Cate Blanchett as an antifeminist in “Mrs. America”

Produce a feminist version of Mad Men? Sounds like a risky bet. And yet Davhi Waller, one of the scriptwriters behind the cult series has decided to give it a go. Pencil skirts and tweed suits are returning to the small screen with a new series entitled Mrs America¸ being shown on the American channel FX (also behind the excellent Fargo and The Americans). But this time the story goes beyond fiction and tells the astonishing tale of Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist who opposed the movement to ratify the amendment for equal rights between the sexes. Embodying Phyllis Schlafly for the nine episodes is none other than Cate Blanchett: “I’m very excited about the idea of immersing myself in this story, which is so appropriate for our times. Unraveling the different layers of this recent period in history makes sense today,” said the actress in a press release. 

Set for broadcast on Canal + in France, Mrs. America also represents some of the most famous figures of the 1970s American feminist movement, and in particular, the journalist and writer Gloria Steinem. Played by actress Rose Byrne (Marie Antoinette, X-Men: First Class), the pioneer is recognisable thanks to her big seventies glasses and her long chestnut hair. Alongside her, we also find the brilliant Sarah Paulson, first seen in American Horror Story, as well as Elizabeth Banks and Uzo Aduba from Orange Is The New Black.

Mrs. America, available from April 16th on Canal +.