What time is Mrs America on BBC Two tonight?
TONIGHT (July 8) BBC Two will air US drama Mrs America, which is great news for historical drama lovers.
With a star-studded cast of top actresses, the miniseries is set to be a powerful watch.
When does Mrs America start on BBC Two?
In the US, Mrs America premiered on streaming platform Hulu on April 15, 2020.
Luckily for us in the UK, it’s set to air on BBC Two TONIGHT (July 8).
Episode one goes out of 9pm and is followed by the second at 9.45pm.
You can catch episodes three and four on Wednesday, July 15. There are nine episodes in total.
What’s it about?
Mrs America is based on the true story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
It documents the rise of second-wave feminism in the 1970s which was opposed by conservative women such as Phyllis Schlafly (played by Cate Blanchett).
Conservative Phyllis Schlafly opposed the second-wave feminists of the era and rallied against abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
In 1972, she successfully opposed the Equal Rights Amendment — which aimed to enshrine equal rights for all US citizens regardless of gender — fearing it would force women out to work rather than staying at home to look after their children.
Cate, who plays Phyllis, explains: “She really did sell this notion that it was going to be the Equal Rights Amendment that would break apart the American family.”
The series is told through the eyes of Phyllis, and the second-wave feminists themselves, including Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus.
Who’s in the cast?
Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly
Cate Blanchett, 51, made her name as Queen Elizabeth I in 1998 historical drama Elizabeth.
She also portrayed singer Bob Dylan in the 2007 indie movie I’m Not There and was Marvel’s first female baddie in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Cate lives with husband Andrew Upton in a £4million mansion in East Sussex, where Cate grows vegetables and helps look after their pigs and chickens. But being so hands on does have its drawbacks.
The couple have sons Dashiell, 18, Roman, 16, and Ignatius, 12, and in 2015 they adopted baby girl Edith.
Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem
Magazine founder Gloria Steinem is played by Rose Byrne in the drama.
Byrne is famous for her role in Bridesmaids.
The Australian-born star has acted in drama Dallas Doll, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, Instant Family, with Mark Wahlberg, and in Spy, with Melissa McCarthy.
Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm
Uzo Aduba is well known for her role in Orange Is The New Black
She plays Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman elected to Congress and an advocate for women and minorities.
Aduba has also had acting credits in films including American Pastoral, Showing Roots, My Little Pony: The Movie, Candy Jar and Miss Virginia.
The cast also includes:
- Elizabeth Banks as Jill Ruckelshaus
- Kayli Carter as Pamela
- Ari Graynor as Brenda Feigen
- Melanie Lynskey as Rosemary Thomson
- Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug
- John Slattery as Fred Schlafly
- Jeanne Tripplehorn as Eleanor Schlafly
- Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan
- Sarah Paulson as Alice Macray
Mrs America’s first episode airs TONIGHT (July 8) at 9pm.
The series will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.