Arts & Entertainment
RuPaul series cancelled by Netflix
After a debut season that was mostly dismissed by critics even as many fans embraced it, RuPaul’s Neflix series “AJ and the Queen” has been cancelled.
The show, which debuted on the streaming platform less than two months ago, followed a “down-on-her-luck” drag queen named Ruby Red (RuPaul), who embarks on a cross-country tour a rundown 1990s R/V with an 11-year-old stowaway orphan named AJ (Izzy G) after being swindled out of her life savings by a shady ex-lover.
Each episode of the 10-episode first season featured RuPaul doing drag performances, as well as an plentiful array of guest stars – some of which were former Drag Race royalty.
Neither the appeal of its star or the roster of big-name talent proved enough of a draw to entice viewers, presumably (Netflix doesn’t release viewership numbers), but critics had not been kind to the series, and reaction on social media even among fans had been mixed.
RuPaul himself broke news of the cancellation in a Twitter post on March 6:
“End of the road for ‘AJ and The Queen’ @Netflix has decided to not extend our road trip across America. Thank you for all the love & support. We’re so very proud of the work. @mizzizzy @mlwooley @tiacarrere @joshsegarra @katerinavictoria @mwilkas #AJandTheQueen”
RuPaul had created, written and executive produced the series, alongside Michael Patrick King (“Sex and the City”). Besides RuPaul and Izzy G, the cast included Josh Segarra, Tia Carrere, Matthew Wilkas, Michael-Leon Wooley, and Katerina Victoria. 22 former “Drag Race”contestants, including Bianca del Rio, Jinkx Monsoon, Chad Michaels and Trinity the Tuck, also made guest appearances on the show.
The cancellation comes a mere two months after another RuPaul television project, the short-lived talk show “The RuPaul Show,” met with a similar fate following a three-week trial run in January.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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