When Katori Hall’s Starz drama, “P-Valley,” debuted in 2020, it showcased a world that had never been spotlighted on television. “P-Valley” follows the erotic dancers of the gritty but beloved strip club The Pynk, run by Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), the club’s gender-nonconforming owner. Set in the fictional town of Chucalissa, Mississippi, the series also expands outside of The Pynk, following its characters as they push against the social norms of the Bible Belt. Now, as fans anticipate the third season of the critically acclaimed drama, Annan is guiding the audience through unseen segments of the Deep South. Starz’s new docuseries “Down in the Valley” highlights the people, businesses, experiences and traditions that make Black neighborhoods in places like Memphis, Dallas, Baton Rouge and Charleston, Mississippi, so distinctive and culturally rich. Acting as a guide, the actor showcases his innate dynamism by getting up close and personal with people in these communities who, despite limited resources, have found ways to shine. In six 30-minute episodes, Annan offers insight into everything from sex work to Hoodoo in a wide-ranging series. While compelling, these stories would be better served in hour-long segments.
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“Down in the Valley” opens in Memphis, Tennessee, a city not unlike “P-Valley’s” Chucalissa. Directed by Haimy Assefa, who shares the directing credits for the show with Patrick Altema, the docuseries is drenched in blue and purple light tones, a signature of the fictional series. In Episode 1, “Diamonds of Memphis,” Annan visits the Diamond of Memphis strip club, where dancer auditions are being held for its reopening. Though Annan speaks with several women, including newcomer Cherry, a single mother hoping to earn a spot on the club’s roster, and Georgia Peach, an OG with no problem putting the greener dancers in their place, this opener is the weakest of the series. Just as viewers learn about Tamika, a self-taught seamstress who owns the Naked Attire clothing brand the dancers clamour for, the episode ends, and Annan is off to a new location.
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Across the rest of the season, fans are introduced to everyone from rapper Jucee Froot, who performs the “P-Valley” theme song, to the Smith family of Charleston, Mississippi, who’ve owned acres of land in the town going back to the 1940s. Annan laughs, dances, cries and breaks bread with many intriguing figures, but there are two standouts. In Episode 2, “Saints and Sinners,” the audience is introduced to ShaRonda Parker, aka The Nasty Lady, a sex educator who, at the time of filming, owned Private Partz and Gifts, the sole brick-and-mortar erotic boutique in Baton Rouge. Selling more than sex toys, the businesswoman is also a sexual health and wellness advocate who hosts parties and workshops, covering a wide range of topics, including sexual pleasure and the importance of STI testing. In progressive places around the country, the work Parker is doing might not seem novel. However, viewers learn about the shame and ostracization she’s endured within her own community. In the Bible Belt, religion is so ingrained in the culture that it’s riveting to see a woman simultaneously holding her freedom and her faith close to her heart.
In Episode 3, “Out of the Mud,” Annan lands in Dallas, where he connects with MC Marley Santana, a.k.a. Bandana Fresh, a gay rapper who shares a very similar story to “P-Valley” character Lil’ Murda (J. Alphonse Nicholson). Throughout this section, the rapper reflects on the pain of being closeted, using hypermasculinity and violence as a mask, and what happened when he was outed by someone he loved and trusted. Like Parker, Santana’s story could have been platformed on its own in an hour-long block.
Though Annan is endlessly watchable and “Down in the Valley” encompasses several locations and a whole cast of characters, the manic speed of the show makes it feel rushed and fragmented. If the viewers’ only window into this specific ecosystem within the south is “P-Valley,” then “Down in the Valley” still barely scratches the surface. While the Deep South’s music, food, and residents are emphasized, and the ramifications of poverty and violence are also present, there is so much more to explore. Hopefully, this quick glimpse is just the beginning.
“Down in the Valley” will premiere July 5 on Starz, with new episodes airing weekly on Fridays.