Starz has a number of female-fronted projects in development. The network behind “Outlander” is working on “Pussy Valley,” an hour-long drama centered on five pole dancers in Mississippi; “Dirty Girls Social Club,” a half-hour series about six New York City-based diverse, professional women; and “Teresa,” based on a popular Mexican telenovela of the same title. Two of the three projects will be led by female showrunners.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Pussy Valley” will offer audiences “an unflinching and unapologetic look” at the lives of women employed at the Pink Pony, an infamous Mississippi strip club. The “desires of athletes and politicians collide with the dreams of these working women on the quest for money, power, and respect. The line between performance and reality blurs as their personal drama spills onto the stage.” Presumably “Pussy Valley” will also depict the women’s lives outside of their jobs at the Pink Pony. We’re relieved to see that the creator and writer of the series is a woman, Katori Hall (“The Blood Quilt”). Based on the subject matter of “Pussy Valley,” it’s reassuring to see a woman steer this ship — it seems more likely that the series will go deeper into themes of sex, power, gender roles, and exploitation.
“We’re excited to work with Katori Hall, who has successfully created exciting and complex roles for black women in the American theater, and we’re confident she’ll continue to do so with ‘Pussy Valley,’” said Starz managing director Carmi Zlotnik.
“Dirty Girls Social Club” is an adaptation of Alicia Valdes’ 2003 best-selling novel of the same name. The female friends the series follows have known each other since college, and remain close more than ten years later.
Ligiah Villalobos (“Under the Same Moon”) will serve as showrunner.
“‘The Dirty Girls Social Club’ is a wonderful story about friendship with complex, nuanced characters,” Zlotnik commented. “We couldn’t be happier to work with Ligiah and to have her bring Alisa’s best-selling novel to life. We are proud to develop a series that celebrates cultural diversity, produced by a diverse group of women.”
“Teresa’s” protagonist is an an undocumented young Latina woman, and the series will revolve around her “ruthless pursuit of money and power in Los Angeles.” Carlos Portugal (“East Los High”) has signed on as showrunner. Zlotnik promised, “‘Teresa’ will showcase a modern take on what it means to be Latina in America.”
The Starz executive in charge of all three series is Marta Fernandez, senior vp of original programming.
According to research from Dr. Martha Lauzen, 77 percent of female characters in the 2014–15 TV season were white. The casts of all three of these series will feature women of color, so it seems clear that Starz recognizes that diversity sells.
