FX is touting record performance for the premiere of its new docuseries Dear Mama.
The premiere episode, which debuted on April 21, is now FX’s most-watched unscripted series premiere in this history of the network when accounting for both same-day viewing on FX and next-day viewing on Hulu. FX didn’t disclose exact viewership numbers, as is typical when streaming is involved.
“It’s only fitting that Allen Hughes definitive piece on Tupac and Afeni Shakur delivered a record performance for us and it speaks to Tupac’s enduring legacy,” said Nick Grad, President, FX Entertainment. “Allen’s examination of Tupac viewed through the prism of his mother Afeni is a fascinating take that really gets beneath the education and experience that shaped his life and inspired him to become one of the greatest artists ever.”
Directed by Allen Hughes, Dear Mama dives into the personal relationship of mother and son, Afeni and Tupac Shakur, a revolutionary and one of the most influential artists of all time. For Tupac superfans, Hughes promises there will be never seen before audio and video footage. Episode 3, titled “So Many Tears,” debuts on Friday night.
In the episode, Tupac’s legal troubles escalate, with multiple different arrests in different states, culminating in his being charged with sexual assault in New York. Afeni is the voice of the New York Panther 21, defending herself at trial and shocking the world when the verdict comes down. Tupac’s criminal trial comes to a different end.
Hughes serves as executive producer, writer, and director along with executive producer and writer Lasse Järvi and executive producers Quincy Delight Jones III (QD3), Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles King, Peter Nelson, Adel “Future” Nur, Jamal Joseph and Ted Skillman. The five-part docuseries is produced by A Defiant Ones Media Group Production and An Amaru Entertainment Production in association with MACRO and DreamCrew Entertainment.