OUTtv drags up competition series

Canadian LGBTQ+ channel and streamer OUTtv has ordered a competition reality series in which renowned drag performers adopt and mentor the next generation of drag talent.

Call Me Mother will debut this fall on OUTtv in Canada

Call Me Mother will see contestants battle it out over the course of eight weeks for the title of First Child of Drag and a grand prize package valued at about C$50,000 (US$42,000).

‘Drag mothers’ Peppermint, Crystal and Barbada will serve as mentors for the contestants, each one overseeing a different ‘house’ and deciding which performers stay in the competition.

Produced by Toronto-based Go Button Media and Singapore’s RedFlame TV, the format will debut this fall exclusively on OUTtv in Canada, hosted by Dallas Dixon (Entertainment Tonight Canada).

Barbada described Call Me Mother as “a very diverse show that includes people from across the LGBTQ+ community and truly represents what the drag community is.”

Philip Webb, chief operating officer of OUTtv, said: “It’s our mission at OUTtv to represent, as broadly as possible, our audience through our programming. From the initial stages of casting, we shared the same vision with Go Button Media and focused on showcasing the variety that drag has to offer.

“We were overwhelmed not only with quantity of applications for Call Me Mother, but by the diversity of talent that applied. Drag Queens have found a home in the mainstream, but there is more to the art form and we are thrilled to be putting a spotlight on different forms of drag artistry.”

Natasha Ryan of Go Button Media added: “Call Me Mother flips the script on the competitive format and focuses on the relationships, stories and collaborations that are part of being in a Drag Family. In keeping with the dynamic and supportive cultural history of these houses, instead of artists going head-to-head – they will battle it out together as a house full of rising drag legends, each led by one iconic Mother. That is until the end, when there can only be one winner.”