Viola Davis will be portraying former United States first lady Michelle Obama in a one-hour drama from Showtime. Titled ‘First Ladies’, the anthology series puts the spotlight on the White House through the stories of the most iconic first ladies that step foot in the political residence.

Showtime is fast-tracking development for the show with a three-script commitment. Aside from starring, Davis will also act as an executive producer to the project written by author Aaron Cooley. Among the novels under Cooley’s belt are Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court and The Guns of Ridgewood.

The lineup of producers for the project includes JuVee Davis and Julius Tennon (JuVee Productions), Cathy Schulman (Welle Entertainment), Jeff Gaspin (Gaspin Media) and Brad Kaplan. It is co-produced by Showtime and Lionsgate TV.

Season 1 of First Ladies will take Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama will take center stage in each of their own 1-hour specials. The anthology series will focus on the more obscure areas of the White House where the most impactful decisions that have changed the course of history were made.

Schulman pushed for the series after being inspired by a script penned by Cooley about Lady Bird Johnson. The producer’s banner Welle Entertainment backs the show as it is in line with its mission to feature female facing content. While American presidents have been told multiple times through documentaries headlined by the presidential figures themselves, the show will highlight the women behind America’s most powerful men in history.