Everything We Know About Shondalands Upcoming Netflix Series
- The Residence is a murder-mystery comedy-drama series inspired by a non-fiction book about the lives of White House residence staff members.
- The show boasts a star-studded cast, including Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, and Randall Park.
- Production for The Residence was delayed due to the Writer’s Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes, resulting in changes in the cast, and is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2024.
The television production company Shondaland, founded by television writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, is one of the most influential in recent years. Shondaland is behind TV powerhouses such as Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and the historical romance Bridgerton. Bridgerton was Shondaland’s first scripted show for Netflix after a 2017 partnership deal with Netflix, and upon its debut, Bridgerton was the most-watched original series launched on the streaming service. Shondaland also produced Inventing Anna and Bridgerton’s prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. For this reason, fans have high expectations for Shondaland’s next scripted show for Netflix, The Residence.
The Residence moves away from historical romance and back to Scandal’s and How to Get Away With Murder’s territory. Paul William Davis, who wrote and produced for Scandal and created For the People, another Shondaland show, will serve as showrunner and executive producer for The Residence. The Residence moves back to the familiar White House setting, only this time as a comedy murder-mystery series about a murder that happened during a state dinner. While there isn’t a premiere date set just yet, the starring cast and main mystery have already made The Residence the next whodunit murder mystery to watch out for this year.
The Residence Takes Inspiration From a Non-Fiction Book by Journalist and Author Kate Andersen Brower
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Just like Bridgerton, Shondaland’s next Netflix series takes inspiration from a book. Only this time, the series is inspired by the non-fiction book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower. This book sheds light on the lives of the often-overlooked White House residence staff, from butlers and maids to florists and engineers. The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House features interviews with multiple White House residence staff members, who recount stories about the Kennedys, the Nixons, all the way to the Obama family. The book also details lesser-known information about what goes on behind the scenes during important White House events like state dinners, an event that serves as the setting of The Residence. The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House also expands on the lives of the staff themselves, like storeroom manager Bill Hamilton, who served eleven presidents while working at the White House for over fifty-five years, and Stephen Rochon, who became the first African American chief usher.
The Residence takes inspiration from this book and the stories the White House residence staff recounts, as well as their own personal stories and backgrounds, to create the characters around this whodunit murder mystery. However, the main storyline of Shondaland’s The Residence is fiction. The Residence revolves around a state dinner gone wrong and a murder at the White House residence where everyone is a suspect. With over one hundred and fifty suspects and over one hundred and thirty rooms in the White House, an eccentric detective must solve the mystery as the secrets and conflicts between the White House residence personnel are revealed.
The Residence Features a Star-Studded Cast
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Uzo Aduba, known for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange Is the New Black, will star in The Residence as consulting detective Cordelia Cupp. Cordelia has a few unconventional methods when investigating, and many consider her a bit eccentric, but her unique style is sure to make people talk. Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito is also a part of the cast as A.B. Wynter, the White House chief usher. The chief usher is the head of the residence staff, and the position of chief usher was not established until 1891, in the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. Before that, most of the responsibilities of the chief usher fell on the First Lady. As chief usher, Esposito’s role will most likely be a key character, as he’s the one responsible for the rest of the staff at the White House, and lso probably knows most of the secrets and conflicts that go on behind closed doors.
Paul Fitzgerald, from shows like Veep and Younger, will play President Perry Morgan. The Residence also includes Isiah Whitlock Jr., known from The Wire as Metropolitan Police Department Chief Larry Dokes. Jason Lee from My Name is Earl stars as Tripp Morgan, the President’s younger brother. Randall Park, star of Fresh of the Boat, will play a federal agent working alongside Aduba’s character, Cordelia Cupp. Ken Marino, best known for Party Down and Wet Hot American Summer, plays Harry Hollinger, the President’s closest, oldest, and most trusted friend and advisor.
Edwina Findley, best known for The Wire, will play White House butler Sheila Cannon. This Is Us star Susan Kelechi Watson will portray Jasmine Haney, a White House assistant usher. Beloved Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue will reportedly play herself in The Residence, while Jane Curtin will be the First Mother-in-Law. Eliza Coupe, best known from sitcoms like Scrubs and Happy Endings, will portray Senator Margery Bay.
The Writers and SAG-AFTRA Strike Affected Production
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The Residence’s first season will consist of eight one-hour episodes. The series began filming in 2022 before production was suspended in 2023 due to the strikes of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. By that time, half of the series was completed, with four out of the eight episodes already filmed. Sadly, delays during filming also caused some unexpected casting changes, as one of the main characters had to be re-cast. Andre Braugher, star of iconic TV shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: Life on the Street, was initially part of the cast of The Residence as chief usher A. B. Wynter. However, Braugher sadly passed away in December 2023 while production was still suspended, and as only able to shoot the first episodes of the series.
The Residence resumed production in January 2024, and in February, it was announced that Giancarlo Esposito would take on Andre Braugher’s role. Esposito is best known for his work in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as for Homicide: Life on the Street and the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. The Residence would have been Andre Braugher’s last TV role, but he was sadly unable to complete production before his untimely death. The scenes that Andre Braugher had already filmed will be reshot with Giancarlo Esposito in the role of A. B. Wynter, yet hopefully, these setbacks won’t delay production of The Residence much longer.
Fans of other Shondaland mystery drama series like Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder will most likely enjoy The Residence, as well as Shondaland’s return to the genre. The return to the White House setting will most likely give a sense of familiarity to fans of other Shondaland productions, even though the focus this time isn’t the politicians, but the staff. Even though the changes and delays in production have made it hard for The Residence to schedule an official date of release, The Residence is still expected to premiere on Netflix in 2024. And knowing how Bridgerton and Inventing Anna became huge hits for Netflix, The Residence will most likely solidify Shondaland’s partnership with the streaming service.
The Residence official poster
The Residence
Inspired by the non-fiction book by Kate Andersen Brower, “The Residence” dives into a fictional murder mystery set in the White House. The series revolves around the lives of the hardworking staff who maintain the residence and cater to the needs of the First Family. When a shocking murder takes place within the White House walls, lives are upended, hidden secrets are exposed, and a thrilling investigation unfolds. Viewers get a glimpse into the rarely seen private world of the White House, exploring the power dynamics, hidden agendas, and personal ambitions of its residents and staff. As the investigation progresses, alliances shift, suspicions rise, and the killer’s true motives come to light.
CastBrett Tucker, Barrett Foa, Edwina Findley, Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo EspositoMain GenreMysteryGenresDrama, ThrillerSeasons1Studio Shondaland, ABC SignatureCreatorPaul William DaviesNumber of Episodes8NetworkNetflix