OWN has renewed Ava DuVernay’s drama Queen Sugar for a sixth season. The announcement comes a month before the show’s fifth season is set to air, Deadline reports.
“What a joy and an honor to continue the stories of Queen Sugar with our partners at OWN and Warner Bros.,” DuVernay said. “On behalf of every producer, editor, costumer, grip, writer, cast member, and all departments involved in making this series, we’re delighted to delve into a sixth season and to bring our beautiful audience more of the Bordelon family.”
Queen Sugar is set in the fictional rural Louisiana parish of St. Josephine. It focuses on the trio of Bordelon siblings and their extended family. Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Rutina Wesley, and Kofi Siriboe star.
Production on Queen Sugar halted in March, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. DuVernay took advantage of the pause to rework season five by adding in COVID-19, the election, and the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred over the summer.
“When Ava came to us with the idea to revamp the storyline for the new season after production was halted due to the pandemic, we knew it was the right decision to give our viewers Ava’s unique perspective on the very real issues impacting their daily lives and the effect the demand for racial equality has had on the Black community and our society as a whole,” OWN president Tina Perry said.
“We are proud to announce today the pickup of the show’s sixth season, which will air later this year, enabling us to further explore the compelling story of the Bordelon family,” she added. “We are grateful to Ava, her creative team, the incredible cast, and tireless crew for all the hard work they have put into the show.”
OWN CEO and Executive Producer Oprah Winfrey told Deadline, “The way Ava creates space to allow these characters to embody real-world experiences is television at its finest, and we are proud to continue this ground-breaking series. I hear from so many people that they see themselves in the Bordelon family, and my hope is that through this kind of storytelling, the hearts and minds of people are opened for a deeper understanding and empathy of one another.”
