I am a fan of both large animals that eat people and Reese Witherspoon’s various film and television projects, so it makes sense that I’d be drawn to her new nature docuseries, Fierce Queens, which will launch with Quibi in April. And yet, I can’t tell if there’s something...sort of...pander-y...about this one?
Deadline reports that the show is a “new nature series told from a female perspective,” and its specific focus is on female animals—big cats, squids, humpback whales, you name it. The trailer is packaged in a way that suggests female empowerment. “Why do they call it the animal ‘kingdom’ when it’s clearly run by queens?” Witherspoon asks in the trailer, which shows clips of various fierce queens frolicking to Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater.”
There’s also an Eat, Pray, Love pun in there:
Female animal behavior is often fascinating (as anyone who’s ever gone hiking in bear country knows, females are often deadlier than males) and though I wouldn’t go so far as to call them overlooked, I’m not currently aware of any programs that focus specifically on the ladies. Though depending on how the show is ultimately presented, there’s a chance this could feel a tad like giving a little girl a pink cheetah doll instead of a regular one. Not that that’s ever happened to me!
Witherspoon and BBC are producing the series, which will deliver episodes in “bite-sized” 10 minute segments. Quibi launches April 6.