American Woman (TV series)

Production

The project began on June 2, 2015, when TV Land announced development of a television pilot based on the life of Kyle Richards, to be produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. John Wells and John Riggi served as executive producers, with Riggi writing the pilot script. On November 7, 2016, TV Land ordered a first season of 12 episodes. On March 30, 2017, the series was moved to the newly rebranded Paramount Network.

John Riggi departed the series on August 14, 2017, citing creative differences, and John Wells took over as showrunner. The premiere date of June 7, 2018, was announced on January 16, 2018. Cancellation came on September 5, 2018. Alicia Silverstone was cast in the lead role on July 25, 2016.

Mena Suvari joined as another lead on August 11, 2016. Cheyenne Jackson and Jennifer Bartels were also cast later that month. Diandra Lyle was cast as Louise in May 2017, and Sam Morgan joined in a recurring capacity on June 13, 2017. Principal photography began in April 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The theme song was a cover of the 1970 The Guess Who song "American Woman," performed by Kelly Clarkson.

Release

On March 27, 2018, Paramount Network released six first-look images. The first official trailer came on May 3, 2018. A cover of "American Woman" by Kelly Clarkson was announced on May 17, 2018, and used in marketing. The series held its world premiere at the Series Mania Festival in Lille, France on April 29, 2018, screening the first three episodes in the festival's official competition. On June 7, 2018, a screening at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas was followed by a Q&A panel with executive producer Josh Wells, cast members Alicia Silverstone, Mena Suvari, Jennifer Bartels, and co-executive producer Kyle Richards.

Reception

Critical reception was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 44% approval rating with an average rating of 5.36 out of 10 based on 18 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "Stereotypes and ambiguity shadow the well-meaning intentions of American Woman, though the nostalgic period setting is cute." Metacritic assigned a score of 48 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews.