OWN Slates Queen Sugar Premiere

LOS ANGELES: OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has scheduled a fall debut for the new original drama series Queen Sugar.

The hour-long series from filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who directed the first two episodes, and executive producer Oprah Winfrey, will premiere with a two-night event on September 6 and 7 at 10 p.m. The contemporary drama series is inspired by Natalie Baszile’s book and will air regularly on Wednesday nights in that time slot throughout its 13-episode run.

Queen Sugar follows the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings in Saint Josephine, Louisiana. After a family tragedy, they must navigate the toils and triumphs of their complicated lives as they struggle to run a failing sugarcane farm. The series is produced for OWN by Warner Horizon Television. In addition to Winfrey, DuVernay and Melissa Carter serve as executive producers.

Every episode in the first season had a female director at the helm. Joining DuVernay on the roster of directors are Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned), Victoria Mahoney (Yelling to the Sky), Tanya Hamilton (Night Catches Us), So Yong Kim (Lovesong, Treeless Mountain), Kat Candler (Hellion), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Eureka) and Neema Barnette (Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day, Being Mary Jane).