It’s about time: A reality TV competition show featuring drag kings, hosted by drag legend Murray Hill, is coming to our screens next year.
The show, titled King of Drag, will feature eight drag kings vying for the crown. Who those eight artists will be remains to be seen — casting is now underway — but the series promises to showcase “diverse gender identities including trans masc, cisgender women, non-binary and more,” per a press release.
“I’m so excited to be working with [LGBTQ+ streamer] Revry as the host of King of Drag,” Hill said in a statement. “I started performing in 1995, so it’s long overdue for the kings to take center stage. This vibrant community deserves to be in the spotlight, and I’ll be their biggest hype man. I can’t wait to work with the kings and introduce them to the biggest audience possible, thanks to Revry. That’s showbiz.”
“Rather than rehash the format of other drag competition shows, the series’ producers will showcase drag king’s unique talents including comedy, unconventional performances, and timely commentary on masculinity, which has been part of the drag king subculture for decades,” the release explains. “In each episode, we will learn more about the individual king’s backstory, what motivates them, and their goals for kinging.”
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King of Drag is an exciting (and long overdue) series in its own right, but its existence also has fans wondering what could be in store for TV’s most prominent drag competition: RuPaul’s Drag Race. Fans have long been clamoring for kings to be cast on Drag Race, and if King of Drag is successful, it could prove the potential drag kings have to make reality TV gold.
Then again, other reality drag competitions like The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula and Camp Wannakiki have been featuring kings for years to great responses from fans, and Drag Race has yet to follow suit. Could King of Drag provide the final push to a more inclusive version of Drag Race, or will the show continue to be a queens-only affair?
King of Drag is set to premiere in spring of 2025 and have six episodes. It will stream on Revry, which is available for free on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Vizio WatchFree+, Xumo, Plex, Freevee, Fubo, Rakuten TV, Stirr, iOS, and Android.
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