The upcoming Monarch TV show, already starring Trace Adkins, will welcome several more country artists for its debut season. Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Little Big Town and Tanya Tucker will each make guest appearances throughout the season. In addition to Adkins, the cast also includes Susan Sarandon, Anna Friel, Joshua Sasse and Beth Ditto.
Monarch is about the Roman family, which includes Dottie Cantrell Roman (played by Sarandon), who has been dubbed the Queen of Country Music, and her husband, Albie Roman (played by Adkins), dubbed the Texas Truthteller. Together, the two have created a country music dynasty, which threatens to crumble as the “very foundation of their sucess is a lie,” per a press release.
Monarch was originally scheduled to premiere in January, but later announced they were delaying the beginning of the first season until the fall.
“With an incredible pedigree of talent and musical performances, the powerfully compelling drama, Monarch, is a top priority for Fox Entertainment in 2022,” a Fox spokesperson said (via Deadline). earlier this year. “Unfortunately, due to the unavoidable realities of the pandemic and the profound impact Covid-19 continues to have on our industry and around the world, it is necessary to reschedule Monarch’s January 30 debut to the fall.
“As the cornerstone of Fox’s new 2022-23 slate, shifting a show of this magnitude allows us to have its entire first season produced, create additional, high-profile content and promotional windows to support launch, and give our viewers the best opportunity to enjoy the series as intended with a non-compromised run of episodes,” the statement continues. “We thank our cast, producers, writers and the entire crew for their tireless work and continued dedication to the country music-filled world that is Monarch.”
Adkins previously released a cover of Hank Williams, Jr.‘s “A Country Boy Can Survive,” for the TV show.
“I’ve lost count how many times I’ve listened to Hank Jr.’s ‘A Country Boy Can Survive,’” Adkins said of the song. “Having the opportunity to record such an iconic song has been both exhilarating and daunting. I wanted to honor the original version while putting my own ‘spin’ on it. I’m excited for this to be the first release from Monarch and for fans to hear all of the music we have coming out.”
Monarch will premiere with a special two-night event, beginning on Sunday, Sept. 11, immediately following the FOX NFL doubleheader, between 8:00 and 9:00 PM ET. The show will then move to Tuesday nights, beginning on September 20, at 9:00 PM ET
