Fusion TV has announced that 12-episode half-hour docu-series Shade: Queens of NYC is set to premiere Thursday, October 5th at 10:30.
“Over the past several years, drag queens have taken center stage in culture and on TV but we’ve mostly only seen one facet of their lives.” said Daniel Eilemberg, President of FUSION TV. “As Fusion TV has always been a home for passionate and diverse people to share their stories, it was important that we more wholly highlight drag queens, looking beyond the incredible artistry to showcase the people behind the performances and capture the dynamic spirit of this community.”
Shade: Queens of NYC is a verite-style documentary that follows a group of drag queens from New York City (among them Brita Filter, Chelsea Piers, Holly Box-Springs, Jada Valenciaga, Jasmine Rice LaBeija, Marti Gould Cummings, Paige Turner, and Tina Burner) and focuses on the unspoken stigmas, taboos and personal sacrifices that drag performers often face on their journey to stardom. Viewers will get to see each performer on and off stage while learning everything that goes into becoming a drag queen and how the drag community can act as a found family to those whose upbringing wasn’t ideal.
The series comes at a time when RuPaul’s Drag Race is on the crest of its popularity following a move to VH1 and three Emmy wins earlier this month, including a second consecutive Outstanding Reality Host trophy for RuPaul. It’ll also be one of very few shows this fall to tell LGBTQ stories while featuring LGBTQ characters as the series focal point as LGBTQ representation is still very much a work in progress.
You can check out a Shade: Queens of NYC promo, as well as photos of the queens featured, below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=MfKYm81AQTk
