Showtime has just ordered a full first season of the one-hour drama First Ladies, with Viola Davis playing Michelle Obama. The series has been in the works since last summer.

Via Deadline:

It hails from writer Aaron Cooley (novels Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court, The Guns of Ridgewood), Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment (Otherhood), Jeff Gaspin’s Gaspin Media (LA’s Finest) and Brad Kaplan (The Intruder). Showtime and Lionsgate TV co-produce.

A straight-to-series order is more and more unusual, so lots of decision-makers are pretty confident this is going to be good.

Image: Wikimedia/Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV