Starz is one of the many networks announcing upcoming projects this week. One of them happens to be none other than Pussy Valley, a drama based on the play of the same name and written by Katori Hall. The one-hour drama project is just starting to be developed by the subscription cable network, but will follow a group of strippers working in the "Dirty" Delta region. The subject matter is not totally taboo for television, but the name of the project may be. For now, Starz CEO Chris Albrecht says the network plans to stick with the very memorable name. Here's why:
It's a story about cats. It's ... the right title for the show. I don't know that we'll run into trouble, but that remains to be seen.
Speaking at the TCA press tour (via The Wrap), Chris Albrecht stood by the title, rightly noting that Pussy Valley is the original name that Katori Hall gave to her play when it premiered in 2015. I'm not sure about the nature of the title as a whole, but I guess we'll see exactly how that plays out if Pussy Valley moves forward to series. As for the headline, the only huge problem I'm worried about is whether news outlets that are more conservative than ours will have trouble referring to the show on the air. This is the same problem that bands like Fuck Buttons have.
Regardless of whatever the name ends up being, Pussy Valley is going to be set in Mississippi. It will follow five woman who work in a strip club called the Pink Pony, per an announcement from Starz. This strip club is frequented by average joes and politicians alike, and the world the women live in is not always the easiest. For some of the employees the job is freeing and for others, the job has its definite downsides. Figuring out how to survive in the world of stripping in this area is tougher than many might guess. Katori Hall, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Dante Di Loreto will executive produce; Khaliah Neal is also signed on as a consulting producer.
Starz has never been one to shy away from tough material. Brutal rapes have been handled during Outlander, and Spartacus was filled with enough gore and backstabbing per episode to fill the quota of most other shows per season. Starz's new drama The Girlfriend Experience has also tackled some taboo material, following a law student who gets involved in transactional relationships to make some extra cash. This sort of project is right up Starz's alley, and the network will hopefully figure out a way to get Pussy Valley on the air.
Still, we should note that it is fairly early in the development process. Not every project that gets announced eventually makes it to the airwaves and Pussy Valley doesn't even have a pilot order, yet. While we wait for more news, here's what is coming up this fall.
