 2021 NAACP Image Award nominations. LA Times.
  60. Web site: Jackson . Angelique . 2023-01-12 . 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and 'The Woman King' Dominate NAACP Image Award Nominations . 2023-01-19 . Variety . en-US.
  61. Web site: 75th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List . . July 12, 2023.
  62. Web site: Van Blaricom . Mirjana . February 1, 2021 . 25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced . February 1, 2021 . International Press Academy.
  63. Web site: Hill . Libby . July 15, 2021 . 2021 TCA Nominations: TV Critics Embrace 'Ted Lasso' and 'I May Destroy You' — Full List . July 17, 2021 . IndieWire . en.
  64. Web site: THE WIN AWARDS 24 . 2023-01-19 . The WIN Awards . en.
  65. 2024-02-20 . Premiere and Celebratory Dinner . Beethoven's Ninth Symphony . 120–143 . 10.1017/9781837651566.007. 978-1-83765-156-6 .
  66. Web site: 2024-05-11 . P-Valley inspired docu-series releases first-look trailer . 2024-05-17 . Digital Spy . en-GB.
  67. Web site: Inman . DeMicia . 2024-05-13 . 'Down In The Valley' Docuseries Hosted By Nicco Annan Coming This Summer . 2024-06-08 . VIBE.com . en-US.

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