Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay are Behind OWN's "Queen Sugar" and You Should Be, Too

Queen Sugar, the gripping drama in its fifth season on OWN, reigns as the perfect intersection between Black History and Women's History months. Yet it is so very much more; it is television at its finest. The directing, production, plots, and acting should have everyone talking about the most recent episode and anticipating the next. If you need a series to help celebrate International Women's Day on Monday, March 8, this is it.

It's simply one of the best programs on – no qualifiers. Please don't minimize it as just one of the best Black shows, or as just one of the best shows by women. Yes, it is about a Black family and celebrates the fictional Bordelons' strength and culture. Although there are male stars and a male showrunner, it could also be seen as a women's show sinceOprah Winfrey, network CEO; Tina Perry, OWN president; and Ava DuVernay, creator and executive producer, are the bosses. Plus, DuVernay has only hired female directors throughout the run of the series, most of them making their debut.

Jacqueline Cutler

Jacqueline Cutler is a longtime journalist covering television on a national and international level, after many hard news beats. She serves on the executive board of the Television Critics Association and currently writes the "Shattering the Glass Ceil… read more