Starz has announced a special “Early Preview” for its new docuseries, Down in the Valley.
Hosted by P-Valley star Nicco Annan, the six-half-hour episode series will “offer viewers a captivating journey through the multifaceted Deep South that is as poignant as it is joyful and magical.”
“Annan, best known as “Uncle Clifford” on Starz’s critically acclaimed drama series P-Valley, will be immersed in the people, sensuality, music, culture, and stories of the South,” the synopsis reads. “From strip clubs to sex workshops, rap performances, and ancient hoodoo rituals, Annan, as well as the audience, will experience it all. The series confronts uncomfortable truths, challenges societal norms, and advocates for a more inclusive and enlightened future.”
The first episode, Diamonds of Memphis,” will now air a week early on Friday, June 28, at midnight ET on the Starz app. On the linear channel, it will still air as scheduled on July 5 at 9 p.m., followed b the second episode.
Here’s the official description for the premiere episode:
Inside the walls of Diamonds of Memphis, we meet real life dancers, unique women, yet raw and very real. Each woman offers a different story and relationship to her body. Framed around standout dancers and the periphery characters, this episode explores Black women’s literal bodies, what they are capable of, and the physicality of dancing — from the magic that is twerking to taking flight on the pole, as well as the ways they care for themselves and their bodies through boundaries, selfc-are, and other creative means. Then we leave the club to dive deeper into these dancers’ multidimensional lives.
Produced by Zero Point Zero for Starz, Down In The Valley is executive produced by Annan and P-Valley creator Katori Hall. Shoshana Guy is the showrunner and executive producer. Lydia Tenaglia and Chris Collins also executive produced, and Jared Andrukanis is a co-executive producer on behalf of Zero Point Zero.
The official episode loglines for the entire season are listed below:
EPISODE 101 – “Diamonds of Memphis”
“Diamonds of Memphis,” goes inside one of Memphis’s newest strip clubs to learn about the lives of the women who work there. Nicco joins the OGs and the newcomers as they peel back the layers and give us a unique window into what it is to sell fantasy while living your own reality.
EPISODE 102 – “Saints and Sinners”
“Saints and Sinners,” takes the audience on a joyful ride into the life of ShaRonda Parker, a woman determined to destigmatize sex in the South. As Nicco immerses himself in her world he meets some surprising colleagues and a community of women ready to get free!
EPISODE 103 – “Out the Mud”
“Out the Mud” takes us into the life of an MC named Marley Santana. A gay Black man from one of Dallas’s toughest neighborhoods, Marley’s dramatic story of how he was outed and ultimately found self acceptance and unconditional love is truly exceptional.
EPISODE 104 – “From the Juke to the Junt”
“From the Juke to the Junt,” this episode takes us on a musical journey to meet both the current artists who create the music for P-Valley, and the previous generations that inspire them. Nicco immerses himself in multiple musical genres while he seeks to learn about the artists and all the joy and pain that inspires them to create.
EPISODE 105 – “Hoodoo Woman”
“Hoodoo Woman” takes the audience on a journey to explore a spiritual tradition that belongs to the deep south known as Hoodoo. Nicco meets Hoodoo women to cast spells and the devotees who have used Hoodoo to change their lives.
EPISODE 106 – “Ten Toes Down”
“Ten Toes Down” explores the culture of Black county life in the South from line dancing to horses and ATVS on the trail rides. Nicco takes us to Smith Family Farms, a Black-owned farm in Charleson, Mississippi to learn just what it takes to keep the land across generations and how it continues to be the center of culture for both the family and the region.
