As the season six finale of Queen Sugar airs Tuesday, series co-creator and filmmaker Ava DuVernay has revealed the next season of the OWN drama series will be its last.
Queen Sugar, based in the fictional Louisiana town of St. Josephine, will reach its end in 2022, according to Deadline. The series chronicles the lives of the Bordelon siblings, Charley, played by Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Nova (Rutina Wesley), and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe). Tina Lifford, Nicholas L. Ashe, Omar Dorsey, Timon Kyle Durrett, Bianca Lawson, Ethan Hutchinson, and Amirah Vann play other key characters in the series.
“It’s a radical act that it lasted this long, and it’s a testament to every single pair of hands that touched it and I am so proud of that,” DuVernay told Deadline. She stated that it’s been “tempting” to continue the show, as network execs gave her the green light to continue on. While she says “it’s easier to say yes than to say no,” she believes that “no is the most positive answer.”
OWN’s president, Tina Perry, commends DuVernay’s “leadership” and the filmmaker’s “brilliant creative team” for Queen Sugar’s success and says she trusts her decision to end the series after seven seasons.
“Our audience has seen themselves reflected with nuance and care through the story of the Bordelon family, including their triumphs and challenges, and most importantly, the love they have for each other through it all,” Perry said.
“Queen Sugar has been an unparalleled success for OWN, garnering critical acclaim, awards recognition, and a loyal and dedicated audience. We are so grateful for Ava’s partnership and are looking forward to a fantastic final season.”
DuVernay says that she was surprised by the success and longevity of the show, based on Natalie Baszile’ 2014 novel.
“I mean, I never thought it would go this far, even though I always hoped we’d get to seven seasons,” DuVernay continued. “I never could imagine when we started that six and now seven seasons later a story about a modern Black family living everyday life, nothing spectacular, everyday working-class people mixed with folks who might have some notice or be known would find such a deep audience.”
Season one began in September 2016. DuVernay directed the first two episodes herself and has written or co-written several others throughout its run. The seventh season will feature 13 episodes, as was the case for the first four seasons. Seasons five and six each had only 10 episodes.
Queen Sugar has been nominated for 13 NAACP Images Awards, winning two in 2017 for Outstanding Drama Series and another for DuVernay for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for the show’s pilot episode, “First Things First.”
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